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Art 4: Personal Directions in Art Studio Honors/AP

River Hill High School Art Department

2008-2009

Course Syllabus

(Retain this packet in your visual journal throughout the semester!)

Course DescriptionsStudents in Art 4H/AP will continue to build on the body of work begun in Art 3. Art 4 students areexpected to create work that is more technically refined and more intellectually challenging than thework they made in Art 3. To this end, students will frequently be required to make work of larger scale,of greater challenge, or of more considered personal or conceptual exploration. Art 4 students areexpected to work more independently and to develop a personal artistic direction or theme. Art 4students who are registered for Advanced Placement credit are expectedto take the A.P. exam in May.Bear in mind that these students will be required to meet the National Advanced Placement Board

requirements, which may require additional work beyond the requirements of this course. Students andparents are asked to carefully consider the level that best suits the students academic and artisticgoals. Students taking the AP Studio Exam will be required to make 2 sets of slide reproductions oftheir art work, to write an additional artist statement, and willat all times throughout the yeardemonstrate exceptionalcommitment to creating art for this course.

Independent StudySeniors in Art 4 who wish to pursue an independent body of work will have the opportunity to do so atthe end of the first making period. You are eligible to apply for independent study, if you:

1. Have demonstrated that you have the self-motivation and self-discipline to workindependently.

2. Have a B-average or better in art.3. Submit a written proposal. Your proposal must clearly state the theme and media you intend to

explore. This statement may be revised, as recommended by the instructor, before approval isgranted.

4. At the instructors discretion, you may be asked to arrange a conference with the instructor andyour parent(s). During this conference we will, as a group, review the goals and expectationsfor your independent study.

If your application for independent study is approved, your independent study contract will bind you toall of the following:

1. You will work an average of four hours per week outside of scheduled class timeat home, inthe art studio, or elsewhere as necessary. This work should include preparatory research,

sketching, as well as more refined, sustained works.2. You will use scheduled class time to create work that is thematically related to yourindependent study. You might create a separate body of class work that parallels issues you areworking on at home, or, you might bring your outside work to class for further development.

3. Finally, you will meet with me for an individual (or group) critique about once every threeweeks. For this critique you are required to bring all works-in-progress or newly completedfrom both inside and outside class. This is an excellent way to receive meaningful feedback thatwill help you (and maybe, at times, inspire you!) as you progress in your study.

Your independent contract may be renewed for future marking periods. The renewal is dependent uponyour successful completion of one semesters independent work. Phone or in-person conferences with

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your parents may take place at intervals throughout the term. The instructor reserves the right toterminate an independent study contract if, at the end of any marking period, you are not abiding by thestipulations of the contract.

At the close of the semester, you will present your work and research to the rest of the Advanced Artclass. Ordinarily the presentation and/or your final artist statement will comprise your Final Examgrade.

Course ObjectivesIn this course you will build a portfolio of work that can be used for college admission and for advancedplacement credit. If you are in Art 4, your portfolio will include a body of work from your individualThesis Project.) You will develop your abilities to:

Art 4 Honors students will1. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the purpose for monitoring the production of artwork

through in-progress assessments2. Demonstrate an insightful understanding of ways to collaborate with peers and instructors in the

development of a written artists statement as justification of purpose.

3. Engage in a sophisticated dialogue with instructor and peers to develop an independent plan andserve as a role model for first, second, and third year students.4. Analyze and apply ways cultural exemplars, contemporary and master artists and other

curricular disciplines serve as catalyst for in-depth pursuit of a personal idea for an artwork orthesis project.

5. Use comprehensive sketchbooks/journals to develop personal imagery and meaning usingwritten commentary as a catalyst for planning and executing a thesis project.

6. Manage the content and presentation of items in their portfolio by way of selecting, editing,updating and documenting for an audience, application or professional purposes.

7. Maintain and refine digital portfolio of personal artworks for the purpose of participating in aweb-based community.

In addition to the above Art 4 AP students will also1. Establish criteria to be used in the development of personal artwork and defend artistic choices

using sophisticated vocabulary.2. Articulate the content, technical skill development, and motivating factors of ones body of

work to clarify personal intent.

3. Analyze, evaluate and prepare personal portfolios to meet specific criteria for furthereducational and career goals (AP, college entrance, work resume).

4. Apply creative processes to seek divergent solutions to self-directed, conceptually focusedproblems with specific intent.

5. Select and apply specific materials and techniques to communicate the artistic intent of afocused body of work.

6. Maintain and refine digital portfolio of personal artworks for the purpose of participating in aweb-based community.

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Requirements for the PortfolioThere are three essentials to every portfolio:

1. The portfolio work will be of the highest possible quality.2. The portfolio work will document a range of technical, formal, and expressive experiences.3. The portfolio work will begin to focus on a particular interest, theme or problem.

In the building of the best possible portfolio, this course will focus on interpreting your own

experiences, primarily through observation and experimentation. At the end of the term, the work inyour portfolio should demonstrate your ability to do the following:

Think creatively.Think critically.Take risks.Interpret the world around you.Experiment with techniques and concepts in a visual journal.Create a composition.Work in diverse media.Depict light.Depict space.

Handle color.Draw what you see.Respond to or reinterpret works of master artists and artists from other cultures.Develop a series of thematically related works.

**You will be required to maintain aPersonal Portfolio Plan, which will be attached to the inside ofyour portfolio folder. Your will be required, as well, to update the table of contents beforesubmitting your work for a grade at the end of a marking period.

HomeworkAs this is a Honors/Advanced Placement course, a minimum ofthree hours of outside work is expectedeach week. Most often, for each marking period there will be three assignments, each taking nine ormore hours to complete. As the long-term homework assignment allows for the greatest individualinterpretation and creative problem solving, the expectation is substantial. Significantly, these are alsothe works that colleges tend to be MOST interested in because the homework problems have thegreatest latitude for personal interpretation. Therefore these works areprimarily responsible for gettingyou into the college-level art program of your choice. The homework is given more weight thanindividual classwork assignments. Therefore, any student not submitting homeworkor submittinghastily-prepared homeworkwill be unlikely to pass that marking period.

Assessment and GradingWe will assess each art problem while it is in progress and/or when it is complete. This may take the

form of written reflections, individual critiques, peer commentary, or (most often) group critiques.Intelligent, thoughtful, and open-minded participation in the assessment process is mandatory, and willaffect your marking period grade. Individual projects will not be assigned grades. However, if at anytime you would like additional feedback or are unsure of your progress, please see me at any time. Atthe end of every marking period you will assess your own progress, reflecting on your finished works,your processes, and your participation. After completing the grade assessment, you will submit yourentire portfolio, your visual journal, and your self-assessment to me for a letter grade. Submitted workmustbe in pristine condition. Insure that your work is not smeared, creased or torn; and is chronologicalorder.

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Other important items that will affect your life:

Field TripsYou are expected to attend two field trips this yearone in the fall, the second in the spring. You willbe given 6-8 weeks advance notice to insure that you can arrange to miss your classes that day and/ortake the day off from your after-school job or after-school obligations. We usually return to school by

4:30 p.m.I cannot emphasize enough the importance of seeing art beyond River Hill High School. As amember of the Art 3/Art 4 class, you are declaring your passion for art, and with that, you have aresponsibility to educate yourself about art in the world. Therefore, you should view these field trips asnot merely a diversion, but rather a profound educational experience. Exhibits we see will directly relateto work we are undertaking in class. In the past these field trips have directly (or indirectly) influencedstudents choices for their artworks, Independent Studies, and college majors. Also, we always have agood bit of fun! Finally, for at least one of the field trips, I recommend particularmuseums/exhibits/artworks foryou to seeeveryone in the class may have a different set ofrecommendations. The fee for each trip will be between $5 and $10, plus the cost of lunch. Any studentunable to attend the field trip will be required to write a research paper analyzing a work of art. Studentsenrolled in this class for double credit, should expect to do two research papers.

Winter & Spring Art ExhibitionsThere are two major art exhibitions at River Hill High School. The Winter Art Exhibition is held at theend of the first semester and MayFest is held at the end of the second semester. Plan to show at least 5works during the course of the year. Additionally, during the MayFest exhibit run, the Art Departmentannual awards ceremony will take place.

National Art Honor SocietyThe National Art Honor Society encourages and supports outstanding artistic scholarship, service to theschool and community, artistic endeavors, and good citizenship. Student members of this organizationexemplify these standards, and work to promote an awareness of art and to support the educationprocess at River Hill High School and in the community. Membership is open to all students who havecompleted Art 1 with a 3.0 average. Past NAHS activities have included: mural painting, gallery andpainting trips, public sculpture projects, elementary art days, coffeehouses, postcard exchanges. NAHSmembers are eligible for scholarships at many art colleges and universities. The first meeting open tomembers will be in mid-September; an announcement will be made in class.

Advanced PlacementJuniors and seniors who are interested in advanced placement credit will send a portfolio of their work

to the College Board early in May. Students may apply in three areas: 2-DDesign, Drawing/Painting,

3-D Design. You are required to submit 24 digital images and five original pieces (no larger than 18 x

24-inches); you must submit a duplicate set of 24 slides to the RHHS art department for our permanent

files. (3-D requirements vary slightly.) If you plan to attend college and to study art, advanced

placement credit enables you to place out of introductory courses, and to go directly into upper level

studio courses. Only students planning to submit their portfolio to the AP Board (the exam) may

register for AP credit for this class. While I recommend that everyone take the AP exam, you must be

aware that if you do not give 100% in this course for the entire year, you are unlikely to earn a 4 on

the examthe minimum score necessary to place out of college-level studio art courses. If you earn an

A average for theArt 3 and Art 4 courses, statistics show that you will likely earn a 4 or better on

your AP.

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Digital ImagesStudents applying to the College Board, to college art programs, and to organizations offering artscholarships will need to present reproductions of their artworkusually 20 works in digital form. Theinstructors in the art department will be happy to set you up for shooting your work, but you will needto provide digital storage or CDs. This year, you must make arrangements with me in advance tophotograph your work during class time. Only on rare occasions will you be able to photography workafter school. Therefore,plan ahead: Allow ample time for shooting, processing, labeling and mailing

your photo documentation. As this is a technological transitional period, you may find that someorganizations require slides, while others require digital images. This means you may have tophotograph work more than once, or incur the additional expense of having digital images made intoslides. Again,planning ahead is crucial. While I want everyone to succeed, I cannot be responsible forassisting you with your photo documentation if you have waited until the last minute.

Letters of RecommendationIf you have an A-average in my classes, I am most happy to write letters of recommendation, providedyou have followed the protocol outlined by the guidance office. (If you have consistently turned in worklate, or of less than your best efforts, please do not ask me to write your letter if you do not want me tomention allthe facts.) Make sure you ask me for a recommendation well in advance of your application

deadlines.

Scholarship OpportunitiesMany opportunities for scholarships come up during the school year. Make it your habit to check theArt Announcements Board by the entrance, where I will post these competitions. You are encouragedto take advantage of any opportunity that is presented. I will make all of the pertinent applicationinformation available to you, but it is up to you to take the initiative to follow up on it. Any additionalslides, recommendations, or input you might need from me is, of course, available upon request, in thetimely manner mentioned above. I am always happy to help excellent students pursue their goals!

materialsAll materials are required, unless otherwise noted.A hardbound sketchbook. (This is required immediately!!) Choose the size that feels right to you.

You might purchase a blank sketchbookas sold in art supply stores and bookstores, or you mightwish to find or purchase a second hand book that you could re-create as your own.

A tackle box, ArtBin, or other box to store your materials.

During the first week you will be given and individual supply of pencils, eraser, charcoal, etc., thatyou will be required to keep in your materials box. Should you lose your supply, you are responsiblefor the replenishing it. Materials that are simply used up in the process of making art will, of course,be replenished by our art department supply.

You are required to make (or buy) and maintain a sturdy portfoliominimum size is 30 x 40-inches.Your portfolio must have a handle and must be clearly labeled with your name. (You will have theopportunity to obtain a cardboard portfolio during class the first week.) Always know exactly whereyour portfolio is stored! This is your prize possession! Guard it as such!

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Watercolors, pastels, Prismacolors or other materials that you will need in large quantities, must alsobe purchased by you. For instance, if your Independent Project will be almost exclusively oil pastel,you should purchase your own setwhich you will, no doubt, need to replenish frequently.

I provide paint for our first oil painting. At that time Art 3 students must purchase Winsor & NewtonArtisan Water-soluble Paints (OR other similar brand as recommended by the instructor). Aminimal, high-quality set is available for about $34. The colors you are required to have are:

Cadmium YellowCadmium RedPermanent Alizarin CrimsonFrench UltramarineViridian (Green)Yellow OchreTitanium White (largest tube available)

The art department will provide you with one new 1-inch long-handled brush for your personal use,but you are welcome to purchase you own, higher quality brushes. (There is also a plentiful class-supply of used brushes of various sizesand various states of decay. These must be returned to thesink storage, whereas your new 1-inch brush is your personal brush, and must be stored with yourmaterials.)

Art 4 students who decide to do their Independent Study in painting are highly encouragedto usetraditional oil paints, rather than water-based. If you wish to use traditional oil paint you must havea metal cookie or coffee can with a tightly sealed lid.

The art department will provide paper, cardboard, and/or other painting supports. If you wish topaint on more than one stretched canvas, see me! Ill point you in the right direction for purchasingsupplies.

On occasion you may be asked to collect found materials or to bring in objects. This should not incurany additional funds. The art department will supply the rest of your materials for the year. It may,however, be the case that you wish to purchase your own materials for use at home. If so, take yourstudent I.D. (for 10%-20% discounts) and check out any of the following retailers for art supplies:

Utrecht Baltimore (www.utrecht.com)1-800-223-9132Chase Street (near MICA)

Pla-za Baltimore410-625-2276Cathedral Street (near MICA)Baltimore, MD

Maryland Institute College of Art Store410-225-22761300 Mount Royal AvenueBaltimore, MD