GRAPHIC DESIGN 1 — 1/2 Unit of credit   Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:           None

This semester course helps students learn to create effective visual communications such as posters, menus and magazine covers on the computer.  They will become proficient in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.  Students will scan images from magazines, stock photo books as well as original artwork, manipulate these images and integrate them with text.  They will apply strategies in marketing and creative problem-solving, designing messages that communicate with impact and style.  Students will learn about careers in the field of graphic design. 

GRAPHIC DESIGN 2 — 1/2 Unit of credit   Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:           Graphic Design 1 with a B- or better

This semester course offers students the opportunity to further develop their artistic skills in design through use of the computer.  Students will grow in proficiency in Adobe PhotoShop and Adobe Illustrator.  Students will be introduced to Web Page design, exploring the latest technology for cyberspace on the Internet. Students will spend time exploring branding and corporate identity projects, web page design, printing and prepress processes.  Through exercises in design fundamentals, students will learn to refine visual thinking to produce powerful graphics.  Emphasis will be on generating original images and not relying exclusively on stock photos.  They will continue to build creative problem-solving skills in projects such as logo design and ads promoting school/community events. 

GRAPHIC DESIGN 3 — 1/2 Unit of credit   Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:           Graphic Design 1 and 2 and Art 1 with a B- or better
                                                                                                                                                                                       
This semester course, Graphic Design 3 will offer students an opportunity to create pieces for a multitude of purposes, including:  non-profit organizations, events marketing, self-promotion and annual reports.  Students will refine their ability to design for different audiences.  Advanced layout and conceptual thinking assignments will also be given throughout the semester.  The class aims to simulate a graphic designer’s workload – many projects happening simultaneously, deadlines, teamwork and attention to budget constraints.   Students will be working in Adobe PhotoShop, Illustrator and In Design. 

PHOTOGRAPHY 1 — 1/2 Unit of credit   Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:           Art 1 or Graphic Design 1 with a B- or better
                                                                                                                                                                                               
This semester course is designed to provide students with a foundation in black and white darkroom techniques, processes and 35mm camera operations.  The elements and principles of photographic composition are emphasized in a variety of assignments that explore depth of field, the pinhole camera, motion, angle of view, portraiture, self-portraits and night photography.  Manipulations such as toning, handcoloring, solarization and multiple exposure are also explored.  Students will need a manual 35mm camera for assignments.  

PHOTOGRAPHY 2 - 1/2 Unit of credit     Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:           Photography 1 with a B- or better
                                                                                                                                                                                               
Photography 2 is a semester course that will challenge the intermediate student by asking them to develop a personal voice or style through selection of a theme or idea to explore throughout the semester as they investigate:  films and their characteristics (inferred, kodalith and fine grain films), camera formats (pinhole, 35mm, 120 and 4x5), lenses and filters, special processes and effects such as polaroid transfer, solarization and toning, and photographic history and the PowerPoint presentation.  Each student will be expected to assemble a portfolio of work that reflects their chosen theme and proficiency in the techniques explored. 

PHOTOGRAPHY 3 - 1/2 Unit of credit    Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:           Photography 1 and 2 with a B- or better
                                                                                                                                                                                               
Photography 3 is a semester course that offers students who have successfully completed both Photo 1 and 2 to refine their photographic technique and printing skills as they explore advanced problems and ideas.  Assignments will include lighting, portraiture, photojournalism, panorama, liquid emulsion, and double exposure.  Careers in photography will be a topic that will also be examined through research, guest speakers, and field trips.  Students will learn about color photography through the use of the digital camera and Adobe Photoshop.  Topics in this unit of credit will include digital retouching and manipulation.  Digital as well as traditional portfolios of the students work will be created. 

PHOTOGRAPHY ART STUDIO - 1/2 Unit of credit      Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:           Photography 1, 2 and 3 with a B- or better and
                                Instructional Director recommendation
                                                                                                                                                                                               
This semester course offers students to develop and refine their portfolios.  The goal is presentation of finished, polished pieces of photography work for acceptance into an art school or college art program.  Digital portfolios will also be created.  Students will choose an area of interest to explore (i.e., portraiture, social documentation, digital imaging, etc.) and concentrate their work in that area.  Assignments from a prescribed list may also be completed to bridge gaps in their portfolio. 

STUDIO ART AP — 1 Unit of credit    Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:           Art 1, Ceramics, Drawing/Printmaking, Graphic Design and Painting, and teacher recommendation

This yearlong advanced course in drawing and painting enables highly motivated students to do college-level work while still in high school.  Students learn to articulate their ideas verbally and visually, building a fully-realized and informed body of work.  They develop their personal intentions through processes of concept development that include maintaining journals and sketchbooks.  Exploring personal, central interests as intensively as possible, the emphasis will be on integrating personal values and interpretations into images and objects.  Employing processes of investigation, growth, and discovery, students give form to their personal ideas.  At the end of the year, students present selected materials from the work they have done during their high school careers for evaluation by a group of artists and teachers selected by the College Board.  Through this required portfolio review, students demonstrate abilities to deal with the fundamental concerns of the visual arts and possibly earn advanced placement, credit, or both at the college level.