Xavier High School 

Visual Art Department


Mrs. Denise Fusco Iacovone
Mr. Renzo Ventrella

Like most of the departments At Xavier, the Art Department is a college-prep department. The Art curriculum allows interested students to create competitive art portfolios for college admissions. Career information for the many college majors that involve the Arts is a natural part of the classes here. Ninety-seven percent of seniors who apply to Art schools (some of the the top programs in the nation) get into their first choice schools. Seventy-Five percent of them win scholarships. 
This is a great time to have a talent in the arts. The dawn of accessible computer technology, and the amount of products, publications and advertising flooding the market has created more employment in the Arts than ever before.
Artists remember:" those who don't have an art talent have to hire those who do!"

ON THE OTHER HAND...
Many of our students take an art class because they enjoy 
Art and use it as a way to relax. All are welcome here!

THE CLASSES:

Fine Arts Department Grading policy for the Visual Arts:

All visual arts courses are graded on the students’ effort and attitude as well as the final outcome. No student is ever judged against another, but against his own progress. Of course this demands that the student stay focused and on task in order to identify, practice and acquire the skills needed to learn the techniques and concepts being taught

Therefore, the grading policy is:

Art 1: Mandatory one semester art class in freshmen year. It pairs up with the Survey of Music course in Sophomore year. This is a studio class that touches on drawing, painting, print making and sculpture.

Art 1 syllabus: elements of art, drawing styles, painting, sculpture, printmaking, art history
Art 2: Elective full year class offered to interested students who have completed Art 1. This meets 3 times per cycle and is a basic "How to draw/paint" class 

Art 2 syllabus

First semester: Drawing from observation: gesture drawing, contour line drawing (blind and partial peek), positive-negative space drawing, value drawing.

There will be a “practicum” test in each of these drawing styles.

And a graded Christmas assignment. midterm test

Second semester: Watercolor Color theory, techniques of watercolor, designing

with color and form, observational painting. There will be three “practicum” watercolor painting tests due as well as graded February break and Easter break assignments. Final project

Art 3: Elective Full year class offered to students who have completed Art 2. This meets 5 times per cycle and is a foray into developing conceptual skills and experimenting with various media.

Art 3 syllabus

Review of drawing techniques, Conceptual ink drawing, scratchboard,

Color theory, pastel, acrylic painting. Weekly drawing/writing journals due.

There will be graded Christmas, February and Easter break assignments.

Advanced Placement Art: Elective full year class offered to seniors who have completed Art 1, Art 2, and Art 3. This meets five times per cycle and deals with preparing a portfolio for the AP Studio Art test.

AP art syllabus

Summer assignment packets are given to Juniors who are registered for the senior AP class. Assignments are due upon return to school in September.

Each student will choose his own “concentration” (a subject he would like to explore visually in 12 pieces) Students work in class on their individual topics, with personal coaching by the teacher. Projects are due approximately one every three cycles. This class may require extra work outside of class time. Drawing/writing journals are due weekly. Weekly NYTimes quiz on the Arts and Leisure section. Readings are assigned.

There will be graded Christmas, February and Easter break assignments.

The department will set up a photo shoot for students who need slides for college. Students are responsible for their own film and developing.

College discussions regarding careers in the arts and personal direction are available to the class if there is interest. This class is open to all eligible students and is in no way is exclusive to students who plan on majoring in the Arts in college, although Arts majors might be expected by their colleges to take the AP course if it is offered in their school.


Cartooning and Illustration: Full year class offered to any senior.

 This class meets five times per cycle and deals with sequential art: page layout,

 drawing and inking comics. 

Emphasis is placed on personal development of ideas and characters.

 

Cartooning and Illustration Syllabus: Sequential imagery, composition, juxtaposition,

shots and angles, perspective, story telling

Second semester: two long-term projects of sequential imagery

per project homeworks, paper, midterm test and final project