Arts

**NOTE: Students who may hesitate to take an art course because of materials fees should speak to their advisor and the Dean of Students about the possibility of receiving support from the faculty fund.

¦ FALL OR WINTER: INTRODUCTION TO VISUAL ART 

This course is a prerequisite for Basic Photo, Ceramics I, Needle Arts and Elements of Art.A student may pass out of this course for full credit with approval of the Art Department. In order to do so, she must present a portfolio or disk of her most recent work to Sara Poskas.

(1/3 credit, one trimester; Requirement for all Freshmen and new Sophomores)

This one-term required course provides both the novice and experienced student the opportunity to create works of art, while promoting visual perception and literacy. Girls will learn the basic principles of art and design through a series of hands-on projects, using various 2D and 3D media. Assignments will be based on the following concepts: line, value, texture, pattern, form, shape, color, positive and negative space. Collaborative thinking and risk taking will be encouraged as girls learn to group and individually critique work, which is a skill that is carried over in other Westover studio art courses. As students are introduced to essential art vocabulary terms, they will learn to convey their thoughts and ideas about art more effectively to others. Both abstract and representational imagery will be explored as subject matter. A field trip to a local art gallery or museum will enable students to see acclaimed works of art in a formal setting. Additionally, students will take a Westover art walk to increase awareness of – and promote interest in – the plethora of studio art and art history electives offered here on campus. (materials fee: $45.00**)

¦ WINTER OR SPRING: ELEMENTS OF ART (This course is a prerequisite for Drawing I)

(1/3 credit, one trimester, prerequisite: Introduction to Visual Art or approved portfolio)

This one term intermediate level studio art course is designed for those girls who have successfully completed Westover’s Introduction to Visual Art. In this class students will expand their perceptual, conceptual and technical skills as they continue to develop the visual language needed to express their experiences and ideas. Students will be encouraged to think critically and creatively as they create abstract and representational images. Ideas and thoughts will be articulated during individual and group critique sessions. Self evaluation and peer evaluation will foster a sense of empowerment and motivation. Students will develop their art vocabulary as essential art terms will be taught through hands-on studio projects. Projects will stem off skills learned in Introduction to Visual Art, but will provide a new level of challenge. Periodically students will view slides of the work of artists, both past and present, to enhance their own projects. Students, through the making and viewing of art, will gain skills to become confident visual investigators and critical thinkers in our media-saturated world. (materials fee: $50.00**)

¦ FALL OR SPRING: CERAMICS I: HANDBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS

(1/3 credit, one trimester, prerequisite: Introduction to Visual Art)

One of the most satisfying materials to work with is ceramics clay. It is difficult to hold a lump of wet clay in your hands and not form something with it. This introductory level handbuilding course for beginners will introduce students to methods used to create forms with clay. Students in this class will learn the following: kneading, wedging, recycling, firing, pinching, slab making, coiling and glazing. Students will make aesthetically pleasing forms as they develop skills and improve craftsmanship. Ideas and thoughts will be articulated during individual and group critique sessions. Some drawing will be required as girls work out their ideas in their sketch books. Students who complete this course will be well prepared for Westover’s more intermediate level clay course, Ceramics II: Advanced Handbuilding. (materials fee: $60.00**)

Two terms of drawing are required as a prerequisite for painting, or the student must receive special permission of the department.

The same advanced studio course may be taken more than once; as students build on their level of experience, more demanding assignments are given, and a gradual increase of independence is expected. Trips to galleries, art museums, and studios are made when possible, and occasionally a visiting artist will talk with a class.

FALL ELECTIVES

¦ DRAWING I

(1/3 credit, one trimester, prerequisite: Elements of Art)

In this course you will learn to create the illusion of three dimensions on a two dimensional surface. Understanding line, proportion, value, as well as perspective will provide you new ability and new ways of looking and seeing. You will learn to carefully observe and record the subject(s) under study, using methods of measurement and comparison which will help you both to find correct proportion and value, and to approximate the effects of perspective. Toward the end of the course, you will study and begin to apply the actual rules of perspective. This course will lay the foundation for accurate observational drawing for which you will find applications in many fields. (materials fee: $60.00**)

¦ CERAMICS I: HANDBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS

Please see course description above.

¦ CERAMICS II: ADVANCED HANDBUILDING

(1/3 credit, one trimester, prerequisites: Ceramics I)

This intermediate course will develop and enhance skills taught in Ceramics I. This course will foster more sophisticated approaches to creating clay forms, but the fundamental basics (slab, pinching, coiling, glazing) will serve as a foundation. Teacher assigned ansd self-directed projects will encourage creative thinking. Students will effectively and creatively express their ideas through technique, critique and problem solving. Some drawing will be expected as students work out their ideas in sketch books that will also be presented to the class. Weekly critique sessions will encourage collaborative thinking and promote risk-taking, as students develop their ideas in a supportive environment. A class trip to the Yale Art Gallery to view ceramic pieces from around the world will serve as a source of inspiration to students as they create their own art pieces. All projects will stress mastery of skill, aesthetic awareness, and good craftsmanship in addition to critical, creative and collaborative thinking. (materials fee: $60.00**) 

WINTER ELECTIVES

¦ DRAWING II: DRAWING SPACE, LIGHT AND FORM

(1/3 credit, one trimester, prerequisites: Elements of Art, Drawing I)

The purpose of Drawing II is to build upon and refine the skills and understanding gained in Drawing I, and use them to create drawings which are more convincing, intuitive and personally expressive. The student will be given greater freedom in the choice of subject matter and, as the course progresses, will draw from the model. Greater attention will be paid to the way in which students conceive of and plan for a drawing. They will study pictorial composition, light composition (the proportion of light to dark areas in a drawing), soft and hard edges, a variety of mark making techniques, and will use these tools to explore and to discover the picture they want to create. Late in the term, students will begin to draw with brush and colored media. (materials fee: $60.00**)

¦ CERAMICS COMBINATION COURSE: ADVANCED HANDBUILDING AND BEGINNING THROWING ON THE WHEEL

(1/3 credit, one trimester, prerequisite: Ceramics II or permission of Sara Poskas)

This course is a combination of assigned and self-directed projects, as well as a further exploration of shaping clay. Throwing on the potter’s wheel and advanced hand-building are explored to create a series of pieces. This course has two parts: 1) Various methods used to create sophisticated handbuilt forms including coiling, pinching and slab work.

2) Steps to throwing basic forms on the wheel

Mastery of skills introduced, pride in craftsmanship, time spent outside of class working in the studio as well as an exploration of personal vision are integral for success. The culmination of pieces created will evolve from the student choices throughout the process: concept, construction, technique (wheel, hand-building/modeling), surface decoration, glazing, and firing.

SPRING ELECTIVES

¦ OIL PAINTING

(1/3 credit, one trimester, prerequisite: Drawing I & II, or permission of the department)

This course is an introduction to the use of oil-based painting media in which the student will learn proper craft and methods. She will learn to use oil paint and brush, creating form through value, will be introduced to color theory, will study additive and subtractive methods of creating color (physical vs. optical color mixing, etc.), and will very quickly begin to apply them to color mixing and painting from observation. Our primary focus, as students begin making paintings, will be to create correct color/value relationships so that the student can paint from observation, using color to convincingly depict the physical, visible world. (materials fee: $70.00**)

¦ CERAMICS I: HANDBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS 

¦ NEEDLE ARTS

(1/3 credit, one trimester, prerequisite: Introduction to Visual Art)

Knitting offers the artisan a unique opportunity to design and create fabric from scratch with nothing more than sticks, string, and imagination. This course will focus in depth on the applications of knitting in fashion and in the visual and performing arts. Students will learn basic and advanced hand-knitting techniques, how to interpret standard knitting instructions, and how to design their own work. In addition to working with yarns of various fibers, we will also explore knitting with nontraditional materials — wire, plastic, paper, and others. We also will look at the many ways that artists are employing knitting in their works. Students will apply what they have learned to a final project of their choice. (materials fee: $60.00**)

AP STUDIO ART: DRAWING

(1 credit, full year, prerequisite: see below)

The AP Drawing Portfolio student must already have had Drawing I, II, and Painting (or an extensive portfolio) and the approval of the drawing instructor. The student will enroll in, and meet with, the Drawing I class, where she and the teacher will design an Independent Study Program. She will also enroll in Drawing II and Painting, which vary from year to year. It is required that she meet with the AP Advisor before enrolling in these courses. 

AP STUDIO ART: TWO DIMENSIONAL DESIGN/PHOTOGRAPHY

(1 credit, full year, prerequisites: see below)

This course guides the student in identifying strengths and weaknesses in her work, developing her editing skills, and preparing materials for presenting her portfolio to the College Board. She is required to be enrolled in an advanced photography course each trimester during her AP year. The majority of the student’s portfolio will be prepared in these photography courses. The works presented for evaluation may have been produced in other photography classes and summer programs, and may cover a period of time longer than a single school year. 

Prerequisites: Basic Photography, two upper level photography courses and/or a summer pre-college photography or art program and/or the acceptance of a portfolio submitted to the art department for review. If a student enrolled in the fall advanced photography course has completed the Concentration section of the AP, she may elect to convert the course to AP Art.

AP MUSIC THEORY

(1 credit, full year)

Designed to supplement music theory and ear training courses taken by Westover students at Manhattan School of Music or Juilliard, or for students who have studied the fundamentals of music theory, this course offers a preparation for the AP Exam in Music Theory. Entering students should have a knowledge of all key signatures and basic chords. Students are required to take the AP Exam in Music Theory; there will be an AP exam fee of approximately $90.

AP ART HISTORY 

(1 credit, full year)

This year long course surveys the history of art from the prehistoric period to contemporary art in both western and non-western cultures. The course is offered to students who have already taken at least one art history and/or humanities elective, and have received a B or better in those courses. To cover the material, students must take at least two art history or humanities courses in addition to the AP Art History course. Please note that it is preferable that those additional courses be art history electives taken during the fall and winter terms. A considerable amount of reading and writing will be expected of the students, and tests will be drawn from previous AP exams. While frequent trips to museums and exhibitions will be a regular part of this course, the course will culminate in a review conducted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in preparation for the exam. Students are required to take the AP Art History Exam in the spring; a fee of approximately $90 is charged.

Photography at Westover provides the opportunity to study in excellent modern darkrooms and studios. Excellence is encouraged through building confidence in technical skills based on understanding photographic principles, and developing those skills through hands on experience. Personal expression flourishes through structured assignments stressing sensitivity and involvement. Your progress will lead you to explore a wide range of experimental techniques and ways of seeing. Museum and gallery visits to nearby New York City are offered to expose you to the richness and eloquence of the photographic print in the works of the great photographers. 

Westover has cameras available for student use. If you are considering buying a camera, the teacher will provide recommendations. Any student may take Basic Photography, recommended for the advanced photography electives, after taking Introduction to Visual Art. 

The Emily Christopher Photography Scholarship, which covers the photography lab fee for three trimesters, is awarded each year to four students. See Mr. Gallagher for more information. 

The materials fee for a photography course is $140.00**

FALL OR WINTER: BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY 

(1/3 credit, one trimester; prerequisite: Introduction to Visual Art) 

This course covers basic black and white photographic technique, including camera control, film exposure and development, lighting, printing methods, composition, and presentation display. Personal expression and communication are encouraged through individual critique.

¦ SPRING: BASIC FILMMAKING 

(1/3 credit, one trimester; prerequisite: Introduction to Visual Art) 

This course is designed to introduce time based analog and digital filmmaking. We will make four films, each being progressively more complex than the prior. Each project will start with developing a concept and script writing, through cast, location and camera angle selection and will finish with editing, either in camera or in the computer. Apple Final Cut will be used to make video capture, edit, create transitions, introduce filter effects, generate rolling credits, impose superimposition tracks and capture, filter and enhance sound files, and output a digital video DVD disk or a QuickTime movie for direct computer access. You will learn how to use the modern hybrid digital/analog video camera as well as the conventional consumer videocassette camera. Students wanting to learn how to master their family’s camcorder are encouraged to bring them.

You will be asked to look within to discover self-awareness, and to look about to develop skills of intensified observation. Advanced Photography courses are structured to build unified portfolios that may be used for the Advanced Placement in the Studio Arts, as part of a college application package, and for Scholastic Art Award Scholarships. Students interested in taking the AP in Studio Art in their senior year are encouraged to take two advanced photography courses in their junior year.

¦ FALL: COMPOSITE/PANORAMIC DIGITAL PRINTMAKING 

(1/3 credit, one trimester; prerequisite: Basic Photography) 

This course will explore the processes, theory and history of the composite/panoramic image. Shortly after photography was invented in 1839, photographers realized the singular image was inadequate for generating an authentic expression of human vision, understanding and perception. Composite and panoramic photography evolved and has continued to the present day despite technological hurdles. Today the digital platform provides ready access for you to bypass the technological restrictions of the past. With access to the latest software and two large-format, pigment ink printers you will create a portfolio that will rival college based programs. Work from this course will be considered for submission to Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards competition.

¦ WINTER: PLATINUM PRINTING 

NOTE: Permanent Pigment Printing OR the Panoramic Photography course are highly recommended as a prerequisite in order to be ready to make digital negatives. 

(1/3 credit, one trimester; prerequisite: Basic Photography) 

Platinum Printing introduces materials, processes and, ultimately, a visual presence that has been lost for nearly a century. Platinum Printing will introduce the serious photographic printmaker to an exquisite process. Platinum prints exhibit the greatest tonal range of any printing method using chemical development. Platinum prints, esteemed by photographers and treasured by collectors, have a delicate surface quality and great longevity. The unique beauty and delicate, rich platinum tones range from warm black, to reddish brown, to expanded mid-tone grays that are unobtainable in silver prints. Platinum prints are not only exceptionally beautiful, but are the most durable of all photographic processes. It is estimated that a platinum image, properly made, can last thousands of years. This course, rarely seen in college curriculums, has not previously been offered at Westover. The object of this course is to create a sequenced portfolio of exhibition-ready images. 

¦ SPRING: COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY I & II & III 

(1/3 credit, one trimester; prerequisite: Basic Photography)

This course covers color photography, including color printing, shooting, vision, design, composition, theory, filtration, and manipulation. The course is structured so that the student may gain skills needed to make color images, understand history and current trends in color photography, and extend her abilities to communicate.¦ 

Students with an interest in drama who wish to do more than one play or musical a year should elect a Performance Emphasis. With a Performance Emphasis students will:

• take Triple Threat Workshop as a required course, recommended for their first or second year in the program. This course fulfills the Art History graduation requirement.

• be allowed to use participation in the fall musical OR the spring Shakespeare to fulfill one of their two team sport requirements as 9th Graders or new sophomores. (Returning sophomores and all juniors may NOT count a theatre production as their team sport. Seniors are not required to take a team sport.)

• be allowed to participate in a second play that same year, which will fulfill their sport requirement for that term, but will not be counted as a team sport.

Any student, Performance Emphasis or not, may participate in the spring Shakespeare, as a Physical Drama element such as fencing, stage combat, clowning or dance has been added to the spring performance curriculum. This will fulfill an individual sport requirement.

Students who attend the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Program are also entitled to sports and art history exemptions. 

Dance Ensemble members will be designated as having Performance Emphasis after completion of the Triple Threat Workshop. This course is recommended for their first or second year in the program.

¦ TECHNICAL THEATRE APPRENTICESHIP 

(1/3 credit for the first year; full year) 

Technical Theatre Apprentices receive “on the job training” during the productions in which they are enrolled, and on an as-needed basis. Students enrolled in this program have a Performance Emphasis. (See above for further details.) They receive 1/3 credit which fulfills their Triple Threat Workshop requirement. Credit will be given only once for each student; partial credit is not available. There is a limit of four Technical Apprentices per year, although students may continue in this program in subsequent years. Interested students should speak with the Director of Drama.

¦ WINTER: TRIPLE THREAT WORKSHOP 

(1/3 credit, one trimester, requirement for those selecting a Performance Emphasis in the Arts)

If you are interested in doing Musical Theatre, becoming a “triple threat” will increase your chances for success. A “triple threat” is a performer who can act, sing and dance. This course will help improve your skills in all three areas. Co-taught by Westover drama, dance and vocal instructors, Triple Threat will provide upper level acting training (techniques and scene study) as well as dance and semi-private vocal training at the appropriate skill level for each student. 

FALL, WINTER, SPRING: DANCE ENSEMBLE

(1/3 credit per trimester; minimum of 2 trimesters required; fulfills team sports requirement)

Dance Ensemble members take technique classes at the beginner, intermediate and advanced level in ballet, modern and jazz. Members may also choose to augment their dance training with a class in tap or composition. Each student’s dance schedule is determined by a placement/audition class given in the first week of school and by a conference with the Dance Director the day after. Several dance performances are scheduled throughout the year, both at Westover and in the community, as well as trips to various dance performances in New York City and other surrounding venues. Dance Ensemble members are encouraged to develop their own choreographic abilities and are invited to show their works in our annual Spring Concert. Additional workshops are given throughout the year, and a ballet emphasis program is available. Through a collaboration with Brass City Ballet, members of the Westover Dance Ensemble may audition to become part of Brass City Ballet’s performing company, and will perform in their holiday Nutcracker.

¦ FALL, WINTER, SPRING: DANCE CLASS

(no academic credit; fulfills sports requirement)

This class is an introduction to a variety of dance styles: ballet, modern, jazz, tap and improvisation. As much as classes focus on the fundamentals of dance training, students also explore the joy of moving.

NOTE: Students with a role in a play will be required to do two 30-minute exercise sessions in the workout room each week. Students with a Performance Emphasis may elect this in any term.

¦ FALL, WINTER, SPRING: TECHNICAL THEATRE

(1/3 credit, one trimester)

Taught in conjunction with the production each term, this course will offer students invaluable hands-on experience in theatre production. Learn how to use Westover’s state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, and create sets, costumes and props. This course is a prerequisite for any student interested in Directing or Stage Management.

¦ FALL MUSICAL PRODUCTION

(1/3 credit, one trimester)

Singers, Dancers and Actresses Needed! Come join the fun with the Broadway hit: Legally Blonde. ALL STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF EXPERIENCE, ARE ENCOURAGED TO AUDITION. This full-length musical will be rehearsed and then performed on November 2 & 3, 2012. Auditions for specific roles, understudy parts and ensemble roles will be held in the first week of classes. Technical theatre students will also be needed (See description of Technical Theatre above.) 

WINTER PRODUCTION: Machinal

(1/3 credit; one trimester)

Machinal, written by American playwright and journalist Sophie Treadwell, was inspired by the real-life case of Ruth Snyder, convicted as a murderer and put to death in 1928. It tells a compelling story of a woman who is powerless in a male-dominated world and its Expressionistic style is as exciting as it is challenging. ALL STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO AUDITION REGARDLESS OF EXPERIENCE. Auditions are open to all students for the lead roles and understudy parts. Production dates are February 8 & 9, 2013 at 7:30 pm. Technical theatre students will also be needed (See description of Technical Theatre above.)

¦ FALL/WINTER/SPRING: BROADWAY DANCE

SPRING PRODUCTION: Measure for Measure

(1/3 Credit; one trimester)

This comedy examines the themes of mercy, justice, corruption and truth and tells an engaging story full of plot twists and disguises. Training in voice, movement, stage fighting and text analysis will be provided in conjunction with the rehearsal process. ALL STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO AUDITION REGARDLESS OF EXPERIENCE. Performance dates are May 3 & 4, 2013 at 7:00 pm. * Please note earlier time. A crew of technical theatre students will also be needed (See description of Technical Theatre above.)

Students must take at least one of the following to meet graduation requirements:

• Glee Club*

• Humanities course

• Opera and Literature

• Handbells*

• Instrument Consort*

• Private lessons (which includes two performances in student recitals. Performersmust remain at recitals for at least one hour.)*

*NOTE: Partial credit will not be given for an incomplete year in a performing ensemble.

¦ GLEE CLUB

(1/2 credit, full year)

Singing a wide range of music, including folk, popular, and classical music, the Glee Club sings several concerts each year at the school, and sings one or two concerts with a choir from a boy’s school. A European concert tour is taken once every three years.

¦ CHAMBER CHORUS

(No credit, full year, entrance by audition, available to Glee Club members)

Music from the 16th-20th century sung by a small group of singers experienced in part singing.

¦ HANDBELLS

(1/3 credit, full year)

Ensembles which ring music on handbells; one ensemble is for beginners, one for intermediate ringers and one for advanced ringers. Students learn to read rhythmic and pitch notation, techniques of bell ringing and ensemble playing. Performances include student recitals and the Candlelight Services. Two rehearsals are held per week.

¦ INSTRUMENT CONSORT (Open only to those students who are taking private music lessons.)

(1/3 credit, full year)

Instrument Consort is an ensemble of string and wind instrumentalists who rehearse together two times per week. It is expected that members of the ensemble will be able to play an instrument when they join and will practice their part between group rehearsals. Instrument Consort is not intended to take the place of private lessons. Performances will include two student recitals and one or two other performances during the year.

¦ PIANO

(1/2 credit, full year, two recitals required, a fee is charged)

Individual instruction in piano. Each piano student has one lesson weekly. 

¦ ORGAN

(1/2 credit, full year, two recitals required, a fee is charged)

Organ instruction for a limited number of students to be given separately or in conjunction with piano instruction..

¦ OTHER INSTRUMENTS AND VOICE

(1/2 credit, full year, two recitals required, a fee is charged)

Individual instruction in other musical instruments and in voice can be arranged by the school. 

WINTER: OPERA AND LITERATURE 

(1/3 credit, one trimester)

This course will be a study of opera and related literature. In this course students will compare an original work of literature to its opera version to discover transformations and illuminations of the story once music is added.

The first literature and opera studied will be Faust, which is a landmark of the Romantic style. Portions of Goethe’s great dramatic play Faust, and the opera by Gounod will be studied and compared. The class will attend a performance of the new production of Faust at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, for which there will be a charge for the ticket. From this we will move to lighter fare, reading Beaumarchais’s play and Mozart’s opera, The Marriage of Figaro. Considered to be one of the most perfect operas ever written, Mozart brings to life the revolutionary sentiments and humorous situations expressed by Beaumarchais in this lively comedy with serious overtones. 

Three trimester courses in History of Art will be presented. The aim of the courses will be to develop in students an aesthetic appreciation applicable to many art forms and to do so by a critical study of various significant periods in which art has flourished. Emphasis will be not only on understanding of the works themselves but on the development of a critical sense which can help students to approach works of art knowledgeably. At all times there is a close study of the interaction between the work of art and the historical and cultural trends which have shaped it and been shaped by it.

Museum trips are an important part of these courses, and oral presentations are given by students throughout the term. The following courses are recommended for prospective AP Art History students.

FALL: NORTHERN EUROPEAN ART

(1/3 credit, one trimester)

Through the shimmering and vibrant views of northern European art, this course will explore the development of Dutch, German, Flemish, and Norwegian painting from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Beginning with the jewel-like paintings of such 15th century Flemish artists as van Eyck and continuing with the 16th century works of artists like Dürer, we’ll consider how the intellectual force of humanism and the influence of medieval and classical styles impacted the rich, diverse art of the northern renaissance. As we move into the Baroque period of the 17th century we’ll come to understand how the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, along with the civic and religious commissions that resulted, affected the influential works of Rubens and Rembrandt, Hals and Vermeer. Finally, we’ll touch upon the sublime works of the romantic artist Friedrich, the psychological works of the symbolist Munch, and the expressive works of the post-impressionist Van Gogh as we conclude the course in the late 19th century. Making our way through biblical, genre, landscape, portrait, and still life paintings, from the religious symbolism of Campin to the playful visual proverbs of Brueghel to the theme of love letters with Vermeer, the course offers a rich tapestry of works through which the religious, political, and social tensions of northern European culture may be understood. A trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as the Frick will enrich our investigation.

¦ WINTER: EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY ART

(1/3 credit, one trimester)

The social and cultural conditions of the early twentieth century continued to develop the notion of the “modern” in art of the West. From scientific breakthroughs in energy, to mechanical and technological innovations, to philosophic and psychoanalytic conceptions of human consciousness, artists continually found new ways to consider relationships between form and space, line and color, through abstraction. As we consider these social influences, we will explore the avant-garde movements of the period, beginning in the late 19th century with the crisis of Impressionism, and continuing through other movements of the first half of the twentieth century including Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, and Surrealism. Through artists’ texts and critics’ reviews of works, we’ll consider the often shocking effect this art had on its viewers. A trip to the Museum of Modern Art will accompany our investigation.

¦ SPRING: WOMEN IN THE VISUAL ARTS

(1/3 credit, one trimester)

This course will focus on the history of women working in the visual arts. Beginning with the question the art historian Linda Nochlin asked in 1971, “Why have there been no great women artists?”, we will consider issues of women’s education, artistic training, and other social circumstances and institutional standards that have influenced the art produced by women through history. Ideas including the role of women artists, the self-image, gender stereotypes, the “male gaze”, and gender relations, among others, will help us understand some of the issues involved in the production of art. The course will focus on women artists from the medieval period through the late twentieth century, including those like Artemisia Gentileschi, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Judy Chicago, and Cindy Sherman, as well as contemporary female artists. A museum trip will accompany our investigation.

¦ SOMSI INTERNSHIP

(1/3 credit, one trimester)

The Sonja Osborn Museum Studies Internship is a term-long program wherein, through biweekly visits to Hill-Stead Museum, the intern gains practical experience in museum work. A student may apply for this internship as a rising junior or senior, must be planning on taking or is enrolled in AP Art History, and must be accepted by Hill-Stead Museum and Westover School to engage in this program. The intern may receive academic credit for her internship through the work she completes at Westover, namely through two projects that investigate Hill-Stead’s collection and consider the shared histories of the school and museum. Though it is preferred that the credit not count towards the elective courses the student is required to take in conjunction with the AP Art History course, a student who has taken more art history elective courses in her junior year may be in a better position to substitute the internship credit for an art history elective in her senior year. 

Transportation will be provided for the intern’s biweekly visits to Hill-Stead through funding for the program. The internship will culminate in a public symposium at the end of the term. 

These are trimester electives taught by members of the Art, Music and other departments. Each Humanities elective may be used as either a Music or an Art History credit towards graduation requirements; the student must declare which it will be.

These courses are a study of the Arts in relation to their historical background. Each trimester an era will be studied, blending an understanding of the art, music, literature, and history into a living whole. The object of the course will be to overcome the tendency to fragment knowledge into brittle pieces and thereby to give the student an understanding of how the arts express humanity’s highest experience of life in each period. Concerts and museum trips are part of these courses. There will be a charge for concert tickets. The three following courses may be taken by prospective AP Art History students when scheduling prevents them from taking the term’s Art History course.

¦ FALL: FROM VERSAILLES TO VIENNA IN THE 18TH CENTURY

(1/3 credit, one trimester)

An interdisciplinary study of one of the most brilliant periods of cultural history, this course will begin with a study of the classical style patronized by the absolute monarchs, which soon gives way to the fanciful Rococo trend. The course will conclude with a view of the disruptive forces beneath the glittering surface of a lavish age. Paintings by Pousin, Watteau, Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, Hogarth, Gainsborough, Angelica Kauffmann and J.L David will be studied. The music will include some of the best known pieces of classical music by Bach, Vivaldi, Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Mozart and early Beethoven. The social and political circumstances of the time will also be studied, and there will be a trip to a museum and concert in New York, for which there will be a charge for the concert ticket. 

¦ WINTER: THE ROMANTIC SPIRIT

(1/3 credit, one trimester)

Through the impact of its 1789, 1830, and 1848 revolutions, France continued to make revolutionary changes in the arts throughout the 19th century. French artists and composers were at the forefront of the Romantic Movement with its emphasis on individual expression and sweeping emotionalism. As French artists and composers went on to establish a new style of Realism and then Impressionism, the rebuilding of Paris under Napoleon III and the new social spaces and industrialization that resulted shaped the beginning of modernism as these artists became observers of modern life.

In music this course will include a study of the concert music of Saint-SaDns and Berlioz, the theater music of Offenbach, and, of course, the impressionism of Debussy and Ravel. In the arts the course will examine the Romanticism of Delacroix and Géricault, the Realism of Courbet and Manet, and the Impressionism of Monet among others. A field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art will accompany our investigation.

¦ SPRING: THE LIVES OF THE GODS: GRECO-ROMAN MYTHOLOGY THROUGH ART AND LITERATURE