Ceramics & Design 2 students will build upon form, surface design, and visual communication skills learned in Ceramics & Design 1 (formerly Intro Ceramics) and will develop greater mastery of materials and techniques. They will research, design, produce systems and multiples, and experience the role of the designer/maker. Digital pattern and photographic image transfer techniques will be incorporated using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to repeat surfaces with techniques such as screen printing. Each student is encouraged to design unique forms by layering elements and incorporating new techniques.

Prerequisite: Ceramics & Design 1 or Intro Ceramics

Ceramics Portfolio students will continue investigating trends in contemporary art while utilizing historic references to make unique works of art. Students will use these references to study form, function, and surface design. We will take a closer look at ceramic chemicals, glaze and slip formulation, firing temperatures, and kilns. In building a portfolio, students create more complex works with personal expression and take greater risks by experimenting with more materials and processes.

Prerequisite:  Ceramics & Design 2 or Intermed Ceramics

This course is student-driven and project-oriented. Students are encouraged to investigate more complex concepts with an emphasis on technique, experimentation, and personal expression. Projects are designed with the individual student’s needs and goals in mind, and portfolio development is encouraged. Students may choose a personal theme/idea at the beginning of the semester and incorporate art history research into their painting practice while developing their own style. Water-based, oil, and mixed media may be explored. At the end of the semester, students may share their projects in an exhibit of their work, concurrently learning exhibition design skills in curating, mounting, and presenting artwork.

Prerequisite:  successful completion of two courses in Drawing, Painting, Art & Design, and/or Studio Art. 

In Drawing 1, students will learn foundational drawing skills using physical media such as graphite, charcoal, ink, and pastels. Initial exercises will focus on observational drawing as students practice using line, shape, form, value, space, and color in their work, along with an introduction to the principles of design and composition. Once foundations are established, students will have the opportunity to explore more choice-based, in-depth, and experimental drawing projects. After mid-semester, students may use digital media to apply their foundational drawing skills to graphic art.

This course is designed to introduce students to visual arts throughout world history.  As an interdisciplinary elective course, Honors Art History will draw on critical skills from both the Visual Arts and Social Sciences to hone student fluency in analyzing major works of art and architecture from various eras, cultures, and media.  As an honors class, students will be expected to prepare at a level higher than the traditional upper school course as they develop skills to critically analyze the formal, social, and cultural contributions of art.  This course will not attempt to cover the scope of art history from prehistory to the present, as many traditional art history courses do, but rather it will frame the study of art history around themes that allow students to delve deeper into specific topics and questions.  This thematic approach will provide opportunities for students to study art to which they find meaningful connections, and as an interdisciplinary course, students will write, speak, present, and engage in hands-on art making to explore these connections in depth. The semester will culminate with an opportunity to conduct independent research for the final project.   

This course emphasizes the development and understanding of the principles, materials, and techniques of painting. Students begin the semester with design-oriented and observational projects, painting with water-based media (acrylics, watercolor, gauche). Fundamentals of art and design, such as value, color, and compositional skills are integrated into each project, along with the technical concerns of paint application. At the intermediate level, students are encouraged to investigate more complex concepts, techniques, and materials with the opportunity for experimentation and personal expression in their work.

In Photography 1, students learn how to make photographs using both analog and digital technology. This course emphasizes the development of craft, observational skills, and creative expression.  Topics include the elements of art, using the camera’s manual settings, observing light, using composition strategies, and exploring depth of field and movement. During the semester, students learn about photographers throughout history and discuss each other’s work in class critiques. Students enrolled in Photography 1 may use their own cameras or borrow one from the department.

Building on the technical and artistic experience of the introductory course, students experiment with different photographic materials and techniques, as well as storytelling. Students complete three or four projects during the semester. Throughout the course, students look at and discuss their own photographs, as well as the work of historical and contemporary photographers.

Prerequisite: Photography 1

Students continue the development of their own style by focusing on the production of a body of work. Photography Portfolio students produce two short projects as well as one extended project of their own design. The culmination of the extended project is a portfolio of at least 10 presentation-ready photographs with an artist statement. Students work independently during class time but often meet to critique the progress of their own work and the work of their peers. Throughout the course, Photography Portfolio students look at and discuss the work of historical and contemporary photographers.

Prerequisite: Photography 2

Practices in Contemporary Art will look to 20th and 21st century art historical movements as ways to transform conceptual ideas and personal interests into physical artwork. Students with an interest in art history will learn a variety of ways to conceptualize art through different approaches to art-making. Moving beyond traditional techniques and materials, this class will focus on larger ideas and how best to translate them into physical art objects. 

The tools and techniques of printmaking evolved in parallel with major changes in culture and world history. From the time of the earliest handprints and stamps, people have had the impulse to make images to help convey ideas. Through hands-on experience with different ways of making prints, students in this class will investigate the changes in knowledge and understanding that were brought about through dissemination of prints. Students follow the developments in printmaking from relief through intaglio, to planographic, stencil printing, and digital processes. Projects will necessitate the students’ creation of multiple fine art prints using printing media. This course gives students a historical view of the craft while relating it to their personal aesthetic exploration. Open to all students.

STA

This course focuses on the development of a personal style in a variety of three-dimensional media. Students take their ideas from concept to finished product, with an emphasis on the creative process, invention, and discovery. Students explore both figurative and abstract artistic traditions, and use a variety of materials, including metal, wood, plaster, and clay.  

Prerequisite: at least one semester in visual art or instructor permission based on portfolio review

In Yearbook Journalism, students learn the entire process of putting together a publication as they produce the school’s yearbook. They create a book that captures the year at NCS and relate it to the senior theme. Each member of the yearbook staff takes photographs, writes copy, designs spreads, and creates senior pages. Students who take this course more than one year have the opportunity to apply for a leadership role as an editor of the yearbook.