Visual Arts Core Curriculum

The Visual Arts program develops a student's artistic talents through experimentation with different media and forms including painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, ceramics, metals, fiber arts, and more. The Interlochen's visual arts high school program develops a student's capacity for expression through a correlation between the visual arts and an awareness of the student’s broader environment.

For information on graduation requirements and academic curriculum, please visit Academy Academics.

Required Courses: Visual Arts Majors

This class is an introduction to the history and developments in arts and culture. In the first semester the curriculum begins in the ancient world through to the Renaissance. In the second semester, we move from Baroque to 21st century contemporary art and artists.

Virtual Realities is a studio intensive course that explores the fundamental techniques, technology, and possibilities of creating virtual objects and spaces to create art and experiences. We will be exploring the process of ideation and refinement of art through a virtual workflow. Students will also learn how to prepare 3D assets for Fabrication. Students will cultivate problem solving skills and spatial awareness by working through the process of creating virtual sculptures and spaces. With the use of 3-D programs and virtual reality headsets we will explore the process of creating assets and experiences in virtual realities.

In this course, students explore a broad range of digital image editing tools. Students enhance their digital literacy by examining the different capabilities of image editing software programs, and understanding the difference between vector and raster-based imagery. Graphic Design, Image Formatting and Photo Editing, and Digital Painting and more will be explored.

Figure exploration is a study of figurative anatomy and proportion as depicted through observational painting and through digital technology. Students develop a working knowledge of both skeletal and musculature anatomy and how these can be employed and manipulated to create a convincing figure. Students develop strategies for work through the process of creating an armature, sculpting, and finishing. In this course, students also look at digital tools of capturing a three-dimensional model and explore how this can be employed as a tool in hand sculpting and painting.

In this course students will explore traditional and nontraditional approaches to the creation of cloth for functional or nonfunctional purposes. A primary focus will be placed on beginning/intermediate weaving and felting techniques. Additional techniques such as immersion dying, surface design on fabric, knitting, crochet, piece work, stitching, and creation of dimensional forms may be introduced in conjunction with alternative materials and found objects. Students will be introduced to the history of the medium and its current contemporary practices through examination of historical and contemporary works.

Public Art is an increasingly important genre for artists to engage with their communities and is monetarily supported by 28 state policies through the Percent for Art initiative. In this class, students will explore murals, outdoor sculptures and various other methods of creating public art. Students will learn about historical and contemporary public art and explore how the impact of bringing artwork to people in public spaces is different than relying on the intentional audience that visits a gallery. By evolving their traditional studio practice, students will consider how factors such as environment, scale, function, audience and public participation affect the design and perception of their artwork. Through direct hands-on projects, students will learn to work collaboratively with other artists and professionals in other industries, such as administrators, carpenters, fabricators, architects, etc. Students will learn the professional practice of developing and presenting project proposals to a jury and formal calls for public art. Student proposals will include project planning, budget outlines, production schedule, site and context research, conceptual development, statement of intent, physical and graphic representations of outcomes, digital 3D models, or other modes of presentation. These professional strategies build leadership skills and provide students with the tools necessary to aid them in their careers. This class will take trips to various locations to see public art and fabricators.

In Sculptural Forms, students explore visual and physical concepts and processes such as form, volume, plane, line, space, texture, and surface. Students gain experience with a diverse selection of sculptural processes including addition (construction or fabrication), subtraction (carving), manipulation (modeling), and substitution (casting). Students explore a variety of methods such as found objects and installation. Contemporary and traditional issues related to sculpture and design are explored through assigned readings, personal research, class discussion, critiques, and individual projects. Students are required to work proficiently in their sourcebooks and develop their ideas through course-related research.

In this course, students develop a rigorous artistic practice that yields a cohesive and sophisticated portfolio. Skills emphasized relate to the presentation and completion of major bodies of work, articulation of personal creative process, and continued honing of craft. Extensive independent research into contemporary and historical art and both cultural and autobiographical influences are necessary to create a meaningful and developed body of work. Students learn flexibility, answering questions about 'Why?' and 'What if...?' Interdisciplinary, collaborative and community-based creative investigations are highly encouraged. By the end of the term, students are able to articulate their thesis clearly and demonstrate research in the form of a cohesive body of work.

This course prepares students for their Thesis Exhibition at the end of the year. Students develop a thesis idea that is connected to them through personal experience in order for their work to be genuine and original. Through an in-depth exploration of their chosen thesis idea, students learn how to interpret ideas metaphorically with multiple solutions and in multiple media. They continuously examine their idea and develop a body of work that is both visually and conceptually cohesive. In addition to the Thesis Exhibition, students are expected to complete college applications or research other professional opportunities available after graduation, write essays and artist statements, and enter scholarship competitions. In this course, students learn that making art as an ongoing process that involves the student in informed and critical decision-making. Technical mastery is emphasized and demonstrated through a wide range of approaches and media. Abstract, observational, and inventive works are explored and developed. Students work collaboratively and individually to curate and install their thesis exhibitions. The Dow Visual Arts Gallery serves as the main exhibition site. Exhibitions that students oversee also include the Student Juried Exhibition, Senior Thesis Exhibitions, and the annual Festival Exhibition. Upon completion of the Thesis Exhibition, students are expected to continue to create meaningful artwork for their portfolios.

This course investigates the foundations of drawing, painting, and design principles while encouraging proficiency in a wide range of approaches. Students strengthen their drawing and painting abilities and knowledge through practice and progressive exploration. They examine the differences between media, such as oil and water-based paint, and experiment with a variety of surfaces, such as panel, canvas, and paper. Preparation of surfaces is emphasized, while students learn to build their own painting stretchers in the woodshop. Study of proportion, form, perspective, visual measurement, portraiture, chroma, mark and value making with a wide range of materials are emphasized in a series of observational and experimental projects. In addition to foundational techniques, conceptual development is promoted. Students are also expected to take part in critiques, classroom discussions, and research.

In this course, students develop and refine two-dimensional and three-dimensional foundational techniques while cultivating the capacity for visual and conceptual thinking. Students also develop their ability to brainstorm, research and collect reference images and materials, in order to learn to independently develop ideas for assignments. Students in Visual Awareness embrace unique solutions to creative problems, and develop the skills necessary for conceptual growth and experimentation with material. Group critiques and discussions throughout the year allow students to gain insight from fellow students and strengthen their own speaking skills.

Sample Visual Arts Curriculum for a Four-Year Student

Semester I

Required Courses
Two-Dimensional Ideation / VA101
Sculptural Forms / VA111
Introduction to Photoshop & Illustrator / VA131

Sample Academic Courses
Algebra I; Biology; English I; French I

Semester II

Required Courses
Two-Dimensional Ideation / VA102
The Figure / VA122
Digital Photography / VA398

Sample Academic Courses
Algebra I; Biology; English I; French I

Semester III

Required Courses
Visual Awareness / VA201

Elective Courses
Ceramics: Intro to Handbuilding & Wheel Throwing / VA221
Fibers: Intro to Sewing & Garment Construction / VA231
Paint as a Metaphor: Abstraction & Interpretation / VA241
Interdisciplinary Sculpture / VA251
Metals: Fabrication / VA261
Ceramics: Experimental Processes / VA271
Exploring the Figure / VA281
New Genres / VA207

Sample Academic Courses
Geometry; World History; English II; French II

Semester IV

Required Courses
Visual Awareness / VA201

Elective Courses
Paint as a Metaphor: Abstraction & Interpretation / VA242
Interdisciplinary Sculpture / VA252
Exploring the Figure / VA282
New Genres / VA208
Experimental Fashion / VA222
Printmaking: Relief Printing / VA232

Sample Academic Courses
Geometry; World History; English II; French II

Semester V

Required Courses
Thesis I / VA301

Sample Academic Courses
Algebra II; U.S. History; English III; Chemistry

Semester VI

Required Courses
Thesis I / VA302

Sample Academic Courses
Algebra II; U.S. History; English III; Chemistry

Semester VII

Required Courses
Thesis II / VA401

Sample Academic Courses
Precalculus; Ecology; English IV

Semester VIII

Required Courses
Thesis II / VA402