Course Listing
100-1 FOUNDATIONS OF ART 1
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
Foundations of Art 1 is a prerequisite to Foundations of Art 2, Studio Art, Advanced Studio, and Advanced 2D Art and Design.
½ Credit. One Semester.
Foundations of Art 1 and Foundations of Art 2 may be taken in the same school year or subsequent years. To take both in the same year, you would sign up for Foundations of Art 1 during the first semester and Foundations of Art 2 for the second semester. This course is an analysis and application of the elements of art and principles of design and their possibilities in two-dimensional and three-dimensional media. This course offers studio experience with a concentration on basic drawing, color mixing, and care of materials. Students will work in a variety of techniques and media that may include pencil, colored pencil, charcoal, pastel, markers, acrylic paint, and clay. All students will develop and maintain a digital art portfolio where they will write and reflect on personal art goals, document the planning process, reflect on their projects, and store digital images of completed work.
100-2 FOUNDATIONS OF ART 2
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Foundations of Art 1.
½ Credit. One Semester.
This course is a continuation of Foundations of Art 1. Students will expand their knowledge and skills of the elements of art, principles of design, and color theory by creating two-dimensional works of art. This course offers studio experience with concentration on drawing and painting, color mixing, and finding inspiration from new and well known artists. Students will work in a variety of techniques and media that may include pencil, marker, colored pencil, pastel, charcoal, acrylic paint, and watercolor. All students will develop and maintain a digital art portfolio where they will write and reflect on personal art goals, document the planning process, reflect on their projects, and store digital images of completed work.
101 STUDIO ART
Grades 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Arts and Crafts with a C- or better or Foundations of Art 2 with a C- or better.
One Credit. One Year.
This course is designed for students who are interested in refining their artistic skills using traditional mediums such as pen and ink, graphite, charcoal, oil pastels, watercolor paint, acrylic paint, printmaking, and ceramics. Students will build on prior knowledge from Foundations of Art to strengthen their understanding of design, composition, and color theory. Students will use both traditional and digital tools to plan for and to refine/revise works of art. Students will explore different careers in art and create a foundational portfolio for college admissions or employment after high school. Students will follow best practices for copyright and use a digital portfolio to document their artistic process. Students are encouraged to keep a sketchbook and some homework may be assigned.
102 ADVANCED STUDIO
Grades 11, 12
Prerequisites: Arts and Crafts with a B- or better or Studio Art with “B-” or better.
One Credit. One Year.
This advanced course is designed for students to begin to find their own artistic style. Students will work with a variety of different mediums such as charcoal, colored pencils, marker, pen and ink, gouache, acrylic and oil paint, pastel, and clay. Students will be challenged to plan for their projects, participate in written and oral critiques, and write artist statements. Complex artwork will be produced with a sharp focus on dynamic composition, exemplary technique and conceptual process. Students are required to have a 9” x 12” sketchbook (can be a sketchbook used in a previous course). Students will use their sketchbook to help plan for projects, explore different mediums, and to complete sketchbook homework assignments. All students will develop and maintain a digital art portfolio where they write and reflect on personal art goals, plan for their projects, document their art process, and store digital images of their completed work.
103 ARTS & CRAFTS
Grades 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: Foundations of Art 1 with a C or better.
One Credit. One Year.
This art course is designed for students who are interested in creating arts and crafts. Students will explore the elements of art, principles of design, and color theory through drawing, painting, graphic design, printmaking, illustration, textiles, and ceramics. The majority of this course will focus on using traditional art materials however digital tools will be introduced for planning and marketing. This course will help prepare students who are interested in a career in art and those who enjoy making art as a hobby. Due to the nature of the materials used in this course students may be asked to purchase a t-shirt for screenprinting and yarn for weaving.
104 DIGITAL ART
Grades 9,10,11,12
Prerequisites: Algebra I with a “C” or better. Must be able to recall and apply multi-step processes.
One Credit. One Year.
Digital Art is a course that develops communication skills in print production, graphic design, and video. Students will learn and apply the elements of art and principles of design as they create dynamic compositions for still and moving images. Students will use Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro for projects. Students will be introduced to the basics of video as they learn to shoot, capture, edit and export a video. Photoshop projects include designing a logo, business card, album cover, Surrealism collage, appropriation, ebook cover, and several self-directed projects. Students will apply advanced keyframing to create a variety of projects that include a commercial, a film production animated sequence, and a stop motion animation. Written project proposals, oral critiques, and written critiques are a required component of the course.
105 VIDEO PRODUCTION
Grades 10, 11, 12
Prerequisites: As this course is a career-oriented offering, admission is contingent on instructor approval following an in person interview. Preference will be given to upperclassmen who demonstrate a strong work ethic, individual accountability, and an ability to effectively collaborate with others.
½ Credit. One Semester.
The focus of the Video Broadcasting course is to help students learn and develop technological, communication, and collaboration skills that will enhance their ability to work and thrive in an ever-changing and increasingly tech-driven economy. Students will work together - both in person and through effective use of “cloud collaboration” - to plan, prepare, produce, promote, and premier fresh and regular video content to inform, entertain, and enrich the MVHS community. This course is hands-on, project-based, and will require some out-of-classroom time invested to accomplish project goals. Students will gain an understanding of pre-production, content-capture, and post-production roles and responsibilities of news and entertainment broadcasting, and develop skills that include script writing, storyboarding, video recording, and video editing. This course does not fit into the Fine Arts requirement for graduation purposes.
106 AP 2D ART AND DESIGN
Grades 11, 12
Prerequisites: Studio Art with a “B-” or better or teacher recommendation
One Credit. One Year.
AP 2D Art and Design explores the use of specific design principles across a variety of media. Students create a portfolio of work to demonstrate inquiry through art and design and development of materials, processes, and ideas over the course of a year. Portfolios include works of art and design, process documentation, and written information about the work presented. In May, students will submit portfolios for evaluation by the AP College Board based on specific criteria, which include skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas and sustained investigation through practice, experimentation and revision, and guided by questions. The AP portfolio is a requirement of the course.
107 AP DRAWING
Grades 11, 12
Prerequisites: Studio Art with a “B-” or better or teacher recommendation
One Credit. One Year.
AP Drawing corresponds to the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college course in drawing and painting respectively. Students create a portfolio of work to demonstrate inquiry through art and design and development of materials, processes, and ideas over the course of a year. Portfolios include works of art and design, process documentation, and written information about the work presented. In May, students are required to submit portfolios for evaluation by the AP College Board based on specific criteria, which include skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas and sustained investigation through practice, experimentation and revision, and guided by questions.