Arts: Visual Arts
The Visual Arts program focuses on skill development and the enhancement of creativity.
To that end, we offer entry level courses in a wide variety of media. Advanced study is available in several areas, and students interested in pursuing work in-depth should consider Junior Portfolio and Senior Studio. Students are encouraged to record their ideas in journals and sketchbooks and to assemble portfolios containing a history of their creative accomplishments.
Requirements
- Students are required to complete four semesters in the arts, although most take more. Ninth graders select one arts course each semester from foundation electives in music, theater, and the visual arts. They may also join instrumental and choral ensembles, participate in theater productions in winter and spring, and take advanced classes.
- Upperclassmen must complete their arts requirements prior to the second semester of their senior year. Independent studies are limited and are only available to students who have fulfilled their arts requirement and wish to pursue advanced level work in an area of special expertise.
- All students should read course descriptions carefully to determine eligibility. Accelerated courses are so designated. Please note that certain elective courses require a materials fee.
Senior Studio (Accelerated)
Grade: 12 • Prerequisite: Permission of the department.
This accelerated course is for highly experienced students who may choose to complete a portfolio for college applications, but who definitely wish to create an independent body of work to be exhibited during the spring in the Senior Shows. Students develop essential questions based on formal or conceptual ideas and are free to create in media of their own choosing, integrating skills developed in earlier arts classes. The emphasis is on critical and analytical thinking and the development of a personal style. The course is open to Visual Arts students with experience in 2-D, 3-D, or arts technology courses. An ability to work independently and outside of class time is essential. The completed body of work will be exhibited during the spring in the Senior Shows.
Yearbook Leadership
Grades 9-12 • Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
This class is designed for editors of Brownie, Park’s yearbook. The course will focus on running a school yearbook design production project from beginning to end. With support from the Yearbook Advisor, students enrolled in the class will lead the Brownie yearbook club and direct the community activities of the yearbook while managing communication and tasks assigned to the different yearbook teams. Enrolled students will learn the skills of project management by running and working on a complicated design project involving multiple groups of peers.
Yearbook Production
Grades 9-12
Join the leadership team responsible for capturing the spirit and memories of Park School’s 2026-27 school year in the Brownie! In the class, which will meet during G block, students will learn about graphic design, typography, photography, communication, and publishing skills as they relate to collective yearbook creation and production. Among other topics, the class will consider how the book will look, what should be included in the yearbook, and how important events are documented and remembered. The Brownie is built from scratch using industry-standard software like Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. Students will learn to use these programs and more as they bring the Brownie to life.
Ceramic Sculpture
Grades: 9–12
In this course, students will engage with various ceramic materials and processes, while examining and creating three-dimensional forms. They will use the elements and principles of art as starting points for discussions around how objects are seen and perceived in three-dimensional spaces, and ultimately, “What makes a good sculpture?”
Darkroom Photography
Grades: 10-12 • All students are required to have a 35mm camera whose aperture, shutter speed, and film speed can be controlled manually; the school will rent cameras to students who need them.
This course introduces students to black and white film photography and 35mm SLR camera techniques. Students learn how to determine a correct exposure, control depth of field and motion, process film, and finally, learn the various procedures to make a print from a black and white negative. They are asked to consider photography as a method for personal expression while also examining photography as a means of visual communication. Grades and comments are based on assigned projects and student growth in technical and communication skills as measured by a series of group critiques conducted throughout the term.
Design Thinking
Grades: 9-12
Design is everywhere — in books, at the supermarket, on the interstate, and on the internet. Students learn about design concepts in a hands-on manner that emphasizes construction, clarity, composition, and critique. They focus on the process of making things using a design thinking model. Real world examples and experiences are worked into the course as much as possible, including a field trip to IKEA.
Drawing
Grades: 9-12
How do we view the world around us? Drawing is about seeing; it’s about careful observation and perception. This course deals with that world of seeing, observing, and perceiving. Students will experiment with charcoal, pencil, pen and ink, and pastels while introducing techniques and skills to enable them to gain confidence in their visual expression.
Graphic Design
Grades: 9-12
This course introduces basic skills and key concepts relating to the creation of visual media for use in print and online. Students develop their understanding of graphic design concepts while utilizing industry-standard software packages such as Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop. They are introduced to concepts related to visual design through a series of exercises and assignments. Assuming the role of graphic designer, students complete a number of real-world design problems, such as: the production of logos, posters, and magazine page layouts. Student work will be assessed on the basis of how well each student has satisfied the requirements of each assignment, and critiques will be conducted periodically throughout the semester.
Painting
Grades: 9-12
This class is devoted to enriching a student’s development as an artist through the practice and study of painting in oils and acrylics. Students learn about the basic tools and techniques used in painting and will create a series of works of increasing complexity. They work primarily from life, beginning by exploring the ideas of realism and believability. As the class progresses, students will begin to delve into the murkier depths of painting, known as expression, eventually merging the two with a work of personal significance.
Stagecraft: Explorations in Technical and Theatrical Design
Grades 9-12
This is a hands-on class where students will learn the art and skill of creating a theater production. Focusing on the different members of the production team and how they work together to bring a show from concept to production, the class will work first on the Upper School Musical, and then on the 8th Grade play. For each show, students will begin by reading and analyzing the script. Then, they will design, build, and paint the set. Finally, they will work on the lighting and sound. While there is no homework, this class requires a commitment outside of class, as students are expected to work on the production team for the musical.
Woodworking
Grades: 9-12
In this course, students learn basic woodworking concepts and skills. Safe studio practices are emphasized. The main thrust of this course is the logical process of designing and crafting in wood. Three major projects are usually completed in the course, with some students exceeding that number. A strong emphasis is placed on student-generated design and conceptual ideas for each assignment, including carefully planned preliminary sketches.
Winter Arts Course
Figure Drawing
Grades: 10-12 • Prerequisite: Painting or Drawing or permission of the department.
This intensive study of drawing from the model meets two times a week after school during the winter sports season (from early November through February). Using a variety of drawing media, including pencil, charcoal, pen and wash, pastel, watercolor, and tempera, students explore gesture, proportion, mass, foreshortening, portraiture, and composition. Opportunities for expressive interpretation of the figure occur in the final portion of the course.
Open 3-D Workshop
Grades 10-12 • Prerequisite: 9th Grade by permission of the department.
Have a great idea for something you want to make if you had the space and the tools? Want to work in an open studio community, but have the support of a teacher? This open studio course is for artists, designers, builders, makers, and tinkerers. It provides students with space and time to work on their own projects. Instruction and demonstration will be based on individual project needs and will build off existing skills while exposing the student to new ones. Students in this course need to be ready to come up with ideas independently; their projects can be done in a variety of art media of each student’s choice. This course takes place in the Ceramics Studio and Woodshop. Students have access to those spaces as well as digital software and fabrication tools such as the laser cutter and CNC router.
Ceramics
Grades: 9-12
Students of ceramics become acquainted with the basic techniques and skills of using clay to create both functional and non-functional objects. Design principles, hand-building methods, safety, and studio etiquette will be covered. In the second half of the term, basic glaze theory and some wheelwork are explored. An emphasis is placed on personal expression and skill consistency. Students will keep a sketchbook/journal throughout this course and will record all works in a digital portfolio.
Contemporary Craft
Grades: 9-12
Traditional crafts have had a resurgence. Social media is full of fiber artists of all kinds. Why now, in the age of AI, are people still drawn to making things by hand? Is it more authentic? Can craft create community? Can craft calm us when the world is just too much? How can some of humanity’s oldest and most flexible art materials be used to make art that speaks to now? In this equally hip and mindful class, students will use traditional craft materials and methods such as embroidery, weaving, and more to respond and tell stories about the world today. No experience needed but a willingness is required to engage with and complete work that can’t be rushed.
Digital Photography: Personal Expression
Grades: 9-12 • The school will rent cameras for students who need them.
This class introduces students to photography as creative expression, using photography as a means to communicate an idea, a message, or an emotion. Students will learn camera functions, including how to determine a correct exposure and how to control depth of field and motion. They will be introduced to Adobe Photoshop, Camera RAW, and Adobe Lightroom techniques. Topics will include staging and lighting considerations, collage/montage, and beginning animation techniques. Students will explore creating images that incorporate the subjective view of the photographer. Grades and comments are based on student growth as measured by project work, and a series of group critiques conducted throughout the term.
Drawing
Grades: 9-12
How do we view the world around us? Drawing is about seeing; it’s about careful observation and perception. This course deals with that world of seeing, observing, and perceiving. Students will experiment with charcoal, pencil, pen and ink, and pastels while introducing techniques and skills to enable them to gain confidence in their visual expression.
Illustration and Sequence
Grades: 9-12
This is a course about communicating ideas through images. Students will focus on drawing and collage techniques that lead them to creating illustrations about both personal and universal ideas. The class will spend a significant amount of time looking at contemporary artists and historical illustrators to understand history, technique, and style. Students will also explore how pictures, when grouped together and put in an order, can be used to tell stories, as seen in books, graphic novels, and animation.
Junior Portfolio (Accelerated)
Grade 11 • Prerequisite: Permission of the department.
This accelerated course is designed for second-semester juniors who wish to pursue work toward the completion of a portfolio for their college applications or for archival purposes. Students should come to this class with solid experiences in 2-D, 3-D, or arts technology courses. Assignments are designed to enhance skills and experience and to develop a personal aesthetic and unique approach to art-making. The ability to work independently and outside of class time is essential.
Metal Fabrication and Manipulation
Grades: 10-12
This course allows students to learn basic techniques, design considerations, and safety skills while working with ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and some non-traditional materials to create both personal and sculptural objects. This study includes cutting, shaping, smithing, enameling, and soldering methods for wire and sheet stock. Students will be expected to work with sharp tools and hot objects.
Sculpture
Grades: 9-12
In this course, students will engage with various sculptural materials and processes, while examining and creating three-dimensional forms. They will use the elements and principles of art as starting points for discussions around how objects are seen and perceived in three-dimensional spaces, and ultimately, “What makes a good Sculpture?”
Stagecraft: Explorations in Technical and Theatrical Design
Grades 9-12
This is a hands-on class where students will learn the art and skill of creating a theater production. Focusing on the different members of the production team and how they work together to bring a show from concept to production, the class will work first on the Upper School Musical, and then on the 8th Grade play. For each show, students will begin by reading and analyzing the script. Then, they will design, build, and paint the set. Finally, they will work on the lighting and sound. While there is no homework, this class requires a commitment outside of class, as students are expected to work on the production team for the musical.
