The Arts

Art Courses

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Class VI Trivium Hide

The Class VI Trivium course meets daily and seeks to integrate the disciplines of basic design (art), computer science, and life science. Boys explore design and linear perspective in art, project development and Internet research in computer science, and the scientific method and microscope use in science.

For instance, the topic of Vision and Perception is explored from three perspectives: one group (with their science teacher) exploring eye anatomy, another group (with their art teacher) exploring multi-stability and visual perception, and a third group (with their computer science teacher) exploring computer representation of images. Each group then rotates and studies the same topic with each teacher in turn. At the conclusion of the unit all students gather to discuss the similarities and differences among the three disciplines. Boys learn to research topics, to think critically, and to present information effectively. Then the groups are shuffled and a new topic is explored; boys begin the process again with a new teacher, and this practice is repeated. By approaching a topic from diverse viewpoints, boys’ understanding of that topic is considerably deepened. The course seeks to impart the understanding that knowledge is too large to be contained within one discipline, and that various disciplines offer an enriching variety of related perspectives and perceptions.

Introduction to Visual Art Hide

Introduction to Visual Art, for Class IV students, concentrates on developing drawing skills. Once a degree of confidence is developed, the class moves towards more expressive endeavors in a variety of media. Masterworks from the past and present are referred to as sources of motivation and inspiration. Work of high quality is selected for competitive exhibits throughout the year.

Advanced Art 1 Hide

Advanced Art 1 is a full course elective open to boys in Classes I and II and incorporates art history with a broader, more complete development of studio work. Covering the history of art from earliest times to the 19th century, students learn to recognize and relate to the development of ideas and techniques as they pertain to visual art through the ages. Students work independently on a succession of individual projects (in a variety of media), which are in part stimulated by the class’s study and discussion of a given period in art history.

Advanced Art 2 Hide

Advanced Art 2 is offered as an elective to students who have successfully completed Advanced Art 1. This course helps to advance the individual’s progress within his unique style. The choice of media is narrowed to ensure greater levels of sophistication. Art works from 1800 to the present are studied in depth, as students research and present a particular artist or movement to the rest of the class. By investigating the insights and concerns of each major style in these two centuries, students develop clarity and intensity in their own work through a strengthened awareness of the world around them. Selected works from both advanced classes are regularly submitted to competitive exhibits.

Dramatics Hide

The Class III elective in Drama seeks to acquaint students with the ways theatrical art influences their lives and with the processes involved in the creation of this art. Introductory sessions present a theoretical overview of the field and a survey of the history of western drama. Students begin their own explorations in class with a series of classroom workshops on script-writing, acting techniques, and sustained improvisation. Most of the course is informal, and students are evaluated on the performance of at least one memorized monologue, and several assigned projects (done individually or as part of a group), and a journal that may include (in place of other entries) three formal reviews of live, on-stage productions seen during the time they are in the course.

Class V Music Hide

Class V Music is an introduction to the principles and history of Western music. The course includes units on basic music theory and ear training. The goal is to enable students to read musical notation and to hear internally what is represented by the notes in a musical score. Students also study the history of Western music and must synthesize their listening abilities and theoretical understanding in studying important works from the medieval period to the 20th century. The course places within a historical context the lives and contributions of the great composers who are central to Western music’s development. Students are required to recognize by ear some 20 works of composers ranging from Hildegard von Bingen to Aaron Copland. Supplemental course work includes attending live musical performances, reading and writing music reviews, and presenting an original research paper on a music-related issue.

Class III Music Hide

The Class III elective in Music explores a variety of ways in which music influences our lives. Students begin by researching an artist of their choice in preparation for in-class presentations. The relationship of music and images is explored in units on music videos and movie soundtracks. The course also provides students of all levels of musical ability with opportunities to compose and perform their own works.

Music Theory Hide

Music Theory is an elective course in composition, analysis, and history offered to Classes I and II. Harmony and counterpoint, the principal elements of Western music theory, are explored in depth, and also placed within the context of the development of western musical thought from the Middle Ages to the late 20th century. Individual as well as group projects are aimed at exploring the relationships among music theory, composition, and performance. Students compose a number of pieces, including a major work at the end of the year. In addition to forming sound analytical and compositional techniques, students are expected to develop keen aural perception, sight singing, and score reading skills. They are prepared to take the Advanced Placement Music Theory Examination in May.

Class III Photography Hide

The Class III elective in Photography has three goals:

• to give the student enough technical competence to control the photographic medium, including developing negatives and processing prints in a fully equipped chemical darkroom;
• to enable him to use this process to express with artistic sensitivity what he sees around him; and
• to develop in him a lifelong appreciation of the ability of a good photograph to move and delight the viewer.

The course assumes no prior knowledge of or experience with photographic techniques. Each student will be loaned a camera if he does not own one.

Course topics include operating a single-reflex camera, developing black-and-white negatives, processing prints, and mounting them for display. Assignments are designed to help students deal with problems of lighting, composition, depth of field, exposure control, and printing difficult negatives.