Visual Arts

This course provides students who anticipate studying art at the postsecondary level the rigor and focus of a college level visual art course. Students enrolled in AP Studio Art will choose a 2-D, Drawing, or Sculpture concentration. A portfolio will be compiled throughout the school year demonstrating competency in the chosen concentration, depth of artistic expression, and breadth of artistic experience. The portfolio is sent to the AP Board for review with the potential for earned college credit. Students will expand on artistic concepts and themes in their personal work and will be required to create artist statements in which they articulate and defend artistic choices in their work. A fee is charged for consumable materials.

This course is an introductory visual art course designed to introduce students to a variety of media and processes. Students will learn, apply, and analyze the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design in their own art making and the art of others. Both two and three dimensional art processes including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics will be introduced. Students will explore art in both historical and contemporary contexts and participate in critical analysis of work of different artists, cultures, and time periods. Students will maintain a portfolio to demonstrate artistic progress which will carry on to the next level of study. There is no prerequisite. Upon successful completion of this course, students may advance to Art II. A fee is charged for consumable materials. Students in the gifted art program may apply to skip Art I with a required portfolio review and teacher recommendation.

This second level course is designed to expand on and refine two and three dimensional processes learned in the previous course. Students will continue to maintain a portfolio in which artistic progress can be shown. Students will continue to examine art as a means for personal expression as well as its historical and societal impact. Students will explore content, concepts, and big ideas in their own original works of art. A C or better in the previous course or teacher approval is required. A fee is charged for consumable materials.

This course continues to emphasize the acquisition of concepts and development of skills as well as enable students to organize and analyze visual arts content. Students increasingly focus on art history, critical evaluation, and aesthetics as well as creative problem solving. Study at this level affords students the opportunity to develop personal directions in the production of their works of art or to further their academic study in the visual arts. Students add works of art and other products to their portfolios to take to the next level of study.

This advanced level course helps students reinforce competence and confidence in skills of analysis, evaluation, and creation of works of art. Content and concepts associated with art criticism and aesthetics are central to the refinement of art production skills. The student-directed approach at this level richly enhances personal expressive abilities. An advanced level of performance that reflects critical and independent thinking and innovation is expected. Students continue to maintain process art portfolios. The culminating portfolio must show evidence of quality, concentration, and breadth of work produced throughout the high school art program.