The sheer amount of art classes offered at IHS is astounding, ranging from visual art classes to music and to theater. These classes aren’t just ways of earning the credit you need to graduate; they can also be a way to improve or acquire skills, have an hour to yourself every day to do something you actually enjoy, release stress, and meet like-minded individuals. You may have never even heard of some of these classes, so I’m here to provide you with a small preview of just five of the dozen of unique art classes available to take next year. Some of these are classes I myself have taken, while others were spoken highly of to me by other IHS students. Our school also offers many music and theater classes, which we hope to explore in The Tattler’s Art Section in future issues.
Studio in Digital Photography 1&2:
These are both one semester classes, so you can get both done in just one year. I took these during my freshman year with Mrs. Cacioppo, and Digital Photography 2 was unfortunately cut short by COVID shutdowns. However, these were some of the most useful classes I took throughout all of high school, and provided me with the opportunity to get the position of Tattler Photo Editor in my sophomore and junior year, as well as gave me the skills needed to pick up some extra cash here and there as an upperclassman. Studio in Digital Photography 1 is the perfect intro class; it focuses on the mechanics of the camera, as well as a basic introduction to style, shadows, color, lighting, and more. There’s also some time dedicated to learning how to use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, which may be programs you use many times throughout the rest of your life. You get to borrow good cameras and learn how to use them both in and out of class, while also having a lot of fun. I remember that when I was in this class, I took photos of absolutely everything I saw; starting photography is always so exciting and enjoyable.
Digital photography 2 shifts from technique to developing your own, unique, artistic style. You have projects with a lot of freedom to photograph what you enjoy, and there are units on photography as a tool for political messaging and/or expression. For me, more than half of this class was online—which was definitely disappointing—but I still got a lot from it. I can only imagine how amazing this class can be when you get the full experience. I think anyone with time in their schedule should take these two classes; they’re useful, they’re interesting, and they can awaken a passion for photography you didn’t even know you had.
Ceramics Hand-Building & Ceramics Wheel-Throwing:
When I asked IHS students about their favorite art classes at IHS, Flossie Martell-Glennon ‘24 said Ceramics was the best elective she had taken, and Owen Rhudy ‘23 said it was “easily the best class in the school.” The following information is compiled from the things these two students said, since I have not personally taken this class.
Everyone I spoke to had great things to say about Ms. Hilsdorf, the ceramics teacher. This class allows for a lot of creative freedom, and teaches an art form that most people have had little exposure to going into the class. Working with clay is extremely therapeutic and fun, and allows you to actually make useful things like bowls and mugs. On a day full of math formulas and assigned readings, sitting down in front of a spinning wheel and sculpting art may be just what you need to preserve your sanity.
Draw, Paint, Print:
In Draw, Paint, Print, (as the name implies) you get the chance to work with many different mediums of art, such as pencils, charcoal, acrylics, oils, and fabric. This is also a semester-long course, which you can take during Spring or Fall. Sylvan Greenfield ‘24 told me about his experience with the class last year, and how he enjoyed the variety and room for personalization that was available. At the end of the year, there’s even the possibility of screen printing clothes. I had personally never heard of this class before, but it sounds perfect for someone interested in art but not yet sure what type of art they enjoy most!