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Course
Catalog > Visual Arts
Visual Arts
The Visual Arts Department offers all students a means of expressing their ideas visually by providing instruction at a variety of skill levels, resources to inspire projects and facilities that enable students to realize their vision. All faculty teach basic techniques and encourage individual student initiative. In beginning level classes, students complete assignments designed to increase their technical skill. As students become more skilled, they gradually encounter more choices to design, execute and exhibit projects. They work independently, conferring with teachers when necessary and watching pertinent group demon-strations. Students may elect to be graded on a pass/fail basis in visual arts minor courses.
Here you will find courses offered at Cushing by discipline. Please note that some changes are made to our programs each year - for the complete listing of courses for the 2008-2009 academic year as distributed to students and listed in our viewbooks, please view the PDF file. If you have questions about the curriculum at Cushing Academy, you may contact Susie Kendall Carlisle, Dean of Academic Affairs.
Visual Arts Course Offerings
Drawing
Ceramics
Photography
Advanced Photography
Architectural Design
Painting
Silversmithing
Advanced Silversmithing
Stained Glass
Glass Fusing
Portfolio
Digital Video
Digital Imaging with Photoshop
Art in Hand
Art History
Drawing
This one-term introductory course is designed for students with no previous training in drawing. Using pencil and charcoal, students work through lessons, which help them see and learn to use line, value, texture, perspective and composition in their work. Background material related to drawings and drawing styles of significant artists is incorporated. Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring Terms
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Ceramics
In this one-term course, students will explore a variety of techniques of working in clay, including hand building and throwing on the potter’s wheel. Students will also learn basic glazing techniques and decorative styles and how to load and fire an electric kiln. While developing their technical proficiency, students will express their individual creativity. They will also have access to books, periodicals, slides and videos to augment their understanding of techniques and ceramics from different cultures. Finally, students will learn to critique their work and that of others. Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring Terms
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Photography
In this one-term course, students become familiar with camera-handling and darkroom procedures. The course covers camera parts and functions, terminology, film exposure and development, and printing negatives. Students experience how the camera sees as well as how it records the basic elements of design such as line, shape, composition and perspective. Evaluation takes into account ability, quality of assignments, in-class work, effort and progress. 35 mm manual camera needed. Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring Terms
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Advanced Photography
This yearlong course presumes a knowledge of camera functions as well as black and white developing and printing. Students explore a variety of techniques, such as accurate metering in special situations, solarization, and hand coloring prints. Both shooting color film and developing color slides are covered. After investigating a variety of processes, students design and pursue independent projects in the area of their choice, including color photography and its many interesting techniques. Prerequisite: departmental permission. Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring Terms
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Architectural Design
This yearlong major course is designed for students with a personal or potentially professional interest in architectural drawing. Through studio exercises, video- or slide-illustrated lectures and demonstrations, students discover how buildings are conceived, constructed and experienced. Fundamental drafting tools and skills are covered and students learn to solve problems of form and space by applying basic principles of architecture to find solutions. Offered: Full Year
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Painting and Drawing
This course introduces all students-beginning to advanced-to traditional painting techniques and processes of such media as oil, watercolor, tempera or acrylic paints. Students acquire skills in paint application and blending methods, composition and design, color theory and color mixing. They also learn the properties and differences of the various media. Students begin with a fully realized drawing for their painting. Care and maintenance of supplies are also covered. Demonstrations, lectures, readings, videos and art history references supplement studio work. Prerequisite: Beginning Drawing, departmental permission. Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring Terms
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Silversmithing
This one-term course is offered to beginners as well as intermediate students who wish to explore metals through making jewelry or small sculptures. Students develop skills in three-dimensional design as they learn to shape silver. Simple stone setting and surface texture techniques are taught. Upon request, soldering lessons are available to intermediate and beginning students. Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring Terms
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Advanced Silversmithing
This yearlong course explores metals and jewelry-making methods in depth. Students design and execute projects of their choice including brass, copper, sterling and nickel silver, scrimshaw and copper enameling. Advanced techniques are introduced, and students work with greater independence in drilling, forging, filing and shaping both wire and sheet metal. In addition to soldering, students explore annealing and fusing. New options for finishing include buffing and oxidizing metal. Prerequisite: Silversmithing, departmental permission. Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring Terms
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Stained Glass
Students explore this ancient art through contemporary methods.
After lectures and discussion regarding the types and history
of stained glass, students create their own pieces. Topics
include cutting glass, working with lead cane, soldering,
using copper foil and painting on glass.
Offered: Spring Term
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Glass Fusing
Glass fusing is the process of using a kiln to join together pieces of glass. If heat is applied to glass, it will soften. If it is continually applied, the glass will become more fluid and flow together. Two or more pieces of glass will fuse to each other and become solid. Molds may also be used to cause already fused glass to take various shapes.
Another category of kiln-forming activity involves the use of molds to form glass into more complex shapes. Virtually any shape that can be formed in clay or wax can also be made in glass. These more advanced kiln forming processes include kiln casting (melting glass into a mold inside a kiln), pate de verre (forming shapes by heating a "paste of glass" inside the kiln), and glass casting (pouring molten glass into a mold). These processes tend to be more complicated than basic fusing and slumping. Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring Terms
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Portfolio
Portfolio is open to advanced art students who are in the process of preparing a portfolio of their work for college applications. In this course, students develop a cohesive body of work that represents their overall achievement in art. Portfolio students, with the help of the instructor, devise projects that cover a variety of media, techniques and themes. Instruction in presentation (making slides of artwork, sequencing and display of finished pieces) is offered. Students can choose one or a combination of the following: drawing, painting, ceramics, silversmithing, stained glass, photography and architectural drawing. Portfolio may be taken each term and earns credit as a major course or a major afternoon activity. Prerequisite: departmental permission. Offered: Fall, Winter and Spring Term
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Digital Video
Students interested in film/video have the opportunity to learn or improve their ability to make films. Students study various genres of film and attempt to create their own stories and visions. Students learn the vocabulary and technical skills necessary to plan, storyboard and realize their works in a collaborative setting. Digital camcorders are provided for filming, and Macintosh computers are used for editing. Further studies in Digital Video may be pursued on an independent study basis with permission of the instructor. Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring Terms
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Digital Imaging with Photoshop
Students interested in exploring design and composition through the computer have the opportunity to learn the necessary skills to create and manipulate images with Adobe Photoshop. Students spend half their time in the classroom working at a Macintosh workstation; the rest of their time is spent shooting and designing images. Students are evaluated on the skill with which they utilize the software and the growth and effort they display over the course of the term. Prerequisite: some familiarity with a Macintosh or Windows-based computer. Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring Terms
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Art in Hand
This one-term course is designed to familiarize students with both artistic design and technology. While working on their projects, students receive individualized instruction in the use of computers and software as well as the elements of graphic design. They learn to scan images using a flatbed scanner, to capture desired images with a digital camera, and to utilize software such as Adobe Photoshop CS and Metacreations Painter 5.5 to create and edit images. Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring Terms
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Art History
This course engages students in the appreciation and understanding of visual art. It aims to teach students that art is a powerful form of communication that has played a major role in human history throughout the world and provides us with a means of understanding others and ourselves. The text, The Visual Experience, explores what constitutes art. Students will describe and identify elements of visual art, view slides of famous works that exemplify the elements under study, discuss the meaning of famous works, study the historical context of famous works, and finally, learn the four components of art criticism. Offered: Spring Term
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