Course Expectations
My Teaching Pages:
http://burlingtonhighschoolart.weebly.com/
Burlington High School Art Department
2023-2024 School Year
Teacher: Ratkevich
Course Title and Number: Studio Art Honors II & III (508-001 & 512-001)
Room: 215
Grades 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite – None
5 per/wk – 5 credits
Full year course
Period 4
I. Course Overview
For committed art students, the Studio Art Honors courses (I, II, III, and IV:AP) offer experiences with a wide range of 2D and 3D materials and both traditional and new processes. Participation in honors-level work is an opportunity for students to gain additional experience, strengthen their skills at a more rapid rate, and build their portfolios. Studio Art Honors III: Portfolio is highly recommended for those students who want to concentrate their artistic efforts at a more advanced level and/or intend to further their education in a college art program. Students work in all areas of art with an emphasis on drawing, painting, two- and three-dimensional design, art history, and aesthetics. The class refers to contemporary and historic practice from many sources and traditions. Through a variety of challenging experiences, students are encouraged to look at themselves and the world around them with their eyes, hands, minds, and hearts, and to begin to develop and communicate their own personal vision in their artwork. They are also given opportunities to concentrate in a particular medium, art style, and/or subject matter. They will be engaged in written reflection and group critiques. Students are provided information about art careers and schools through videos, slide presentations, representatives from art schools, and they are encouraged to attend National Portfolio Day. Students are required to prepare a portfolio of their best work for presentation to schools and will be responsible for exhibiting art work through student organized exhibits including the annual spring show. Continuation in Studio Art Honors courses leads to AP Studio Art, in which students are encouraged to take one of the AP Studio Art exams. Students in this class must be willing to put in the extra time and effort to produce the high quality work expected in an honors-level art course. Outside work for this honors-level course typically requires a commitment of 2 - 3 hours (and sometimes more) per week.
II. Successful Learning
III. 21st Century Learning Expectations
Consistent with the school’s mission and 21st Century Learning Skills, Art & Design students are engaged in modes of artistic and creative expression and critical thinking every day. They are presented with extensive opportunities for growth in creating, presenting, responding, and connecting. Students are encouraged to develop skills that teach them accountability, adaptability and tenacity in their academic, social, and civic interactions. Students will work both independently and collaboratively to solve artistic and conceptual problems, acquiring skills to generate their own questions and investigate independent topics of interest related to the concepts being taught. They will synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art, and they will convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. Students will apply a variety of problem-solving strategies, which may involve generating and conceptualizing artistic ideas through writing or brainstorming; organizing and developing these ideas through drafting, revising, and refining for presentation; working spontaneously and experimentally; and processing feedback from peers.
Students will participate in a classroom environment where they are nurtured to act with integrity in all academic endeavors and to exhibit respect for themselves and empathy for others. They will learn to speak honestly and respectfully to classmates and respect their opinions in discussions and in group critiques of student work. They will interpret meaning and intent in artistic work, and they will use the vocabulary of art in a way that demonstrates informed, critical decision-making, applying criteria to evaluate artistic work. They will exhibit responsible citizenship by maintaining their tools and work space; assisting and serving as resources for classmates; and considering the relevance of art in a local, global and digital society. Students will relate their artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding, studying the work of famous artists and artwork from different cultures and eras.
As a student in this course, you will be expected to:
These expectations align with the school’s mission statement.
IV. Expected Outcomes
By the completion of this course, successful students will be able to:
V. Topics/ Content
Essential Questions:
Main Components
Schedule:
Over a multi-year cycle in the Studio Art Honors program, you will be involved with the following topics, providing an in-depth of study in each. The chronological arrangement of the topics will vary.
Starting Out
Course Expectations
AP Requirements and the AP Exam
Quality - What’s it look like?
Presentation and critique of summer work – ALL summer work is due the first week of the school year.
The importance of:
The importance of keeping a sketchbook
The Future:
Careers in the Visual Arts;
Presentations by Art School Representatives
Throughout the course:
“Good” Art
Aesthetics, Art History, and the Relevance of Art Today
What should be considered in evaluating different types of art?
What is art? What makes good art good?
What is a masterpiece?
What can we learn about design, technique, expression, and ideas from history’s great artists?
Why is art important?
Throughout the course, but especially in the first semester:
The Future
Careers in the Visual Arts
What are some of the career options for a visually creative person?
The Place
Interiors and Exterior Spaces in Two-Dimensions
How does an artist use places/spaces as reference sources for more masterly art?
The Thing
Objects as Starting Points in 2D Art (including things from the natural world)
How does an artist use objects as reference/starting points for more masterly art?
The Face
Portraiture and Facial Expression in 2D Art
How does an artist use the human head as a reference/starting point for more masterly art?
Structure of the Human Head
Anatomy
Likeness
Three-dimensionality (“form”) through the use of tonal value and color changes
Capturing character/personality
Figure/ground relationships
Expressiveness
November – January
Making a Slide Portfolio
and Applying to Art Programs
How does an artist prepare and photograph artwork for presentation?
The Body
Figurative Art in 2D
How does an artist use the human figure as a reference/starting point for more masterly art?
Structure of the Human Figure
Anatomy
Gesture
Three-dimensionality (“form”) through the use of tonal value
Figure/ground relationships – integration of figures and environment
Expressiveness
The Design
Pictorial Composition, Color Theory, and Abstraction
How do I more effectively apply the elements and principles of design in my art?
How do I use them expressively?
The Media
An Exploration of Art Materials and Techniques
What options are available to an artist re: materials and techniques?
Content
Developing and Communicating Ideas
What do I have/want to say?
How do I develop stronger ideas for the content of my art?
How do I better communicate those ideas through my art?
Late April:
The Exhibition
Organizing an Art Show
How does an artist best present his/her actual work in an art exhibition?
May:
Collaboration / Public Art
Mural Painting or Some Other Collaborative Work (A Group Effort)
What are the steps and considerations in making a large-scale public work?
If the pandemic allows for it, we hope to schedule at least one field trip to an art museum during the year.
Media (Materials and Techniques) may include:
The different methods and materials will be used at various points throughout the year. For example, during the unit on interiors and exteriors, students may begin by drawing a landscape from observation in pencil in their sketchbooks. They may later use charcoal for a larger drawing of an interior, then do a series of small landscape paintings in watercolor, a difficult medium that requires much practice to control well. Students may return to any of those materials in approaching the problems posed in the unit on stylization and abstraction, or they may use other methods. For the unit entitled “The Media”, we will work with one or two more involved processes. That may be reductive printmaking, or mixed media involving drawing, acrylic paint and collage, or scratchboard illustration, or something else.
Communication and Reflection: Critiques and Your Journal
Critiques of in-class projects and homework are an important and regular part of the course. Every week or so, mid-process on longer projects and certainly after every project, you will have the opportunity to look at and discuss your own artwork and the work of your peers during teacher-guided group critiques.
You will also be asked to write about your work and/or the work of your peers in your journals or Google Docs.
You will reflect on, share your thoughts on, and ask and answer questions about your own work and the work of your peers so that you will all create stronger and stronger work.
The instructor will also discuss your work individually with you and provide feedback at least every few days. Upon request, you may receive further individualized instruction and assessment during the instructor’s prep periods and after school.
VI. Assessing Progress
Types of Assessment:
Assigned exercises and projects
Your grade will be based primarily on the portfolio of classwork for the quarter (approx. 60%) (depending on duration and level of difficulty, each project may weigh from 5% to 25% of the term grade), and homework (approx. 40% -- usually 3-5% for each assignment).
Grading Criteria:
May include:
You generally will be graded on a combination of concept, design, technical quality, and personal investment/work habits. Although we reference the art department’s general grading rubric, the rubric will need to be modified for some projects based on the nature of the assignment and the independent, individualized nature of your artistic investigations. In these cases, you will be graded on how well you met the objectives agreed upon by you and Mr. Ratkevich.
These are the tools we use to measure your success:
VII. Classroom Expectations
Artistic Integrity and Plagiarism
As in all other courses in our school, no form of cheating or plagiarism will be tolerated. For any infraction of cheating or plagiarism (including the first), the student will receive a zero on the assignment or assessment, and parents/guardians will be notified, as per the student handbook. The definition of plagiarism is “to steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own.” Please note that plagiarism includes all forms of stealing words or ideas, including copying from books, web sites, or each other.
So what does this look like in the art room?
The benefits and desirability of working from direct observation and direct personal experience will be stressed throughout the course, and many of our class projects will be focused on working “from life” to help build your skills and understanding in this area. Artwork is to be unique and original. Images produced by others (drawings, paintings, even photographs) are the property of those artists and cannot be claimed as your own. There are however special circumstances that govern the use of “appropriated images”, and these we will discuss as issues present themselves, but before you turn in a project that includes them. According to the Ethics, Artistic Integrity, and Plagiarism statement from the AP Course and Exam Description: “Any work that makes use of (appropriates) photographs, published images, and/or the work of someone else must show substantial and significant development beyond duplication. This is demonstrated through manipulation of the materials, processes, and/or ideas of the source. The student’s individual vision should be clearly evident. It is unethical, constitutes plagiarism, and often violates copyright law simply to copy someone else’s work or imagery (even in another medium) and represent it as one’s own.”
Our rule of thumb is: ask or discuss before you turn in work that uses images not created by your own hand. In general, use of these “pre-existing images” (such as a drawn copy of a professional photograph) would not be acceptable.
Artistic integrity is something we will discuss throughout the course. You will be expected to explain how your work shows your individual vision in discussions with the instructor, with your peers, in regular critiques, and in writing. In these discussions, in your journal entries, and in other regular documentation of your creative processes, you will be challenged to identify and describe your sources of inspiration, your influences, and how you have used them to make something truly your own. We will look at a number of artists (such as Andy Warhol and Kehinde Wiley) who have appropriated the images or styles of others in a transformative way to convey personal and truly unique messages, or artists who have portrayed the same subject, or even worked side-by-side (such as Van Gogh and Gauguin) to paint the same subjects from observation with strikingly different results. We will look at works by artists who have clearly modelled their own work on the compositions of older masters, but with results that are distinctly their own. We will consider how appropriated images become transformed in the service of those artists’ personal visions. We will think about how these types of scenarios might play out in our own thinking and making, as with painting from the same model, painting from the same still life, or “modernizing”,personalizing, or otherwise transforming the composition of one of the Old Masters.
In critiques, in check-ins and informal discussions, in your sketchbook and journal, citing sources of inspiration will be an essential part of our dialogue as well as of your documentation of your processes. You are encouraged to keep a “scrapbook” section in your sketchbook, pasting in your influences and inspirations with notes.
References and Resources:
Students are encouraged to investigate a variety of creative art and design resources to enhance their aesthetic understanding and generate possibilities for investigation. You can do this by digging into the large collection of art reproductions in our classroom, through books and magazines, visits to museums, and online. Visiting the websites of particular artists and designers can provide an in-depth understanding of influences, inspiration, and process. We will often refer to, read from, and view and discuss artwork from Google Arts & Culture, where there is so much to see! Try the “Explore” button, where you can use the Art Camera to zoom into famous master paintings, experience culture in 360 degrees, and tour the world’s greatest museums and other landmarks using “Street View”. Or choose categories to discover the most well-known artists and masterworks in history.
In the art room, you can access an extensive collection of art magazines going back decades, as well as a small but rich library of books on art history, contemporary art, illustration and other applied arts. Students will engage with a wide variety of potential sources of inspiration for portfolio development, including print and digital art and design magazines such as:
The course will also present regular in-class screenings of short videos on contemporary artists and designers from sources such as Art 21: Art in the 21st Century, TED.com: Visual Art, and PBS Learning Media: Visual Art, as well as the occasional longer documentary film.
We will dig into many of these resources in class, but I encourage you to explore them on your own as well.
For a longer and richer list of helpful online resources, visit the BHS Art & Design Resources Page at burlingtonhighschoolart.weebly.com/resources.html
VIII. Homework/Make-up Policy
You can expect outside work to be assigned every week, and as it is usually project based, you should devote time to it every day. You should spend between 2 and 3 hours a week on homework assignments, and spend as much effort on them as you would on your class projects.
If you are absent on the day a homework assignment, project or test is due, you are expected to turn in your work (or take the test) on your first day back to school.
Since homework assignments are generally projects that are given a week in advance, if you are absent on the day a homework project is assigned, you will be expected to turn the project in on its due date.
In the event of a long absence, you will be given time equivalent to the number of days absent to make up the work, unless you request an extension well before the due date, and it is approved by the instructor.
You will likely not be given extensions for work missed due to family vacations outside of the school calendar.
Late projects will be accepted after the due date. However, you will be marked down one letter grade for every late day. Similar to homework, if you are absent on the due date, then the assignment must be turned in upon return for full credit. Tests and quizzes must be made-up within three school days of the original schedule.
Because of the nature of a studio course (where most of the work is completed during class time), if a student misses class for any reason they should check in with me to get caught up on what they missed and will still be responsible for the assignment.
IX. Technology Policy
Students should refer to the acceptable use policy in the student handbook regarding technology. The iPad should only be used for taking notes during lectures or for tasks assigned by the teacher. In addition, games and social networking apps are not permitted during class time. Cell phones are not permitted to be used in the classroom unless approved by the instructor.
X. Additional Information
I encourage students to seek extra help whenever they feel they are falling behind. I will always arrange a time to sit down with you if you ask.
Please feel free to contact me at school: 781.273.7024 (the art dept. office), or by e-mail at [email protected] .
I typically arrive at the school around 7 am. I can usually be found in Room 211, 213, or 215.
What you will need:
BHS Art Website
These course expectations, other documents, and much more information important for your success in this course will be found on my Teacher Pages on the BHS Art Department website:
burlingtonhighschoolart.weebly.com
You will be expected to access this site on a regular basis. On it you will find the current homework assignment, the current class project, contests and art opportunities, weekend workshops and classes, links to art schools, galleries of student artwork, and answers to many of your questions.
http://burlingtonhighschoolart.weebly.com/
Burlington High School Art Department
2023-2024 School Year
Teacher: Ratkevich
Course Title and Number: Studio Art Honors II & III (508-001 & 512-001)
Room: 215
Grades 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite – None
5 per/wk – 5 credits
Full year course
Period 4
I. Course Overview
For committed art students, the Studio Art Honors courses (I, II, III, and IV:AP) offer experiences with a wide range of 2D and 3D materials and both traditional and new processes. Participation in honors-level work is an opportunity for students to gain additional experience, strengthen their skills at a more rapid rate, and build their portfolios. Studio Art Honors III: Portfolio is highly recommended for those students who want to concentrate their artistic efforts at a more advanced level and/or intend to further their education in a college art program. Students work in all areas of art with an emphasis on drawing, painting, two- and three-dimensional design, art history, and aesthetics. The class refers to contemporary and historic practice from many sources and traditions. Through a variety of challenging experiences, students are encouraged to look at themselves and the world around them with their eyes, hands, minds, and hearts, and to begin to develop and communicate their own personal vision in their artwork. They are also given opportunities to concentrate in a particular medium, art style, and/or subject matter. They will be engaged in written reflection and group critiques. Students are provided information about art careers and schools through videos, slide presentations, representatives from art schools, and they are encouraged to attend National Portfolio Day. Students are required to prepare a portfolio of their best work for presentation to schools and will be responsible for exhibiting art work through student organized exhibits including the annual spring show. Continuation in Studio Art Honors courses leads to AP Studio Art, in which students are encouraged to take one of the AP Studio Art exams. Students in this class must be willing to put in the extra time and effort to produce the high quality work expected in an honors-level art course. Outside work for this honors-level course typically requires a commitment of 2 - 3 hours (and sometimes more) per week.
II. Successful Learning
- LOOK carefully at things. Understand the importance of observation and reflection.
- Appreciate and respect the process of art-making.
- Ask questions.
- Challenge yourself. – If there seems to be a simple solution, push yourself to find a more creative one.
- Experiment. Take risks with your art.
- Be open to suggestions.
- Be aware of how other artists solve similar problems.
- Make productive use of your time.
- Be willing to rework an assignment.
- Complete approximately one major artwork each week.
- Remember that you are working on unique, original solutions to visual problems.
- Complete the homework assignments as if they were major class projects (2-3 hours/week).
- Take advantage of your sketchbook and draw independently and often.
- Visit museums and galleries.
- Look at art in books and magazines.
III. 21st Century Learning Expectations
Consistent with the school’s mission and 21st Century Learning Skills, Art & Design students are engaged in modes of artistic and creative expression and critical thinking every day. They are presented with extensive opportunities for growth in creating, presenting, responding, and connecting. Students are encouraged to develop skills that teach them accountability, adaptability and tenacity in their academic, social, and civic interactions. Students will work both independently and collaboratively to solve artistic and conceptual problems, acquiring skills to generate their own questions and investigate independent topics of interest related to the concepts being taught. They will synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art, and they will convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. Students will apply a variety of problem-solving strategies, which may involve generating and conceptualizing artistic ideas through writing or brainstorming; organizing and developing these ideas through drafting, revising, and refining for presentation; working spontaneously and experimentally; and processing feedback from peers.
Students will participate in a classroom environment where they are nurtured to act with integrity in all academic endeavors and to exhibit respect for themselves and empathy for others. They will learn to speak honestly and respectfully to classmates and respect their opinions in discussions and in group critiques of student work. They will interpret meaning and intent in artistic work, and they will use the vocabulary of art in a way that demonstrates informed, critical decision-making, applying criteria to evaluate artistic work. They will exhibit responsible citizenship by maintaining their tools and work space; assisting and serving as resources for classmates; and considering the relevance of art in a local, global and digital society. Students will relate their artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding, studying the work of famous artists and artwork from different cultures and eras.
As a student in this course, you will be expected to:
- Apply a variety of problem-solving strategies.
- Art requires much thought. You will be learning many ways to approach art-making. Some will involve writing your ideas; some will involve rough drafts; some will involve working spontaneously and experimentally; some will involve receiving and evaluating feedback from peers.
- Art requires much thought. You will be learning many ways to approach art-making. Some will involve writing your ideas; some will involve rough drafts; some will involve working spontaneously and experimentally; some will involve receiving and evaluating feedback from peers.
- Write effectively
- in your journal and in written critiques of artwork.
- in your journal and in written critiques of artwork.
- Communicate orally
- by sharing your ideas with the class and discussing the work of others. You will be expected to use the vocabulary of art (including reference to the elements and principles of art) in a way that demonstrated informed, critical decision-making.
- by sharing your ideas with the class and discussing the work of others. You will be expected to use the vocabulary of art (including reference to the elements and principles of art) in a way that demonstrated informed, critical decision-making.
- Read critically
- from magazine articles on famous artists, and when working on an art history research project.
- from magazine articles on famous artists, and when working on an art history research project.
- Demonstrate self-control and respect for all individuals.
- Speak honestly and respectfully to your classmates and respect their voice and their opinions in discussions and group critiques.
- Speak honestly and respectfully to your classmates and respect their voice and their opinions in discussions and group critiques.
- Pursue and participate in modes of artistic and creative expression EVERY DAY.
- Exhibit responsible citizenship.
- Be responsible for your tools and your workspace; assist your classmates when needed; consider how you can reach out to the rest of the school and your community with your art.
- Be responsible for your tools and your workspace; assist your classmates when needed; consider how you can reach out to the rest of the school and your community with your art.
These expectations align with the school’s mission statement.
IV. Expected Outcomes
By the completion of this course, successful students will be able to:
- Develop effective compositions.
- Be skillful with a range of art materials and techniques.
- Demonstrate an exploratory attitude and approach to using those media and processes.
- Properly maintain art tools and materials.
- Take proper safety precautions.
- Recognize, analyze and discuss the works of important artists, periods and styles.
- Solve problems using critical and creative thinking.
- Exercise self-discipline, self-reliance and self-motivation.
- Communicate ideas and feelings through art.
- Communicate orally and in writing about your own artwork and the work of others.
- Help to foster a sense of community and collaboration.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the roles art can play in your life and in the world.
- Take advantage of the opportunities to participate in presentations by artists, art school representatives, Portfolio Days, and field trips.
- Independently generate and realize project ideas.
- Meet personal artistic goals.
- Use a digital 35mm camera and a scanner to document work in digital “slide” form
- Create an exhibit of your best work
- Participate in a year-end group exhibition and reception.
V. Topics/ Content
Essential Questions:
- What makes good art good? What does “Quality” look like?
- What is art, anyway?
- How do I draw or paint what I see?
- How do I build a strong portfolio?
- From where can I draw inspiration as an artist?
- What are the options available to me as an artist?
- How can I prepare myself for a creative future?
- How do I create a successful exhibition of my best work?
- What informs why, how, and what artists and designers make?
- How do artists and designers make works of art and design?
- Why and how do artists and designers present their work to viewers?
Main Components
- Composition / Design / Aesthetics – The Elements of Art and how The Principles of Art are used to organize them
- Studio Habits of Mind
- Design-thinking - visual problem-solving, planning, and process
- Creative thinking
- Making Meaning -- Personal expression and visual communication
- Skill / Craftsmanship with various methods and materials, including those used for drawing, painting, printmaking, design, collage, mixed media, as well as others
- Observational skills
- Important art and artists from history and the contemporary art world, and connections to the applied arts – Their importance historically and placed in context to your work
- Reflection, analysis, and critique
- Self-Promotion -- Digital portfolio, portfolio presentation, and exhibiting your work
Schedule:
Over a multi-year cycle in the Studio Art Honors program, you will be involved with the following topics, providing an in-depth of study in each. The chronological arrangement of the topics will vary.
Starting Out
Course Expectations
AP Requirements and the AP Exam
Quality - What’s it look like?
Presentation and critique of summer work – ALL summer work is due the first week of the school year.
The importance of:
- Inquiry and Investigation
- Practice, Experimentation, and Revision
- Communication and Reflection
- Documentation
The importance of keeping a sketchbook
The Future:
Careers in the Visual Arts;
Presentations by Art School Representatives
Throughout the course:
“Good” Art
Aesthetics, Art History, and the Relevance of Art Today
What should be considered in evaluating different types of art?
What is art? What makes good art good?
What is a masterpiece?
What can we learn about design, technique, expression, and ideas from history’s great artists?
Why is art important?
Throughout the course, but especially in the first semester:
The Future
Careers in the Visual Arts
What are some of the career options for a visually creative person?
The Place
Interiors and Exterior Spaces in Two-Dimensions
How does an artist use places/spaces as reference sources for more masterly art?
The Thing
Objects as Starting Points in 2D Art (including things from the natural world)
How does an artist use objects as reference/starting points for more masterly art?
The Face
Portraiture and Facial Expression in 2D Art
How does an artist use the human head as a reference/starting point for more masterly art?
Structure of the Human Head
Anatomy
Likeness
Three-dimensionality (“form”) through the use of tonal value and color changes
Capturing character/personality
Figure/ground relationships
Expressiveness
November – January
Making a Slide Portfolio
and Applying to Art Programs
How does an artist prepare and photograph artwork for presentation?
The Body
Figurative Art in 2D
How does an artist use the human figure as a reference/starting point for more masterly art?
Structure of the Human Figure
Anatomy
Gesture
Three-dimensionality (“form”) through the use of tonal value
Figure/ground relationships – integration of figures and environment
Expressiveness
The Design
Pictorial Composition, Color Theory, and Abstraction
How do I more effectively apply the elements and principles of design in my art?
How do I use them expressively?
The Media
An Exploration of Art Materials and Techniques
What options are available to an artist re: materials and techniques?
Content
Developing and Communicating Ideas
What do I have/want to say?
How do I develop stronger ideas for the content of my art?
How do I better communicate those ideas through my art?
Late April:
The Exhibition
Organizing an Art Show
How does an artist best present his/her actual work in an art exhibition?
May:
Collaboration / Public Art
Mural Painting or Some Other Collaborative Work (A Group Effort)
What are the steps and considerations in making a large-scale public work?
If the pandemic allows for it, we hope to schedule at least one field trip to an art museum during the year.
Media (Materials and Techniques) may include:
- Pencil
- Charcoal
- Chalk
- Oil pastel
- Pastel
- Watercolor
- Acrylic Paint
- Pen and Ink
- Ink Washes (Brush and Ink)
- Scratchboard
- Collage
- Printmaking
- Mixed Media
- Digital Imaging
- Graphic Design
- Clay
- Assemblage
- Other sculpture techniques
The different methods and materials will be used at various points throughout the year. For example, during the unit on interiors and exteriors, students may begin by drawing a landscape from observation in pencil in their sketchbooks. They may later use charcoal for a larger drawing of an interior, then do a series of small landscape paintings in watercolor, a difficult medium that requires much practice to control well. Students may return to any of those materials in approaching the problems posed in the unit on stylization and abstraction, or they may use other methods. For the unit entitled “The Media”, we will work with one or two more involved processes. That may be reductive printmaking, or mixed media involving drawing, acrylic paint and collage, or scratchboard illustration, or something else.
Communication and Reflection: Critiques and Your Journal
Critiques of in-class projects and homework are an important and regular part of the course. Every week or so, mid-process on longer projects and certainly after every project, you will have the opportunity to look at and discuss your own artwork and the work of your peers during teacher-guided group critiques.
You will also be asked to write about your work and/or the work of your peers in your journals or Google Docs.
You will reflect on, share your thoughts on, and ask and answer questions about your own work and the work of your peers so that you will all create stronger and stronger work.
The instructor will also discuss your work individually with you and provide feedback at least every few days. Upon request, you may receive further individualized instruction and assessment during the instructor’s prep periods and after school.
VI. Assessing Progress
Types of Assessment:
Assigned exercises and projects
- Exercises and projects
- Homework assignments
- Written assignments (such as written self-evaluations, written peer evaluations, and reports)
- Sketchbook/journal
- Final portfolio of work
- Participation in oral critiques
- Presentations
- Participation in the year-end exhibition
- Final portfolio of work in the original and in slide form
- Midterm and Final Exams
Your grade will be based primarily on the portfolio of classwork for the quarter (approx. 60%) (depending on duration and level of difficulty, each project may weigh from 5% to 25% of the term grade), and homework (approx. 40% -- usually 3-5% for each assignment).
Grading Criteria:
May include:
- Research of ideas; concept development
- Strength and clarity of concept
- Strength of design
- Technical proficiency
- Presentation
- Understanding demonstrated in discussion and writing
- Class participation (attendance, work habits, “self-challenge”/ambition, listening, asking questions, contributing)
- Specific criteria for each assignment
You generally will be graded on a combination of concept, design, technical quality, and personal investment/work habits. Although we reference the art department’s general grading rubric, the rubric will need to be modified for some projects based on the nature of the assignment and the independent, individualized nature of your artistic investigations. In these cases, you will be graded on how well you met the objectives agreed upon by you and Mr. Ratkevich.
These are the tools we use to measure your success:
VII. Classroom Expectations
- Be here -- Attendance is critical to success in this program. Studio time and group critique time cannot be replicated at home. Poor attendance will have a direct bearing on your grade.
- Get to class on time
- Use your time productively
- Take responsibility for the condition of your work area – clean up thoroughly at the end of each class
- ALWAYS get permission before leaving the classroom
- Hand in your work on time
- Use of cellphones is not allowed. Cell phones are to be turned OFF or turned IN when in class. The instructor will exercise his right to confiscate the cell phone if this rule isn’t respected.
- There is to be no texting, no facebook or other social media, and no video games.
- Clean up your work area at the end of each class.
- Art classes will use Google Classroom, Google Drive, and teacher websites that can be found on the BHS Art & Design homepage.
Artistic Integrity and Plagiarism
As in all other courses in our school, no form of cheating or plagiarism will be tolerated. For any infraction of cheating or plagiarism (including the first), the student will receive a zero on the assignment or assessment, and parents/guardians will be notified, as per the student handbook. The definition of plagiarism is “to steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own.” Please note that plagiarism includes all forms of stealing words or ideas, including copying from books, web sites, or each other.
So what does this look like in the art room?
The benefits and desirability of working from direct observation and direct personal experience will be stressed throughout the course, and many of our class projects will be focused on working “from life” to help build your skills and understanding in this area. Artwork is to be unique and original. Images produced by others (drawings, paintings, even photographs) are the property of those artists and cannot be claimed as your own. There are however special circumstances that govern the use of “appropriated images”, and these we will discuss as issues present themselves, but before you turn in a project that includes them. According to the Ethics, Artistic Integrity, and Plagiarism statement from the AP Course and Exam Description: “Any work that makes use of (appropriates) photographs, published images, and/or the work of someone else must show substantial and significant development beyond duplication. This is demonstrated through manipulation of the materials, processes, and/or ideas of the source. The student’s individual vision should be clearly evident. It is unethical, constitutes plagiarism, and often violates copyright law simply to copy someone else’s work or imagery (even in another medium) and represent it as one’s own.”
Our rule of thumb is: ask or discuss before you turn in work that uses images not created by your own hand. In general, use of these “pre-existing images” (such as a drawn copy of a professional photograph) would not be acceptable.
Artistic integrity is something we will discuss throughout the course. You will be expected to explain how your work shows your individual vision in discussions with the instructor, with your peers, in regular critiques, and in writing. In these discussions, in your journal entries, and in other regular documentation of your creative processes, you will be challenged to identify and describe your sources of inspiration, your influences, and how you have used them to make something truly your own. We will look at a number of artists (such as Andy Warhol and Kehinde Wiley) who have appropriated the images or styles of others in a transformative way to convey personal and truly unique messages, or artists who have portrayed the same subject, or even worked side-by-side (such as Van Gogh and Gauguin) to paint the same subjects from observation with strikingly different results. We will look at works by artists who have clearly modelled their own work on the compositions of older masters, but with results that are distinctly their own. We will consider how appropriated images become transformed in the service of those artists’ personal visions. We will think about how these types of scenarios might play out in our own thinking and making, as with painting from the same model, painting from the same still life, or “modernizing”,personalizing, or otherwise transforming the composition of one of the Old Masters.
In critiques, in check-ins and informal discussions, in your sketchbook and journal, citing sources of inspiration will be an essential part of our dialogue as well as of your documentation of your processes. You are encouraged to keep a “scrapbook” section in your sketchbook, pasting in your influences and inspirations with notes.
References and Resources:
Students are encouraged to investigate a variety of creative art and design resources to enhance their aesthetic understanding and generate possibilities for investigation. You can do this by digging into the large collection of art reproductions in our classroom, through books and magazines, visits to museums, and online. Visiting the websites of particular artists and designers can provide an in-depth understanding of influences, inspiration, and process. We will often refer to, read from, and view and discuss artwork from Google Arts & Culture, where there is so much to see! Try the “Explore” button, where you can use the Art Camera to zoom into famous master paintings, experience culture in 360 degrees, and tour the world’s greatest museums and other landmarks using “Street View”. Or choose categories to discover the most well-known artists and masterworks in history.
In the art room, you can access an extensive collection of art magazines going back decades, as well as a small but rich library of books on art history, contemporary art, illustration and other applied arts. Students will engage with a wide variety of potential sources of inspiration for portfolio development, including print and digital art and design magazines such as:
- Art & Man
- Scholastic Arts
- Art in America
- Art Forum
- ARTnews
- Communication Arts
The course will also present regular in-class screenings of short videos on contemporary artists and designers from sources such as Art 21: Art in the 21st Century, TED.com: Visual Art, and PBS Learning Media: Visual Art, as well as the occasional longer documentary film.
We will dig into many of these resources in class, but I encourage you to explore them on your own as well.
For a longer and richer list of helpful online resources, visit the BHS Art & Design Resources Page at burlingtonhighschoolart.weebly.com/resources.html
VIII. Homework/Make-up Policy
You can expect outside work to be assigned every week, and as it is usually project based, you should devote time to it every day. You should spend between 2 and 3 hours a week on homework assignments, and spend as much effort on them as you would on your class projects.
If you are absent on the day a homework assignment, project or test is due, you are expected to turn in your work (or take the test) on your first day back to school.
Since homework assignments are generally projects that are given a week in advance, if you are absent on the day a homework project is assigned, you will be expected to turn the project in on its due date.
In the event of a long absence, you will be given time equivalent to the number of days absent to make up the work, unless you request an extension well before the due date, and it is approved by the instructor.
You will likely not be given extensions for work missed due to family vacations outside of the school calendar.
Late projects will be accepted after the due date. However, you will be marked down one letter grade for every late day. Similar to homework, if you are absent on the due date, then the assignment must be turned in upon return for full credit. Tests and quizzes must be made-up within three school days of the original schedule.
Because of the nature of a studio course (where most of the work is completed during class time), if a student misses class for any reason they should check in with me to get caught up on what they missed and will still be responsible for the assignment.
IX. Technology Policy
Students should refer to the acceptable use policy in the student handbook regarding technology. The iPad should only be used for taking notes during lectures or for tasks assigned by the teacher. In addition, games and social networking apps are not permitted during class time. Cell phones are not permitted to be used in the classroom unless approved by the instructor.
X. Additional Information
I encourage students to seek extra help whenever they feel they are falling behind. I will always arrange a time to sit down with you if you ask.
Please feel free to contact me at school: 781.273.7024 (the art dept. office), or by e-mail at [email protected] .
I typically arrive at the school around 7 am. I can usually be found in Room 211, 213, or 215.
What you will need:
- A sketchbook – 11” x 14”, at least “60 lb.” paper weight
- A set of drawing pencils and an eraser (pink, kneaded or both) for homework and sketchbook drawings.
- A set of color drawing materials (color pencils, pastel, or markers) for homework.
- A portfolio at least 23 x 31” in dimension (recommended, but not required).
BHS Art Website
These course expectations, other documents, and much more information important for your success in this course will be found on my Teacher Pages on the BHS Art Department website:
burlingtonhighschoolart.weebly.com
You will be expected to access this site on a regular basis. On it you will find the current homework assignment, the current class project, contests and art opportunities, weekend workshops and classes, links to art schools, galleries of student artwork, and answers to many of your questions.