Academy of Fine Arts
Academy of Fine Arts Students Anthony, Kalebh and Ben rehearsing for their Taste Of Luther performance.
Fine Arts Academy students work on creating compositions using shape cut from color paper as they study the elements of art.
Fine Arts Academy students are learning about the underlying structure of each of the arts. The group is divided into four sections and is rotating between visual art, vocal music, instrumental music and theatre. In visual art students are delving into the design and art elements that underlie all art work and are creating a few pieces of art that illustrate these ideas. Vocal and instrumental music sections are studying the basic 
elements of music. The students are getting hands-on opportunities to play several band instruments, see the inner workings of a piano, learn a little about vocal production, and hone their listening skills. In theatre, the students are learning and experiencing everything that goes into a theatrical production from picking a script, rehearsing with actors, to designing the costumes, set, and lights.
On alternate days students focus on their chosen area. Artistic Styles class has been studying the Pop Art style and celebrating the 50th anniversary of Andy Warhol’s 
Campbell’s Soup Can by creating a pop art piece. In Instrumental Technique students have been reviewing music theory, practicing tuning and focusing on the fundamental performance skills on their own instruments. The Vocal Techniques class is delving into the topics of
posture, breathing, and vocal production. These, along with strengthening music theory and sight-singing skills, are necessary for learning, interpreting, and performing various styles of music. The theatre students have been learning the basics of modern acting through Stanislavski’s method for the actor. They have been using these in open scenes, observation journals, and introductory exercises performed for the class.
January 2013
The Fine Arts Academy has just finished a project based unit on Africa. We looked at specific tribes and researched ceremonies, governments, and economies and their relationship to masks, music and storytelling. The students produced a PowerPoint on their tribe, created related masks and applied current memories with movement and song in a nonlinear group performance. They also had a chance to learn about and play African drums and instruments. Currently, we are studying critics and criticism in the arts and are looking forward to a trip to the American Academy of Art in Chicago.
Click here to download the Visual Fine Arts Academy PDF.
Click here to download the Vocal Fine Arts Academy PDF.
Click here to download the Theatre Fine Arts Academy PDF.
Click here to download the Instrumental Fine Arts Academy PDF.