DESCRIPTION OF COURSES
ONE HOUR COURSES:
One-hour classes are designed for Visual Arts Majors and Non-majors who would like to study the introductory principles of a particular area of interest. These classes are challenging and in-depth and are an excellent lead-in to future study. Visual Arts Majors should consider these classes to round out their Visual Arts studio experience.
SURVEY OF WESTERN ART I
First semester
Class meets daily, .50 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors in grades 9-12 space permitting
Survey of Western Art examines the development of Western Art, beginning with aspects of European Art and architecture starting with the Mannerist period of the 16th century and moving through Modern and Post-Modern Art. Although the course will focus on determining many of the aspects of western art (in Europe and the United States), students will also learn how this determination was influenced by art making and philosophies from many time periods and cultures. Special attention will be paid to the discussion of Modernism, and how it came about differently in Europe than in the United States, and how Post-Modernism, coming from the western art tradition, has crossed cultural boundaries to become an international school.
SURVEY OF WESTERN ART II
Second semester
Class meets daily, .50 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors in grades 9-12 space permitting
Survey of Western Art II will examine the periods of Modern, Post-Modern, and Contemporary Art. Although the course will focus on determining many aspects of Western art (in Europe and the United States), students will also be shown how this determination can be shown to be influenced by art making and philosophies from many time periods and cultures. Special attention will be paid to the discussion of the development of Modernism, and how this came about differently in Europe than in the United States, and how Post-Modernism coming from the western art tradition has crossed cultural boundaries to become an international school.
INTRODUCTION TO DRAWING
First semester
Class meets daily, .50 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors in grades 9-12 space permitting
Introduction to Drawing is designed to develop student's abilities to draw from observation. The student will investigate traditional media through simple exercises while working from life. Starting with gestures, blind contours, and contour drawings, the student develops the foundations for hand-eye coordination and basic visualization. Additionally, the student will study linear perspective, the development of pictorial space, composition and the basic elements and principles of design. Students will learn about how significant artists used the media of drawing and will also explore their own personal voice through homework assignments and independent work. Continued sketchbook work is an important component of this course.
DESIGN CONCEPTS
Second semester
Class meets daily,
.50 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors in grades 9-12 space permitting
Design Concepts provides students with experience in the complexities and theories of design as a foundation for art-making. Students will be introduced to advanced problems in design, especially in the area of color theory, and will also explore a variety of design applications. Idea generation will also be an important part of the class and will gain an in-depth understanding of the creative process. The course will also help students to develop their technical skills by exposing them to a wide range of tools and processes from hand techniques to the computer. Individual and group critiques will be a major aspect of this class.
INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY
First and second semester
Class meets daily, .50 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors in grades 9-12 space permitting
Introduction to Photography is designed for the beginning student to learn the technical and aesthetic principles of black and white photography. The history of photography and aspects of photographic composition will be discussed before students learn how to create black and white images. Subjects covered in the class include: operating a 35mm camera, making proper exposures, developing film, preparation of contact sheets, production of prints, print finishing and presentation. Students will also research major photographers and make a presentation to the class and will also participate in critiques. The second half of the class will provide students with the opportunity to become involved with the development of a personal photographic language. Each student must have his or her own 35mm manual operation camera and tripod.
INTRODUCTION TO CERAMICS
First semester
Class meets daily, .50 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors in grades 9-12 space permitting
Introduction to Ceramics will be focused on giving beginning students an introductory experience with the art and technical aspects of ceramics. Students will have an opportunity to create both utilitarian and sculptural objects while investigating techniques in hand-building, modeling and manipulation, and throwing. In addition to investigating material processes, emphasis will also be placed on understanding a basic vocabulary relative to ceramics.
INTRODUCTION TO METALS
First semester
Class meets daily, .50 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors in grades 9-12 space permitting
Introduction to Metals introduces students to a variety of metalsmithing processes, suitable for further development in metals as well as applications in other mediums. Students will design and create a variety of three-dimensional functional and non-functional objects in metal and mixed media. Three-dimensional design and creative problem solving will be emphasized. In addition, students will be presented with historical and contemporary examples of metal design.
TWO-HOUR COURSES:
Two-hour studio courses are intended for Visual Arts Majors and provide a more intensive studio art experience for students. All two-hour studio courses require students to continue with their work outside of class and open studio hours are available nights and weekends to provide students with a significant amount of studio time with which to complete their work. It should be noted that students are also responsible for developing good studio practices and must contribute to studio maintenance. Non-majors may enroll for two-hour studio courses with the approval of the Director of Visual Arts.
2D/3D FOUNDATIONS
Full-year course
Class meets 2 hours daily, 1 credit per semester
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Please note that 2D/3D Foundations is a year-long course and cannot be broken up into semesters.
2D/3D Foundations is intended to serve as the foundation for all other visual arts studio courses. Students will be introduced to ideas in two-dimensional design and three-dimensional design including: composition, space, color, form, art history, art vocabulary, techniques, processes, materials, tools and the methodology of visual creativity. The goal of the 2D/3D Foundations course is to expose each student to as many approaches to making as possible. This exposure will provide a strong foundation on which to base further studies. All incoming freshman and sophomore visual arts majors are required to take this class.
DRAWING STUDIO I
First Semester
Class meets 2 hours daily, 1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Prerequisite: Introduction to Drawing or equivalent experience with Director’s approval
Drawing Studio I investigates the foundations of drawing and encourages proficiency in a wide range of traditional and non-traditional approaches to the medium. While gaining an understanding of the formal elements of drawing and visual organization, students will also investigate areas such as large-scale drawing, abstraction, and narrative and sequential drawing. By exposing students to different applications of drawing and methods of representation, each individual will be challenged to explore their own process of idea generation and how they are connected to the aesthetics of their work. Individual and group critiques will be an important learning tool in this class and will be used to increase artistic vocabulary and build students’ individual artistic voice. Extensive sketchbook work is also required and graded, and writing and research will be a critical component of this class.
DRAWING STUDIO II
Second Semester
Class meets 2 hours daily,
1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Prerequisite: Introduction to Drawing, Drawing Studio I or equivalent experience with Director’s approval
Drawing Studio II is designed as an advanced course in the study of drawing as an artistic medium. With a strong emphasis on drawing from the figure, this course will provide a more academic understanding of working from observation. Students will have the opportunity to explore a variety of traditional media, techniques, and topics such as landscape and perspective, portraiture, and still-life. An in-depth study of the figure will include an extensive understanding of human anatomy. Individual and group critiques will be used to increase artistic vocabulary and build students individual artistic voice. A sketchbook is required and will be graded. Writing and research will be a critical component of this class.
PAINTING STUDIO I
First Semester
Class meets 2 hours daily, 1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Prerequisite: Drawing Studio I or II, or equivalent experience with Director’s approval
Painting Studio I is designed to investigate painting materials and methods. The course will covers the basic issues and techniques of oil painting, moving towards the integration of other media later in the semester. Students will work towards gaining a sophisticated understanding of color theory and paint application before proceeding towards a technical proficiency in the medium. Students will also develop imagery that explores personal concepts and general thematic development. Strong skills in drawing from observation are essential due to the extensive amount of preparatory drawing that needs to be done for each painting and continued sketchbook is required in order to further develop observational and technical drawing abilities. Students must supply their own paint and brushes and all other painting materials will be provided.
PAINTING STUDIO II
Second Semester
Class meets 2 hours daily, 1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Prerequisite: Painting Studio I or equivalent experience with Director’s approval
Painting Studio II allows students to continue their investigation of painting materials and methods. Students will be directed to focus on the thematic direction of their work, making use of extensive preliminary drawings to develop their ideas. Students will participate in peer-directed group critiques to develop skill in talking about their work, thematic direction, formal and technical choices. Acrylic and watercolor will be introduced into the class through a series of demonstrations and lectures. The paintings completed in this course will often be considered one piece of work – a series of images that the student has completed to express one idea. Students will be expected to devote regular time outside of class to their preliminary drawing and painting work.
PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO
Second Semester
Class meets 2 hours daily,
1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Prerequisite: Introduction to Photography or equivalent experience with Director’s approval
Photography Studio is designed for students to explore advanced work in photography. Topics may include, but are not limited to: medium and large format photography, non-silver processes, alternative photographic processes, color photography, digital imaging. In addition to exploring processes and techniques, students will have the opportunity to think outside of traditional categories and experiment. Towards the end of the course, students will develop a body of work that reflects their research, individual investigations and personal vision. Lectures and research in contemporary photography will help students understand the current issues and trends within the medium.
PRINTMAKING STUDIO I
First Semester
Class meets 2 hours daily,
1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Printmaking Studio I introduces students various traditional printmaking processes such as relief printing, screenprinting and intaglio. Through these techniques, students will develop their technical and thematic abilities and sensibilities, printing editions of images and also exploring various non-traditional print media. Students will gain a technical a technical proficiency as well as learning about the history or printmaking and the contemporary issues connected to the medium. Drawing skills are essential in developing ideas and creating preliminary work for each process. The course will also cover proper equipment use and a wide range of safety issues as well as the proper curation and presentation of completed work. Materials for this course are provided but students are encouraged to supplement these materials with their own tools, brushes and supplemental inks and papers.
PRINTMAKING STUDIO II
Second Semester
Class meets 2 hours daily,
1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Printmaking Studio II introduces students to lithography and more sophisticated intaglio printing methods. Student will have the opportunity to further develop their thematic range while also developing their technical and perceptual drawing ability. Students will gain a technical proficiency with the above processes as well as learning about the history or printmaking and the contemporary issues connected to the medium. Students will also print editions of images using both lithography and intaglio, and will also explore various non-traditional print media including the combination of relief, intaglio and lithography in one or more images. Drawing skills are essential in developing ideas and creating preliminary work for each process. The course will also cover proper equipment use and a wide range of safety issues as well as the proper curation and presentation of completed work. Materials for this course are provided but students are encouraged to supplement these materials with their own tools, brushes and supplemental inks and papers.
FIBER ARTS STUDIO I
First Semester
Class meets 2 hours daily,
1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Fiber Arts Studio I explores traditional and nontraditional approaches to the medium of fiber. Students will investigate hand construction techniques for fabrics such as weaving, crochet, piecing, stitching, and the creation of dimensional forms in combination with alternative materials such as wax, paint, or found objects. Students will be introduced to the history of the medium and its current contemporary practices through readings and slide lectures. In addition to concept exploration, this course will examine how materials can be further transformed through installation and presentation within a particular environment.
FIBER ARTS STUDIO II
Second Semester
Class meets 2 hours daily, 1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Fiber Arts Studio II will introduce students traditional and nontraditional approaches to surface design. Students will explore various approaches to surface embellishment and printing techniques for fabric such as silkscreen, photo-emulsion or stenciling using fiber reactive dyes. This course will investigate how surface plays an integral role to one’s perception of an object. The class will also continue the exploration of concept and the presentation of works within a particular environment.
ART AND ECOLOGY STUDIO
First Semester
Class meets 2 hours daily, 1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Art and Ecology Studio is designed as a three-dimensional experience that looks to ecology for inspiration in the creation of art. The woods, water, northern scenery, environmental diversity and weather fluctuations of the Northern Michigan environment are all grounds for artistic exploration. Exploration will take many forms including but not limited to outdoor sketchbook work, environmental drawing, landscape painting, wood carving, weaving, environmental installation, performance, earthworks, marble carving, furniture making, fire sculpture, primitive process ceramics and environmental graphic design.
Text: Will include Cycle-Logical Art: Recycling Matters for Eco-Art and ECO-centric Topics: Pioneering Themes for Eco-Art from the Avant Guardians series by Linda Weintraub with Skip Schuckmann.
CERAMICS STUDIO
Second semester
Class meets 2 hours daily, 1 credit
Grades 9-12.
Visual Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Ceramics Studio introduces students to basic techniques such as coil, pinch, slab, modeling, throwing on the wheel, casting and mold making. Through the use of these techniques, students become familiar with utilitarian and sculptural considerations while gaining a broader understanding of the characteristics of clay and its expressive potential. Students will also learn all aspects of working with clay from mixing and conditioning to firing and glazing. Students will also learn about a variety of clay bodies and individual glaze experiments will help to introduce students to glaze chemistry. Throughout the class, critiques and research will be an integral part of the students’ coursework.
METALS STUDIO I
First Semester
Class meets 2 hours daily, 1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Metals Studio I is structured to allow students to build a solid background in metalsmithing processes. The course will provide student with suitable experience for further development in metals as well as applications in other mediums. Metal forming, fabrication, casting, and surface treatments will be covered, and students will design and create a variety of functional and non-functional objects in metal and mixed media. Three-dimensional design and creative problem solving is critical to this course. In addition, students will study and explore historical and contemporary examples of metal design, with an emphasis on developing a personal aesthetic.
METALS STUDIO II
Second Semester
Class meets 2 hours daily,
1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting
Prerequisite: Introduction to Metals, Metals Studio I or equivalent experience with Director’s approval
Metals Studio II will allow students to continue their investigation of metalsmithing processes and expand their skills and technical proficiency. As students gain metals experience, more advanced techniques will be introduced, such as enameling, raising, and fabricating mechanisms. Students will develop original designs into finished pieces using traditional and/or contemporary methods and materials. In addition, students will continue to research historical and contemporary examples of metal design, with an emphasis on developing a personal aesthetic.
SCULPTURE STUDIO
Offered First Semester of 2008
Class meets 2 hours daily,
1 credit
Grades 9-12
Visual Arts, Motion Picture Arts and General Arts students have priority seating.
Seating open to non-visual arts majors (with approval) in grades 9-12 space permitting.
Sculpture Studio will begin with further exploration of concepts and processes introduced in the 2D/3D Foundations course such as form, volume, plane, line, space, texture, surface, etc. Students will gain experience with a diverse selection of sculptural processes including addition (construction or fabrication), subtraction (carving), manipulation (modeling) and substitution (casting). Students will also be exposed to innovative methods such as working with found objects, kinetics, installation and 4D applications. Contemporary issues related to sculpture will be explored through assigned readings, personal research, class discussion, critiques and individual projects. Students will be required to work proficiently in their sketchbooks and develop their ideas through course-related research.
WEEKLY COURSES:
VISUAL ARTS OPEN FORUM
Full Year Course
Class meets Thursdays 1:00 – 3:00pm, .50 credit
Required for Visual Arts Majors not participating in Senior Seminar
This is an opportunity for the entire Visual Arts Division to come together as a community. The Forum begins with a departmental meeting to cover issues, announcements and to pass out information relative to all Visual Arts Majors. The Visual Arts Open Forum continues with a presentation period that features visiting artist lectures, college presentations and portfolio reviews, panel discussions, special projects and seminar discussions. This course is an integral part of the visual arts experience at the Academy and is a unique opportunity for specialized study and extended learning. The exposure to a variety of institutions who come to Interlochen specifically to recruit is a great benefit to students involved in the search for college and university programs.
SENIOR SEMINAR
Full Year Course
Class meets Thursdays 3:00 – 5:00pm, .50 credit
Required for Grade 12 Visual Arts Majors
This seminar for Visual Arts Majors is designed to assist students prepare for their Senior Thesis Exhibition. Seniors have the unique opportunity to research, develop and present their creative ideas in a focused and comprehensive manner. Students will also be involved in portfolio development, competition, and photographing their two and three-dimensional artwork. Throughout the year, students will be involved in the development of professional tools to support their thesis exhibition including a resume, an artist’s statement, documentation, and a web-page. Approximately one month prior to their thesis exhibition, the student will present their work and thesis statement to the Visual Arts faculty for their Senior Thesis Review and must pass this review in order to participate in the Senior Thesis Exhibition. Students who do not pass will have one opportunity to represent their work and statement. Students will be graded on attendance, participation, and successful completion of assignments and deadlines.
SENIOR THESIS EXHIBITION
All graduating Visual Arts Majors are required to complete Senior Seminar and present a culmination of their studio experiences while at the Academy in the Senior Thesis Exhibition. Along with the exhibition, students will also present a portfolio of work representing media he/she has studied and professional tools such as a resume and artist’s statement. Graduating seniors will also donate one representative work of art to the ICA Permanent Collection.
STUDIO RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
Full Year Course
Class meets Thursdays 3:00 – 5:00pm, .50 credit
Required for Visual Arts Majors not participating in Senior Seminar
This course for Visual Arts Majors is designed to create an opportunity for students to conduct independent creative work outside of their Visual Arts courses and to develop their creative portfolios. Students will be involved in research, lectures, demonstrations and creative studio practice in the development of ideas, methods and tools for the development of work for their portfolios.
