The Fine Arts program at Canmore Collegiate High School guides students through a journey of creative exploration and skill development. Starting with Art 10, a foundation course open to all, students learn the basics of colour theory, composition, and the elements and principles of art. Emphasizing perception, Art 10 teaches students not only how to draw but how to truly "see" like an artist through diverse activities such as drawing, painting, printmaking, and 3D work. Art 20 advances these skills, encouraging students to develop their unique artistic style and build confidence through more challenging projects that promote technical and critical skills. For those passionate about art, Art 30 offers a deeper, self-driven experience, ideal for students considering post-secondary studies in the arts. Here, students take on advanced projects, independent study, and critical exploration, honing their technical and creative abilities as they cultivate their own artistic voices.
Art 10
5 credits
Prerequisite: none
Art 10 is a foundation course and the prerequisite for all other art courses. It is the intent of the foundation art program to give students the basic skills in art and a variety of learning experiences that will enable them to develop creative expression. Art 10 introduces the beginning art student to colour theory, composition and the basic elements and principles of art. There will be a focus on observation from nature, still life, figure and portrait work, as well as imaginative work. Students are expected to develop a vocabulary of common art terms.
Every one of us can draw. From this moment on you need to drop any misconceptions that an artist is only a title given to someone famous who paints or someone dead who did. The key concept that I want you to explore in this class is PERCEPTION: how you see, how you interpret, and how you make sense of things.
Learning to draw is more than learning the skill itself; you will learn how to see. In other words, you will learn how to process visual information in the special way used by artists. That way is different from the way you usually process visual information and requires that you use your brain in a different way than you ordinarily use it.
Some of the things you may expect to do in this class:
- Drawing (LOTS of it!)
- Abstraction
- Perspective Drawings
- Printmaking
- Acrylic Painting
- Caricatures
- Pinhole Photography
- 3-D Work
Art 20
5 credits
Prerequisite: 50 per cent in Art 10
In Art 20 you will work to discover just how serious you are about art and your work. It is a demanding course that pushes skill development and knowledge, expression and creativity, artistic judgments and behaviours. The goal of Art 20 is to have you become increasingly technically competent, investigative, critical and insightful. At this point in time, you should begin to develop your own style and ideas about art and the art-making process.
Art 30
5 credits
Prerequisite: 50 per cent in Art 20
Art 30 is designed for students with a high interest in all aspects of art and serves as good preparation for post-secondary art school. Emphasis will be on deep exploration of compulsory projects; however, students will be expected to develop part of their own program. It is expected that students do some reading about art and artists and make regular visits to galleries on their own time.
Emphasis is placed on the use of imagination, technical skill and on developing original compositions and individual style. Critical thinking skills are encouraged. Students are required to keep a sketchbook in which to explore ideas and design concepts. It is necessary that students are highly self-motivated.