H.S. ART

High school art classes are designed to deepen students' artistic skills, knowledge, and creativity while allowing for more independent exploration and specialization. 

High school classes include: Art 1, Art 2, Art 3, and Independent Art 4. 

Advanced Techniques and Skills

-Drawing: Focus on realism, anatomy, and advanced techniques like cross-hatching, stippling, and advanced shading with various tools (e.g., graphite, charcoal, and ink).
-Painting: Experimenting with oil, acrylics, and advanced watercolor techniques; exploring styles such as realism, abstract, and expressionism.
-Sculpture: Creating detailed three-dimensional works with materials like clay, plaster, wire, wood, or mixed media.
-Mixed Media: Combining traditional materials with unconventional ones (e.g., collage, photography, found objects).
-Digital Art: Learning graphic design, digital illustration, or animation using tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or other design software.
-Photography: Digital photography, including composition, lighting, and editing.

Art Foundations and Principles

-Advanced Elements of Art: Exploring value, texture, form, and color in greater depth.
-Principles of Design: Using contrast, balance, emphasis, rhythm, and unity intentionally to create cohesive and impactful works.

Art History and Context

-Art Movements: Studying in-depth art movements like Renaissance, Baroque, Impressionism, Modernism, and Postmodernism.
-Famous Artists: Analyzing the works and techniques of artists such as Michelangelo, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, or Yayoi Kusama.
-Cultural Art: Exploring art traditions from around the world and their historical, political, and social contexts.

Specialized Art Courses

After completing Art 1-3, students at Southwestern have the option to take Independant classes, such as:
-Ceramics: Advanced pottery techniques like wheel throwing and glazing.
-Printmaking: Linoleum, etching, screen printing, or other techniques.
-AP Art and Design: Advanced Placement courses where students create a portfolio for college credit.
-Graphic Design: Creating logos, posters, and branding projects using design principles.
-Textile Art: Weaving, sewing, or creating fiber-based projects.

Portfolio Development

-Building a Portfolio: Creating a professional portfolio for college applications or art competitions.

-Personal Style: Focusing on thematic cohesion and developing a unique artistic voice.

Advanced Art Critique

-Analyzing Art: Practicing formal critique methods using art terminology to evaluate their own work and that of peers.
-Conceptual Thinking: Discussing the meaning, purpose, and impact of artwork, including how to convey messages through art.

Independent Projects

-Thematic Work: Developing a series of artworks based on a personal theme or idea.
-Capstone Projects: Creating a final, large-scale work that reflects their skills and creativity.

Cross-Curricular and Interdisciplinary Art

-Connecting art with literature, history, science, and social studies.
-Creating pieces inspired by historical events, scientific concepts, or literary themes.

Career and College Preparation

-Art Careers: Learning about careers in fine arts, graphic design, animation, architecture, fashion design, game design, and more.
-Art Schools: Preparing portfolios for specialized art colleges or programs.
-Professional Practices: Understanding how to display, market, or sell art, and how to participate in exhibitions or galleries.

Exploration of Contemporary Art

-Analyzing and creating works inspired by modern and contemporary artists.
-Exploring themes like identity, social justice, and environmentalism in art.

Experimental and Large-Scale Projects

-Murals: Collaborative or individual mural projects.
-Installations: Creating immersive, three-dimensional art experiences.
-Public Art: Designing art for community spaces or local events.

M.S. ART

Middle school art provides a balance of skill-building and personal exploration, helping students transition from structured assignments to more creative, self-directed projects.

Advanced Art Techniques

-Drawing: Greater emphasis on shading, perspective, and proportion using graphite, charcoal, and ink.
-Painting: Experimenting with acrylics, watercolors, and mixed-media techniques, focusing on blending, layering, and texture.
-Sculpture: Working with materials like clay, wire, or wood to create complex three-dimensional works.
-Printmaking: Linocuts, screen printing, or monoprints to introduce more sophisticated processes.
-Digital Art: Using design software or apps to create art digitally

Elements of Art and Principles of Design

Students gain a deeper understanding of these foundational concepts and apply them in more intentional and sophisticated ways:

-Elements of Art: Exploring how line, shape, color, texture, space, form, and value interact.
-Principles of Design: Focusing on balance, contrast, rhythm, movement, emphasis, unity, and pattern in creating well-composed pieces.

Perspective and Proportion

-Linear Perspective: Learning one-point, two-point, and three-point perspective to create depth in drawings.
-Proportion: Mastering accurate human and object proportions in realistic or abstract artwork.

Art Styles and Movements

-Exploring major art movements like Impressionism, Surrealism, Cubism, and Pop Art.
-Creating projects inspired by historical or modern art styles.

Art History and Cultural Connections

-Studying notable artists and their works, such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Salvador Dalí, or Jacob Lawrence.
-Learning about art from diverse cultures and creating art inspired by these traditions (e.g., Mexican Day of the Dead art, Aboriginal dot painting, Islamic geometric designs).

Self-Expression and Personal Style

-Encouraging students to develop their unique artistic voice by interpreting assignments with personal meaning.
-Introducing abstract art as a way to explore emotion and symbolism.

Cross-Curricular Connections

-Math: Exploring geometry in tessellations or symmetry in designs.
-Science: Studying patterns in nature or experimenting with light and shadow.
-History: Creating artwork based on historical periods or events.
-English: Illustrating themes from literature or poetry. 

Critique and Art Appreciation

-Art Critique: Introducing formal critique methods where students analyze and discuss their work and others using art vocabulary.
-Art Appreciation: Learning to interpret the meaning and context of famous works of art.

Project-Based Learning

-Collaborative Projects: Group murals or installations.
-Long-Term Projects: Multi-step processes that involve planning, execution, and revision.
-Thematic Projects: Artwork based on themes like identity, the environment, or social justice.

ELEMENTARY ART

Art classes in elementary school aim to balance skill-building with fun, ensuring students enjoy creating while learning valuable lessons about art and its role in the world.  Here's an overview of what children typically learn at the K-5 level.

Art Techniques and Mediums

-Drawing: Using pencils, crayons, markers, and pastels to create lines, shapes, and textures.
-Painting: Learning to mix colors, use brushes, and experiment with watercolor, tempera, and sometimes acrylics.
-Sculpture: Working with clay, paper mâché, or found objects to create 3D art.
-Collage: Cutting, layering, and gluing materials like paper, fabric, and natural objects.
-Printmaking: Using stamps, leaves, or carved blocks to create repeated patterns or designs.

Elements of Art

Children are introduced to the basic building blocks of art:

-Line: Straight, curved, zigzag, etc.
-Shape and Form: Geometric and organic shapes, and 3D forms.
-Color: Primary, secondary, warm, cool, and complementary colors.
-Texture: Visual and tactile textures in materials and drawings.
-Space: Concepts of foreground, background, and perspective.

Principles of Design

Though simplified, children begin to explore:

-Balance: Symmetry and asymmetry in art.
-Contrast: Light vs. dark, bold vs. subtle.
-Pattern: Repeated motifs or designs.
-Emphasis: Focal points in an artwork.

Art History and Cultural Art

Students are introduced to famous artists, movements, and cultural traditions:

-Learning about artists like Van Gogh, Picasso, or Frida Kahlo.
-Exploring art from different cultures (e.g., Native American pottery, African masks, Japanese origami).
-Seasonal or holiday-themed art projects tied to cultural traditions.

Self-Expression and Creativity

-Encouraging imagination and storytelling through art.
-Allowing students to interpret assignments in unique ways.
-Developing confidence in making creative choices.

Art Vocabulary

-Learning terms like "palette," "composition," "shade," and "highlight."
-Understanding how to describe their own work and that of others.

Motor Skills

-Developing fine motor skills through cutting, gluing, and detailed work.
-Improving hand-eye coordination with drawing and painting.

Collaborative Projects

-Working on group murals or large-scale projects to foster teamwork and community.

Art Appreciation and Critique

-Encouraging students to observe and discuss art in positive and constructive ways.
-Building the ability to talk about their own creations and those of peers.

Connection to Other Subjects

-Tying art projects to lessons in history, science, math, and literature (e.g., creating a timeline of famous artworks, illustrating a story, or drawing geometric patterns).