Visual Arts

List of 13 items.

• Foundations of Studio Art

  3 meetings per eight-day cycle/2 credits
  Open to all students
  
  This class (or 3-D Sculpture & Design 822) is a prerequisite for 812, 814, 825, 832 and 842.
  
  This course provides a comprehensive foundation to the visual arts. The objective is to excite students about the breadth of creative exploration while building technical skills and a sense of self as an artist. Students study the principles of drawing and design as they experiment with a wide variety of media and methods, including pencil, ink, watercolor and computer graphics. Through lectures and in-class critiques, students learn about relevant artists and acquire critical skills. Requirements include short written responses to question sheets, participation in class critiques and a field trip to Manhattan.

• Intermediate Studio Art (Major)

  5 meetings per eight-day cycle/3 credits
  Prerequisite: Foundations of Studio Art 811, 3-D Sculpture & Design 822 or permission of the instructor
  
  This class offers qualified students the opportunity to pursue an exploration of the visual arts with intensity and focus, enabling them to investigate several two-dimensional media while maintaining an emphasis on drawing skills and on an understanding of composition and design. As they study significant artists and art periods, they will begin to make connections between art and culture, forming an individual sense of style. Students interested in this course should have a strong desire to develop both skills and analytic abilities as they start to see themselves as artists.
  
  Requirements include weekly sketchbook assignments, long-term projects and in-class critiques. Field trips to Manhattan museums and galleries will take place in both the fall and spring semesters.

• Intermediate Studio Art (Minor)

  3 meetings per eight-day cycle/2 credits
  Prerequisite: Foundations of Studio Art 811, 3-D Sculpture & Design 822 or permission of the instructor
  
  This course allows students with prior studio experience the opportunity to continue their investigation of the visual arts. Students will focus on further developing their drawing skills with a range of media, including graphite, charcoal and pastel. Students will also be encouraged to sharpen their perceptual drawing skills through a series of challenging life drawing exercises. In-studio critiques will help students to think and speak confidently about their own work and the art around them.
  
  Requirements include both short- and long-term art assignments. A field trip to Manhattan will take place in the fall.

• Advanced Studio Art/Drawing and Painting

  5 meetings per eight-day cycle/3 credits
  Prerequisite: Intermediate Studio Art (Minor) 812, Intermediate Studio Art (Major) 814 or permission of the instructor
  
  Advanced Studio offers students who are ready to make art a major part of their Upper School experience the chance to further develop their drawing and design skills, as well as to deepen their understanding of a full range of formal visual issues. An extensive syllabus of drawing projects will help students build a solid portfolio of formal work and prepare them for the rigors of AP Studio Art in the senior year. The course places an emphasis on life-drawing, as well as the importance of the critique as a vital tool in the creative process. Students will also be encouraged to work independently on outside assignments as a means of cultivating their own personal creative interests and vision. Important artists will be presented and discussed throughout the year.
  
  Requirements include in-studio assignments and a field trip.

• AP Studio Art/Portfolio

  5 meetings per eight-day cycle/3credits
  Open to seniors only
  
  Prerequisite: 816 and Department Chair's permission in the form of initials on the course selection sheet
  
  AP Studio is intended for students who are seriously interested in the practical experience and study of art. The AP syllabus demands a high level of commitment and performance throughout the year, and is therefore not a course for the casually interested. A rigorous syllabus of in-studio projects, combined with independent “concentration” work, will provide students with an ample body of work from which to assemble a final AP portfolio for submission to the College Board in May. To succeed, portfolios must exhibit a sound grasp and understanding of a full range of formal art issues, as well as an ability to explore more personally creative concepts and directions. A number of museum/gallery excursions will take place during the year, including one overnight trip, and students will have the opportunity to participate in external exhibitions.

• Three-Dimensional Sculpture & Design

  3 meetings per eight-day cycle/2 credits
  Open to all students
  
  This class (or 811) may serve as a prerequisite for 812, 814, 825, 832 and 842.
  
  This class emphasizes the translation of two-dimensional ideas to three-dimensional forms as students explore problems in spatial organization. Using a variety of media and techniques, such as clay, wire, sheet metal and wood, students will respond to a range of sculptural challenges designed to expand the boundaries of possibility. Emphasis is placed on developing skills in creative thinking, problem solving, drawing and craftsmanship. Requirements include the ability to articulate concepts and ideas while utilizing the “language of art.” Participation in class discussions and critiques enables students to reflect on their work and artistic development. Students are required to attend the field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the fall.

• Advanced Sculpture and Ceramics

  3 meetings per eight-day cycle/2 credits
  Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors
  Prerequisite: 811 or 822 (or permission of the instructor)
  
  In this course, students will develop their craftsmanship skills while learning to construct models in wood, welding (using an M.I.G. welding machine), cold forging and cutting steel (with the chop saw and plasma cutter). Students may choose to hone their skills in throwing pottery on the electric wheel, building large-scale vessels and constructions with the extruder, and exploring the sculptural qualities of paper clay. Drawing is an essential component of all
  sculptural project development. Students will research contemporary and historical art and artists as they develop their personal visual vocabulary. Advanced Sculpture students will work toward exhibiting a cohesive body of sculpture in the Upper School Art Show in May. Students may also enter local and national exhibits and competitions throughout the year.
  
  Requirements include a visit to an exhibition and a written art review, as well as participation in class discussions and critiques.
  
  Students who have taken this course may continue their studies in sculpture and design by registering for an independent study with the approval of the instructor.

• Introduction to Photography and Digital Design

  3 meetings per eight-day cycle/2 credits
  Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors
  Prerequisite: 811 or 822, or permission of the instructor
  
  Students will learn the essential concepts and methods of digital photography from basic camera operation to the rules of composition and design. The first half of the year, students will learn how to operate the camera through technical assignments and through studying the work of important and relevant photographers, both historical and contemporary. Through class projects, students will learn to use the camera effectively to express their personal visual ideas.
  
  The second half of the year, students will be introduced to complex photo editing in Adobe Photoshop and basic design principles using Adobe Illustrator. Combining ideas of graphic design and photography in such projects as album covers and book design, students will begin to connect these two digital art forms.

• Photography and Digital Design Today

  3 meetings per eight-day cycle/2 credits
  Open to juniors and seniors only
  
  Prerequisite: Introduction to Photography 832 OR permission of the instructor
  
  Students in this course will use the technical skills they developed in Introduction to Photography and Digital Design to develop a more personal vision with their assignments. Students will start the year expanding on their technical skills with a variety of photo and design projects. Through discussions of photos in advertising, journalism and in the fine art world, students will begin an investigation on what it means to be a photographer in the age of cellphones, Photoshop and social media. We will discuss how photography can be used for documentation, persuasion and storytelling. The second half of the year, students will connect photography with other forms of digital media and design and will choose which direction they would like to carry their photography in: advertising, fine art, book production, etc.

• Advanced Photography and Digital Media

  5 meetings per eight-day cycle/3 credits
  Open to juniors and seniors only
  
  Prerequisite: Introduction to Photography and Digital Media, Photography and Digital Design Today
  
  This course is for students interested in developing their personal vision through the mediums of photography and graphic design. Having completed Intro to Photography and Digital Media, students in this course will have a deep understanding of how to use a digital camera, and each student is expected to produce a body of work that demonstrates both mature technical skills and individual expression. Students will learn how both design and photography influence each other in advertising through discussions of important artists and designers and explore these ideas further with projects like book illustration and album and poster design.

• Architecture and Design

  3 meetings per eight-day cycle/2 credits
  Prerequisite: Foundations of Studio Art 811 or 3-D Sculpture & Design 822 OR permission of the instructor
  
  Limited enrollment. Preference given to seniors.
  
  This course introduces students to the world of buildings and their design. Students begin the year with a variety of mechanical and schematic drawing exercises or “puzzles,” designed to teach them how to visualize complex architectural forms in space. Students will also become familiar with a range of architectural tools and techniques as they learn to confidently draft fundamental design elements, such as plans, sections and elevations. In the final trimester, students will have the opportunity to design and draft a full set of plans for an original structure of their own conception, as well as construct a scaled model of their building.
  
  Throughout the year, as a means of cultivating a deeper appreciation for the role of architecture in society, the storied history of architecture will be presented and discussed. A full-day field trip into Manhattan is scheduled for the spring.

• Introduction to Filmmaking

  3 meetings per eight-day cycle/2 credits
  Prerequisite: Intermediate Studio Art (812 or 814) or Architecture and Design 842 OR special permission of the instructor
  
  This is a production-oriented course that guides students on a step-by-step exploration of the fundamentals of filmmaking, including brainstorming short film ideas, scriptwriting, character development, storyboarding, animatic creation, directing and cinematography essentials, picture editing, sound design and titles/credits. After a short overview of cinema and animation history, students begin production of a short film of approximately 10 to 20 minutes in length.
  
  Grouped in teams, students will brainstorm, write, direct, shoot and edit a short film that emphasizes a strong story structure. Teams will be encouraged to share these key responsibilities to give each group member a first-hand understanding of the filmmaking process. With the permission of the instructor, some students may work on shorter solo film projects. Video camera basics will be covered to allow students to take full advantage of the camera’s tools to further enhance a film’s aesthetic quality and creative potential.
  
  Students may choose to explore their artistic visions by making films of any genre, including fiction, non-fiction, animated, live-action, music-themed, documentary, comedy, drama, etc. Throughout the year, students will be introduced to various professionals in the field who will advise them on their conceptual, pre-production and post-production phases of their films.

• Independent Study: Visual Arts

  2 credits/meetings to be arranged with instructor
  
  

  For students with a focused interest in pursuing a specific idea that does not fall within the scope of the above course descriptions (whether three-dimensional design, photography, studio art or ceramics), the option of individual instruction is available. Students should present a carefully considered proposal to the Department Chair for approval.