The Middle and High School Art classes study art history and creation through the production of two- or three-dimensional artwork based on the elements and principles of design. The focus on the elements of line, shape, value, color, texture, space, and form are often paired with compositional art principles. Graphic design, perspective, and figure drawing are also integrated as appropriate to the specific eras of Art History being studied that semester, with the classes designed to teach fundamental drawing, painting, and design skills. Individual creative processes and development of personal expression are stressed and encouraged. With a revolving six-semester schedule, your artist can take Art every semester of their middle or high school career, and never do the exact same project twice. As your artist continues to take more art classes at MVCS, skills they have been introduced to will be expanded, new venues will be explored, and additional time will be spent on particularly favorite mediums. If your artist is an Independent Study student, the same applies to her/him, with more personalized study.

All students, faculty, and parents at MVCS are invited to participate in an annual Art Show, usually held in the spring sometime around or after Spring Break. Further information will be made available at the appropriate time.

For the 2008-2009 school year, both levels of art will study Art in Quest of Salvation (Christian, Byzantine, Islamic, Early Medieval, Romanesque, & Gothic) in the fall, and Art of an Emerging Europe (Italian Renaissance, 15th-16th-Century European Art) in the spring. The projects associated with each period are grade-appropriate, with a higher degree of work ethic and attention to detail expected from the high school students.

For further information, please email the Art Department.