The Arts

In this class, students learn the essential elements and principles of design before creating your own independent project.  The first part of the class features projects that teach you the elements and principles, the second is an album cover project using the elements and principles as well as timbre (the color of sound) to illustrate the music of your favorite musician.  The final project will be student-directed.  Students will also learn how to incorporate hand drawings into digital design and how to use Adobe Illustrator.

Students will be encouraged to discover their preferred medium, will be challenged to experience new mediums, and will have the ability to drive the experience of the Studio Art course based on interests and skill level.

Advanced Placement Studio Art is an honors-level class setup to prepare and develop portfolios for the AP review. Rigorous, yet self-driven, students are encouraged to develop their own voice and style through a variety of art practices and mediums. The fall term will be centered on creating 12 pieces for the breadth section of the portfolio, while the rest of the year is centered on developing a set of twelve concentration pieces that deeply explore and investigate a theme. Studies of art history, art criticism, and group discussions take place in conjunction with studio projects. AP students are required to display their artwork and participate in an art exhibit in the local community.

Prerequisite: Foundations in Art or teacher approval of a personal portfolio 

This course will give students experience with all aspects of Video production including, shooting, editing, publishing, interview skills, audio capturing, composition skills and working on a strict weekly deadline. After the foundational work of teaching the use of the cameras and editing systems, the class will begin to produce content for a weekly video project that will air online throughout the school year. Students in this class will learn skills of storytelling in a visual medium while showcasing their creativity and talent in capturing the world around them.

This class explores sound as a medium.  Like paint or clay, students will use sound to illustrate places that are important to them.  They will learn about other sound artists from around the world, then create their own soundscape, starting with individual places, then a final 5-10 minute piece that takes the listener on a journey through two to three different places.  Students will have the opportunity to record their own sounds with microphones or instruments and will learn how to manipulate sound using Adobe Audition.

Students can choose to learn a new instrument or fine-tune existing skills on instruments they already know how to play, including but not limited to guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums.  There is an opportunity to focus on singing and songwriting and throughout the course, students will explore performing in a group by learning how to find a rhythm by learning and how to compliment other musicians.  There will be group and or solo performances required.

This course explores the behind-the-scenes aspects of music production and engineering and the aspects that make performances run smoothly.  Students will learn about working soundboards for live events, DJing, and making podcasts or radio shows.  They will also learn how to collaborate with other artists to help them realize team projects.  Students will make three finished pieces or performances over the course of the class.