Courses

ART-225A, Visual Studies 2D Studio
For Juniors and Lowers. In this studio students use two-dimensional media (e.g.drawing, collage, painting, mixed media, artists? books) and photography to expand their perceptual, conceptual, and technical skills, and develop the visual language needed to communicate their experiences and ideas.

ART-225B, Visual Studies 3D Studio
For Juniors and Lowers. In this studio students use three-dimensional media (e.g.wire, clay, wax, paper, plaster) and photography to expand their perceptual, conceptual, and technical skills. By expanding their visual literacy students are able to observe, critically and analytically, their surroundings and visual culture.

ART-225C, Visual Studies Media Studio
For Juniors and Lowers. In this studio students make photographs and short videos to focus on two central areas of media: photography and time-based images (film/video). Through projects, presentations, and discussions students explore how these media have changed the ways people perceive the world, and express their ideas and feelings.

ART-250, Visual Studies I
For Uppers and Seniors. The ART-250 Visual Studies course explores ways in which visual experience of the world is translated into two-dimensional images and presentations. Students sharpen perceptual skills and learn the functions of line, shape, value, texture, color, and illusionistic space in communicating through drawing, collage, photography, and mixed media. Examples of print media, photography, advertising, and art provide a context for discussion.

ART-300, Visual Culture: Discovering the Addison Collection
A significant part of the course will be spent in the Addison Gallery working with the current exhibitions as they relate to the history and context of American art. Students will discover the Addison collection both on the walls and in storage. Meeting with the gallery staff and visiting artists, students will experience firsthand what makes a museum function. Throughout the term students will look at selections from the collection and prepare to curate an exhibition as a culminating project for the term. Readings, writing assignments, and research projects will help students engage, confront, and discuss a wide range of art forms and will raise questions such as the following: Is it art? How and why do artists create? What do images and artifacts tell us about ourselves and our culture? Issues surrounding the making and viewing of art will be explored. (Ms. Crivelli)

ART-301, Architecture I
This course will introduce the basic principles of architectural design through a sequence of related projects in mechanical drawing, site analysis, and research into precedent, culminating in the design of a space or structure. With hands-on sketches, drawings, and models, students will explore the issues of a well-thought-out structure and learn to see the environment in terms of human scale, materials, and the organization of space. Class time will include discussions and demonstrations, as well as studio time. There will be a required evening lab. (Ms. Boyajian)

ART-302, Ceramics I
Ceramics I is designed for students with little or no prior experience with clay. Students will learn a wide variety of forming techniques that allow them to explore solutions to conceptual problems. The instructional emphasis will be on using ceramics as an expressive medium, with hand-building techniques predominating. Projects might include tile mosaics, clay masks and portraits, boxes, vessels, and teapots. Class time will include demonstrations, critiques, and slide and video discussions, as well as studio time. Students can expect to tackle projects that engage many of the key design concepts covered in the diploma requirement courses in art. Assignments for this class will explore the historical and contemporary uses of ceramics as well as the fundamental aesthetics of three-dimensional form. Students will see their pieces through the entire ceramic process, from wet clay, to glaze, to fired finished work. This course has a required evening lab. (Mr. Zaeder)

ART-303, Computer Media I
Computer technology offers an indispensible set of tools for an artist, profoundly influencing the ways in which ideas and images are generated, constructed, and presented. Various methods of digital manipulation allow an artist to integrate photographic and traditionally generated imagery (e.g., drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture). In the first part of the term, students will work on small projects as a way to experiment with the expressive and technical potential and possibilities of Adobe PhotoShop. During the second part of the term, students will design, define, and construct a final project of their choice (e.g., a thematic portfolio of individual or sequential images, a visual book, a CD-ROM, or a mixed media collage or sculpture). (Ms. Zemlin)

ART-304, Drawing I
This course will provide students with a sequential exploration of drawing methods and concepts. Students will learn skills and concepts relating to contour, gesture, and fully rendered drawings. They will work with an assortment of materials while understanding the depiction of three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional plane, use of light and dark contrast, use of proportion, and perspective sighting. Assignments are designed to develop students' skills in direct observation and to encourage creative, expressive thinking. The creative process will be explored through hands-on studio projects, formal assignments, critiques, and discussions of historical, contemporary, and multicultural art. Trips to the Addison Gallery and other places of interest will complement the course. (Ms. Crivelli, Ms. Trespas)

ART-305, Painting I
This class is designed to introduce students to the basic elements of painting with water-mixable oil paint or acrylic paint. Specific problems are assigned to facilitate the study of fundamental paint handling, color mixing, and blending. Issues of form and space relationships, composition, and development of ideas are addressed in balance with the student's need for self-expression. Class critiques, slide talks, and visits to the Addison Gallery complement and enhance the actual painting process. This class requires students to attend a two-hour biweekly evening lab. (Ms. Trespas)

ART-306, Photography I
This class will explore, through presentations, demonstrations, and group critique, basic black and white photographic image-making. Beginning with basic camera manipulations (a 35mm camera with manual capabilities is required) and film processing, students will be encouraged to explore the magic of light-sensitive materials. Instruction in printing black and white negatives with variable contrast filters will further direct each student in examining how a photographer carefully selects and represents his or her vision of the world. Meeting four hours a week, with five hours of preparation, the evening lab provides additional workshop time for toning prints, hand-coloring techniques, and opportunities for individual critiques with the instructor. A limited number of rental cameras are available through the school for students. This course has an evening laboratory. (Mr. Wicks, Ms. Harrigan)

ART-307, Printmaking I
Students develop personal imagery while learning several types of printmaking, including relief, drypoint, and collography. Images are developed by drawing, painting, collaging, or scratching into Plexiglas, or by cutting into linoleum or wood. These surfaces are inked and transferred to paper by means of a printing press or by hand. Often several impressions will be pulled from one printing plate and combined with other images or printed layers. Emphasis is on gaining technical, conceptual, and formal skills while developing a student's ideas through various types of printing and their combinations. Critiques, slide talks, and visits to the Addison Gallery contribute to student understanding of the concepts and processes behind printmaking. (Ms. Trespas)

ART-308, Sculpture I
Winter Term - Sculpture I: Clay, Plaster, and Metal. Sculpture has become an all-inclusive field, with contemporary sculptors working in a wide range of media. In this class we will work with a variety of materials, such as wood, clay, plaster, and metal. Students will have the opportunity to learn a basic set of technical and conceptual skills for working and thinking three-dimensionally. Projects will involve an investigation of the communicative potential of materials, structure, imagery, and context through a process of research, invention, discovery, and discussion. (Ms. Zemlin) Spring Term - 3-D Structures and Hand Papermaking. Paper generally functions as a two-dimensional matrix for book pages, text, and other printed matter, but it is also a versatile material for creating three-dimensional structures. This class will introduce students to paper casting, armature construction, and hand papermaking. Technical demonstrations, assignments, and exposure to a wide range of historical and contemporary artwork will help students develop imagery of their own design. For the casting project, students will create a clay relief, which will be used to generate a plaster mold, and ultimately a series of paper casts. In the armature project, students will work with wire, reed, and other materials to create a three-dimensional structure, which will then involve the application of a skin of handmade paper. Students will learn to make paper by hand, starting with kozo, the bark of the Japanese mulberry tree. (Ms. Zemlin)

ART-309, Video I
This course introduces principles and techniques of timebased media. Students learn to shoot and edit their own productions, and view and discuss both professional and student work. Examples are chosen to show how one conveys ideas by means of images and sound, including experimental work, as well as fiction and non-fiction film. For this course, students use mini-DV cameras and non-linear editors in the Polk-Lillard Electronic Imaging Center. (Ms. Veenema)

ART-310, Introduction to Digital Photography Photography: From Pinholes to Pixels
This course investigates the transition of traditional photographic practice to new digital technologies. Discussions of file management, color theory of reproduction, color management, calibration, image admustment, workflow, black and white printing, and compositing techniques using Adobe Photoshop will enable students in the production of a traditional print portfolio, album-style book, and dynamic digital slide presentation. Students should plan on bringing a digital camera, DLR, or point-and-shoot to class. Note: Students should have some traditional film and darkroom experience prior to enrolling in this course.(Ms. Harrigan)

ART-314, Woven Structures and Fabric
The class will explore the technical and conceptual potential of fabrics and woven structures in terms of cultural significance, pattern and surface, clothing as metaphor, and the body as an armature for supporting a flexible structure. Students will learn basic fiber techniques, such as backstrap cardweaving, embroidery, coiled basket weaving, and tapestry, while developing ideas and imagery based on personal interests, contemporary fine art, crafts, and the textile collections at the Peabody Museum. There will be an opportunity toward the end of the term to produce wearable art or to further explore a material or technique learned during the term. (Ms. Zemlin)

ART-400/1, History of Art
This three-term study of the history of Western and non-Western art serves two primary goals: students explore works of art as primary source documents to unveil the values and ideas of the culture in which they were created, and students foster the literacy to read works of art well long after they depart the course. While the content and methodology differs each term, these dual goals remain paramount throughout the year. Students use the Addison Gallery, the Peabody Museum, and local collections and exhibitions for the study of original works of art. Although students may take the course any term, only those who complete all three terms are prepared for the AP examination in Art History Prerequisite: Open to Uppers and Seniors; completion of Art 225 or 250 is recommended but is not required. FALL TERM: This term focuses on the architecture, painting, and sculpture of both non-Western(African, Asian, Islamic) and Western cultures from pre-history through the Middle Ages. In addition to uncovering the concerns of diverse societies, students formulate standards for understanding and comparing the products of different cultures. WINTER TERM: This term focuses on the architecture, painting, and sculpture of Europe and the Americas from the early Renaissance through the eighteenth century. In studying the works of Giotto, Michelangelo, Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Wren, among many others, students pay particular attention to the effects of religion, technology, urbanism, gender, sexual orientation, social class, and national identity on visual culture. SPRING TERM: This term focuses on the architecture, painting, photography, and sculpture of Europe and the Americas during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and students explore some of the major movements in art: Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and Post Modernism, among others. While students consider the political and social context in which works of art were created as well as varied aesthetic theories, the primary approach is Formal: examining the way the work was made and its visual aspects. (Mr. Fox)

ART-400/2, History of Art
This three-term study of the history of Western and non-Western art serves two primary goals: students explore works of art as primary source documents to unveil the values and ideas of the culture in which they were created, and students foster the literacy to read works of art well long after they depart the course. While the content and methodology differs each term, these dual goals remain paramount throughout the year. Students use the Addison Gallery, the Peabody Museum, and local collections and exhibitions for the study of original works of art. Although students may take the course any term, only those who complete all three terms are prepared for the AP examination in Art History Prerequisite: Open to Uppers and Seniors; completion of Art 225 or 250 is recommended but is not required. WINTER TERM: This term focuses on the architecture, painting, and sculpture of Europe and the Americas from the early Renaissance through the eighteenth century. In studying the works of Giotto, Michelangelo, Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Wren, among many others, students pay particular attention to the effects of religion, technology, urbanism, gender, sexual orientation, social class, and national identity on visual culture. (Mr. Fox)

ART-400/3, History of Art History of Art
This three-term study of the history of Western and non-Western art serves two primary goals: students explore works of art as primary source documents to unveil the values and ideas of the culture in which they were created, and students foster the literacy to read works of art well long after they depart the course. While the content and methodology differs each term, these dual goals remain paramount throughout the year. Students use the Addison Gallery, the Peabody Museum, and local collections and exhibitions for the study of original works of art. Although students may take the course any term, only those who complete all three terms are prepared for the AP examination in Art History Prerequisite: Open to Uppers and Seniors; completion of Art 225 or 250 is recommended but is not required. SPRING TERM: This term focuses on the architecture, painting, photography, and sculpture of Europe and the Americas during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and students explore some of the major movements in art: Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and Post Modernism, among others. While students consider the political and social context in which works of art were created as well as varied aesthetic theories, the primary approach is Formal: examining the way the work was made and its visual aspects. (Mr. Fox)

ART-401/2, Architecture II
ART-401 is designed as a continuation of ART-301 for students who wish to develop and expand their ideas further and pursue individualized projects. In consultation with the instructor, students will develop a term project that includes research and analysis, as well as a developed design. In this course there also will be the possibility to develop a multidisciplinary project in coordination with work in another class. A student wishing to take architecture for a full year should begin with ART-301 in the fall and continue in ART-401 for the winter and spring terms. (Ms. Boyajian) Prerequisite: ART-301 or permission of department chair.

ART-401/3, Architecture II
ART-401 is designed as a continuation of ART-301 for students who wish to develop and expand their ideas further and pursue individualized projects. In consultation with the instructor, students will develop a term project that includes research and analysis, as well as a developed design. In this course there also will be the possibility to develop a multidisciplinary project in coordination with work in another class. A student wishing to take architecture for a full year should begin with ART-301 in the fall and continue in ART-401 for the winter and spring terms. (Ms. Boyajian) Prerequisite: ART-301 or permission of department chair.

ART-402/3, Ceramics II
This course is designed for students who have taken ART-302 and wish to continue their study of ceramics. Since ART-402 is an advanced course, students will be asked to expand on their existing knowledge of ceramics, to strengthen their technical skills, and to seek sophisticated conceptual and personal solutions to given assignments. Class projects will range in topic but will stress the concept of developing ideas in series: a series of bottle shapes, a series of vase shapes, etc. Students can expect to do some outside reading, to attend slide and video presentations, and to visit the Addison Gallery and Peabody Museum. Students will also participate in all aspects of the making and finishing of their work. This course has a required evening lab. (Mr. Zaeder) Prerequisite: ART-302 or permission of department chair.

ART-405/3, Painting II
In advanced painting, students build on already-acquired technical experience from Painting I while developing their own image ideas. Through a variety of technical processes and conceptual approaches, students explore different ways of working with water-mixable oils or acrylics. Painting in series, mixing media, innovating paint application, and utilizing collage and assemblage structure further extend the possibilities for thinking about what a painting can be. Emphasis is placed on cultivating solid technical skills as well as inventive and challenging approaches to subjects that encourage individual artistic and personal growth. Critiques, Addison Gallery visits, and exploration of artists' work and art historical issues relevant to the student's paintings are important components of this course. Painting II has a required two-hour biweekly evening lab. (Ms. Trespas) Prerequisite: ART-305 or permission of department chair.

ART-406/2, Photography II
Winter Term -- This course is designed for students who wish to continue to explore the medium of photography beyond the basic level. Photography II investigates more sophisticated photographic exposure options and laboratory techniques, including some work in digital photography,color theory, and management. Students will be encouraged to develop an expansive portfolio or photographic presentation in the style of documentary tradition and/or the personal narrative. Printed thematic portfolios in digital and/or film formats will be encouraged with regular in-process critiques and individual conferences with the instructor. Students may elect to construct a traditional handmade album-style book of sequential images as an option to a portfolio of images. Film cameras are available for rental in the art department. Students will need to have access to a digital camera. Class meets four hours per week with five hours of preparation. (Ms. Harrigan) Prerequisite: ART-306 or permission of department chair.

ART-406/3, Photography II
Spring term - What do you see? While this advanced photography course begins with a brief review of basic craft control and offers instruction in more sophisticated camera and darkroom techniques, the primary emphasis in this course is on the nature of photographic seeing and the creation of images from a personal point of view. Some assignments are given, but much of each student's portfolio will be based on self-motivated imagery. Students may choose to create an open portfolio that includes a wide variety of photographic styles, create a cohesive, thematic body of work, or develop a special project which may have as its final form a book or multimedia presentation. Slide presentations and discussions, photographic book reviews, and visits to the Addison Gallery are offered to explore more fully the scope and power of this vivid visual language. Group critiques are designed to enhance perceptual skills, and individual conferences with the teacher give feedback and direction on work in progress. Classes meet four periods a week, with five hours of preparation. Evening labs are offered for informal instruction. (Mr. Wicks) Prerequisite: ART-306 or permission of department chair.

ART-408/2, Sculpture II
This class is an opportunity for students who have taken ART-308 to continue their investigation of sculpture. Another set of technical skills will be taught, along with readings, slide talks, and visits to the Addison Gallery. In developing projects, students will be asked to focus on a particular concept, approach, or set of materials throughout the term. Students are expected to attend an informal, open lab one evening per week. (Ms. Zemlin) Prerequisite: ART-308 or permission of department chair.

ART-408/3, Sculpture II
This class is an opportunity for students who have taken ART-308 to continue their investigation of sculpture. Another set of technical skills will be taught, along with readings, slide talks, and visits to the Addison Gallery. In developing projects, students will be asked to focus on a particular concept, approach, or set of materials throughout the term. Students are expected to attend an informal, open labe one evening per week. (Ms. Zemlin) Prerequisite: ART-308 or permission of department chair.

ART-409/2, Video II: Filmmaking
This course gives students with some background in video or computer media an opportunity to deepen their knowledge. Students will be asked to develop, shoot, and complete projects of their own choosing. Class times will include viewing and discussing the work of others to inform one's own work. Students who enroll in this course should have some previous camera and editing experience. (For this course students use the mini-DV cameras and non- linear editors of the Polk-Lillard Electronic Imaging Center.) The course will include classes dedicated to review of editing software. Advanced students who wish to continue may enroll in ART-409 for more than one term. Ms. Veenema) Prerequisite: ART-309 or permission of department chair.

ART-409/3, Video II: Filmmaking
This course gives students with some background in video or computer media an opportunity to deepen their knowledge. Students will be asked to develop, shoot, and complete projects of their own choosing. Class times will include viewing and discussing the work of others to inform one's own work. Students who enroll in this course should have some previous camera and editing experience. (For this course students use the mini-DV cameras and non- linear editors of the Polk-Lillard Electronic Imaging Center.) The course will include classes dedicated to review of editing software. Advanced students who wish to continue may enroll in ART-409 for more than one term. Ms. Veenema) Prerequisite: ART-309 or permission of department chair.

ART-420, The Quest for Identity: Explorations in Film and Mixed Media
As a culture we have always been fascinated by identity, by quests to forge one, or by the machinations to invent one. American artists Edward Hopper, Robert Frank, and Beverly Buchanan, for example, reflect observations of self or describe the identity of others relative to the world around them. For most of us, the search for identity is an unending process in a constantly changing, more global America. This search will be brought into focus through the viewing of films, discussions, and the creation of mixed-media projects based on students' personal ideas about identity. (Ms. Crivelli) Prerequisite: Foundation Course (ART-200, 225, or 250) or permission of department chair.

ART-465, Art, Artifacts and Culture
This course involving the art department, the Addison Gallery, and the Peabody Museum will focus on the study of art and artifacts as they reflect diverse cultures, their similarities and differences, in the past and present. Using the collections and resources of the two museums, the class will examine questions such as the following: What do images and artifacts tell us about ourselves and our cultures? How do art forms define other cultures and differ from ours? What drives people to create? Where do our ideas of beauty come from? Who are we and what makes us unique? The class will include readings, discussion, research, and writing, and frequent visits to each museum. (Ms. Crivelli) Prerequisite: Completion of ART-200,225, or 250 is recommended but not required.

ART-500/0, Advanced Studio Art
ART-500, a yearlong commitment, provides Uppers and Seniors with the opportunity to broaden their art experience at an advanced level and also study in depth areas of their choosing. Students can use this course to develop and enhance their art portfolios, document work for college admission portfolios, or prepare Advanced Placement (AP) portfolios. In the fall term, students study broadly at an advanced level using a range of media and techniques. In the winter term students audit a 300/400-level course to focus on a specific medium, while also meeting weekly with the ART-500 class for critiques, readings, discussions, and Addison Gallery events. In the spring term, students work on supervised independent projects that are either discipline-specific or cross-disciplinary in nature. As a culmination of the course sudents organize, curate, and install an exhibition of their work in the Gelb Gallery. Guest speakers, field trips, and visits to the Addison Gallery will augment the course. Attendance at a weekly evening lab is required. (Ms. Zemlin) Prerequisite: Diploma requirement in art and at least one elective art course beyond, or permission of department chair.