Visual Arts at Emery/Weiner is a dynamic program offering students a wide range of projects and electives throughout their Middle and Upper School experience. Through experimentation with new media and engaging in projects which encourage risk-taking, students gain a better understanding of their true creative selves. Throughout this process, students gain confidence as creative thinkers.
The art rooms at Emery/Weiner are not just classrooms, but spaces for a vibrant community of artists to come together. As such, our program is driven by an interdisciplinary approach to art making. Students have a wide variety of materials and technology at their disposal — materials that are not often found at the middle and upper school level. With the inclusion of a state-of-the-art computer lab, a class set of DSLR cameras and access to Adobe Photoshop, sculpture equipment, ceramics equipment including wheels and a kiln, and a Makerspace, our program fosters young minds creating, learning, and having fun.
The Middle School Visual Arts curriculum begins in Sixth Grade and is designed to embrace the elements of art through fun projects in a variety of mediums. In Seventh and Eighth Grade Art, students are led through a project-based curriculum that embraces all mediums, from clay and printmaking to painting and pastels and many more. Middle School Art teaches observational skills and concept building while reinforcing and teaching a variety of techniques.
The Upper School program is designed to be more medium-specific. Electives in the Upper School include: drawing and painting, ceramics, digital photography, sculpture, studio art advanced, and AP studio art, with more classes being developed each year.
The Stein Fine Arts Complex boasts gallery space with museum-quality installation in The Hope Kaplan Odyssey Gallery. This allows the department to showcase student artwork year around.