The Visual Arts
The aesthetic and academic experience of Visual Arts at Middlesex begins freshman and sophomore year with classes in drawing and art history. From there, our artists have the opportunity to develop their own portfolios, take A.P Studio Art, and share their work in exhibition in The Cornelius Ayer Wood ’13 Gallery.
We provide our students with a course selection deep enough to tap any well of creativity with classes in drawing, painting, photography and mixed media. We also offer digital photography for the technologically-inclined, installation art for our big thinkers, and sculpture for those who love getting their hands on their work. In addition, we frequently utilize the phenomenal resources of the greater Boston area, whether we visit the art or the artists visit us.
Most importantly, though, we offer students the freedom and space to explore their artistic visions. Whether through figure drawing at night or a weekend photography expedition in Boston, we support our students to pursue projects both independently and in collaboration with teachers –all of whom are working artists pursuing their own creative visions.
Visual Arts Courses
Full-credit courses open to members of Classes I and II, and to others with the permission of the Academic Office. These art courses may be pursued under the structure of an athletic project without academic credit for one season during the Class II or Class I year with the permission of the Academic Office.
ART 20. Painting. Fall, Spring. Mrs. McCarthy. 4 meetings weekly. Block A1345L1. This course is designed for those students wishing to explore painting. Methods of both oil and acrylic will be introduced, investigated and explored. Work will be done on canvas, paper and wood. Students will begin by working from life, with a concentration on refining observation skills, but will later work towards using paint as an expressive medium developing conceptual ideas and themes. Students will be required to work outside of class, to incorporate research into their process, and to display their work in exhibitions.
ART 21. Advanced Painting. Fall, Spring. Mrs. McCarthy. 4 meetings weekly. Block TBA. This course builds upon the materials and methods learned in Painting. Students will continue to work from observation and from the still life, but will also explore abstraction, working from imagination. They will work to understand the relationships between painting processes and concepts and will be encouraged to develop individual projects. Individual and group critiques, artist research and exhibition of art work are integral components of this course. This course counts as a prerequisite for AP Studio Art.
ART 23. Advanced Drawing 1. Fall, Spring. Mrs. McCarthy. 4 meetings weekly. Block TBA and one evening meeting. This course builds upon the material learned in Drawing 1. Students will continue to work from observation and from the still life, but will also learn non-traditional approaches to drawing, including working from imagination. They will explore the relationships between drawing methods, mediums, concepts and processes, working both independently and collaboratively. Individual and group critiques, artist research and exhibition of art work will also be integral components of this course. This course counts as a prerequisite for AP Studio Art.
ART 24. Photography. Fall, Spring. Mr. Butera. 2 extended meetings weekly. Block E2L2 and D4L4. Maximum of 8 students. This course is both for beginning students and for those who already have some photographic experience. Students will learn the basics of digital camera function and technique as well as receive a foundation in Photoshop workflow. The emphasis of the course is on developing a personal photographic vision. By the end of the semester each student is required to produce a final portfolio of images organized around a coherent theme. Students who do not have access to a digital camera may borrow one from the department. It is expected that throughout the semester students will regularly shoot photographs outside of the designated class periods and on occasion be available to go off campus on shooting expeditions.
ART 25. Advanced Photography. Fall, Spring. Mr. Butera. 2 extended meetings weekly. Block E2L2 and D4L4. Prerequisite: Photographic portfolio or Permission of the Department. Students in Advanced Photography will explore the technical elements of photography in greater depth as well as take a more rigorous approach to the aesthetic and conceptual aspects of their work. The student will be encouraged to conceive of their images in the context of the history of photography and in reference to the work of the great photographic masters, both classic and contemporary. At the end of the semester a final portfolio of exhibition quality prints will be submitted by each student.
ART 26. Writer’s Bench. Spring. Mr. Williams. 4 meetings weekly. Block TBA. This course is designed to introduce a beginner, intermediate, or advanced art student to the materials, vocabulary, culture, history, and stylistic elements of graffiti. This class explores graffiti through its history, strategies, and techniques. We will learn through studio practice, slide lectures, research, critiques, and discussions. We will begin with the tag, and we will move on to throw-ups, the deconstruction of the letter, positive and negative space, color theory, and tones. Some reading and homework will be given to help students understand the culture and rules of graffiti. Over the course of the semester, students will also learn how to make some of the materials, such as a NYC MOP and ink, in class. Slide lectures based on historical movements e.g. west coast funk, German wild style, and classic New York graffiti will introduce students to a diverse body of work.
ART 27. Mixed Media, Mixed Process. Spring. Mrs. McCarthy. 4 meetings weekly. Block TBA and one evening weekly. This course is designed to introduce beginning to advanced level students to a wide range of mediums and conceptual approaches to making Art. Students will focus on experimentation and the creative process rather than on the end product. Through a variety of assignments, students will explore painting, drawing, sculpture, installation and “found” media. Abstraction, realism, and conceptual approaches will be addressed and explored. Students will be required to work outside of class, to incorporate research into their process, and to display their work in exhibitions.
ART 28. Kinetic Sculpture. Spring. Mr. Butera. 2 extended meetings weekly. Block A1L1 and C4L3. Maximum of 8 students. Students must sign up for two extended blocks weekly with no conflicts. Using a variety of materials and methods including paper, wood, metal and casting, students will build kinetic sculptures. Possible projects include mobiles, automata, puppets, giant figures, and moveable masks. Students will work both individually and in groups. Subject matter will be drawn largely, but not exclusively, from the world of myth and folklore.
ART 29. Sculpture Carving. Fall, Spring. Mrs. McNally. 4 meetings weekly. Block TBA. Maximum of 8 students. This course will be an exploration and creation of three-dimensional sculptural forms using clay, stone, and wood. Students will develop and explore their ideas using a variety of traditional and nontraditional tools and processes. The sculptures will be created through subtraction processes allowing each student to gain an understanding of the relationship between formal, conceptual, and aesthetic concerns. Group discussion of work will be integral to the class. Students will be required to show their work in a class exhibition.
ART 30. Ceramics 1. Fall, Spring. The Department. 2 extended meetings weekly plus 3 one hour group critiques. Block A1L1or E2L2 and C4L3 or D4L4. Maximum of 8 students per class. This course will introduce students to a variety of techniques in hand-building and wheel work as well as basic glazing and firing methods. Projects build on construction and craftsmanship skills and encourage students to challenge themselves in developing and expressing a personal aesthetic in their work, culminating in the design and completion of an independent project to be included in the final exhibit at the close of the semester. Self-evaluation and weekly practice outside of class time are important parts of the learning process throughout the course.
ART 31. Ceramics 2. Fall, Spring. The Department. 2 extended meetings weekly plus 3 one hour group critiques. Block A1L1 or E2L2 and C4L3 or D4L4. Maximum of 8 students per class. Prerequisite: Ceramics 1. Building on skills learned and practiced in Ceramics 1, Ceramics 2 students move on to more challenging techniques in hand-building, including coil pots and large-scale slab construction. Wheel work focuses on mastering form and throwing larger and taller vessels. The introduction of alternative firing methods offers students the opportunity to expand their understanding and practice of using glazes, oxides, terra sigillata, and other materials in the kiln. Self-evaluation and weekly practice outside of class time are important parts of the learning process throughout the course.
ART 32. Advanced Ceramics Studio Projects. Fall, Spring. The Department. 2 extended meetings weekly. Prerequisite: Ceramics 1, Ceramics 2 and Permission of the Department. Block TBA. Students committed to mastering their skills in clay work are offered the opportunity to tailor a course program to develop goals for their work and further explore areas of interest which might include alternative firing techniques, jewelry making, clay sculpture or advanced decorative techniques. Each student will design, create, and host his/her own final exhibit at the close of the semester.
ART 40. Advanced Placement Art History. Year. Mr. Russell. 5 meetings weekly. Block C or F. Prerequisite: Permission of the Department. Admission to AP Art History is based on performance in Art 1, United States History and English 5 and 6. Distributional credit in the Arts, the Humanities, or the Social Sciences. Beginning with the Paleolithic art of cave painting, this course will explore the history of art in its cultural context. We will analyze the interaction between the art of Europe and Africa, Japan, and China. The contributions of women to art history and the issue of art conservation will be two areas of special focus. Throughout the year, students will write essays on original works of art in local museums. Prepares students for the Advanced Placement Examination in Art History.
ART 41. Advanced Placement Studio Art. Year. Mrs. McCarthy. Block TBA and one evening weekly. Open to Class I. Prerequisite: 2 or more Visual Arts courses and Permission of the Department. Advanced Placement Studio Art is a rigorous college-level course which requires the production of an extensive portfolio. Students who enroll in Advanced Placement Studio Art should do so with the understanding that they plan to participate in the Advanced Placement evaluation. This course has been designed to accommodate students who have expressed an interest in completing the AP Studio Art Portfolio. Students will address all three sections of the Portfolio development: breadth, quality and concentration. Through direct teacher instruction (5 classes per week), individual and group critiques, and independent focused studio activity and research, students will acquire the conceptual, technical and critical abilities to execute their personal ideas and complete a portfolio which demonstrates mastery (quality of drawing) in concept, composition and execution. A major gallery exhibition will be presented in late spring featuring work completed during the previous two semesters.
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