These various studio art portfolio courses are designed for students who are seriously interested in the practical experience of art. Students take a minimum two years in the arts before signing up for AP and need permission from the teacher upon review of artwork for registration in the course. Unlike other Advanced Placement courses, AP art students do not take a written examination; instead, they submit portfolios for evaluation at the end of the year. The portfolios share a basic three-section structure of concentration, breadth, and quality, which enables the students to show a fundamental competence and range of understanding in visual concerns and methods. Students in these courses are expected to work outside the classroom and beyond scheduled periods. 

Students in this course manipulate and transform clay through hand-building, sculpting, and wheel throwing techniques. Students roll clay to make coiled bowls shaped by slump molds, burnish hand-made pinch pots and fire them outdoors, drape plates, sgraffito bowls, create clay clocks, sculpt skulls, and throw a variety of vessels on the wheel. Imagination and technique are stressed and developed through utilitarian forms and sculptural images.

Course description for Ceramics 2 will be posted shortly.

Drawing offers a wide variety of drawing experiences with emphasis placed on art structure and observation. Assignments divided between the two semesters will include: contour, gesture, negative space, value, enlargement, perspective, and figure. Materials introduced include pencil, charcoal, oil pastel, ink wash, and conte crayon. Students will develop their observational and accuracy skills as they progress through the semester with a variety of assignments including still life, fantasy, self-portrait, and landscape. Drawing II includes more complex applications of the above, including a non-traditional “sculptural” drawing at the end of the semester.

Darkroom Photography explores technical and artistic elements of film photography. Students learn black and white photographic film processes through the manual capture, manipulation, and creation of images. Students experiment with photograms, pinhole cameras, Holgas, and SLR cameras. They learn traditional dark room techniques in film and print processing before moving on to collage, multiple exposure, and other more advanced processes in Darkroom Photography II. In Darkroom Photography I and II students engage in an ongoing discussion of the history of photography and its role in society from inception through the modern day, knowledge of which allows them to effectively explore their own creative interests.

The focus of this beginning woodworking course is the study of design and making of fine furniture. To become an accomplished woodworker, it is important to start with a strong basic foundation of knowledge about wood, tools, and techniques. Through a series of woodworking projects that increase in difficulty, students learn about the properties of wood and the proper use of hand tools and power equipment. Essential to the successful completion of any project is an understanding of the design process and an ability to communicate ideas graphically. Students study the various steps involved in the development of a design from conceptualization to presentation. They improve their ability to communicate graphically by studying drafting (both manual and computer aided), building scale models, and building mockups.

In this advanced woodworking class, students work more independently, further developing their design and woodworking skills by creating a piece of furniture of their own design. Students study in greater depth the various steps involved in the development of a design from conceptualization to completion. They expand their ability to communicate graphically by improving their manual and computer-aided drafting skills. Students also have the opportunity to explore wood turning, parquetry, marquetry, and solid & veneer construction techniques.

Full-Year

In this course students will be introduced to painting through color theory, various application techniques, figure/ground relationship, and other compositional structures. Students will primarily use watercolor and acrylic, and paint from both observation as well as imagination.

Course description for Introduction to Digital Photography will be posted shortly.

Course description for Advanced Digital Photography will be posted shortly.

Course description for Architecture will be posted shortly.

Students will gain knowledge in additive, subtractive, and assemblage as sources of construction in this introductory sculpture course. The use of design principles will be applied to clay, plaster, wood, paper, and found-materials to create form by employing figurative and symbolic means.