The Fall Afternoon Band is an ensemble that focuses on contemporary styles such as rock, pop, jazz, and R&B. The ensemble is open to the following instrumentation: vocalists, woodwind, brass, string, and rhythm section instruments (guitar, bass, piano/keyboard, and percussion). Students should have at least one full year of experience on their instrument or voice and multiple areas of expertise are welcome and encouraged. This student-driven ensemble works with the instructor to select repertoire that they are interested in playing together, based on the experience and instrumentation of the participating students. Past repertoire has included everything from Aretha Franklin to Adele, and Mumford & Sons to Miles Davis. Rehearsals culminate in an in-school performance at an Upper School meeting.
Fall Costume Construction and Design is a one-term, production-based activity related to the public performance of the Fall Play Activity at Beaver and may include costume work on the Middle School Fall Play.. The term begins by focusing on script and character analysis to inform the design and construction process and then students bring the play to fruition alongside the performers and technical theater students. Past projects have included pattern making, construction, fabric painting, jewelry making, and hair and make-up design and execution. Students entering this activity should be highly motivated and interested in an intense and exciting experience that requires a great deal of commitment. Fall Costume Construction and Design meets each day from 3:45pm-5:30pm. In the weeks leading up to the performances, Saturday rehearsals are added as well as late rehearsals ending at 6:30pm the week before the show, 9:00pm the week of the show, and later into the evening for the actual performances.
Fall Tech Theater is a one-term, production-based activity where students practice Technical Theater skills related to the public performance of the Fall Play Activity at Beaver. This activity is open to both experienced and inexperienced technicians; it includes on-the-job training which prepares students to take on necessary challenges. Technical theater roles may include stage management, run crew, set, props, lighting, projection, and sound production. Fall Tech Theater offers dedicated students a chance to build essential skills such as effective communication, problem solving, organization, iteration, and leadership. Past shows have included flown scenery, running water, projection mapping, sculpture, prop building, and textured scenic painting techniques. Students entering this activity should be highly motivated and interested in an intense and exciting experience that requires a great deal of commitment. Fall Tech meets each day from 3:45pm-5:30pm. In the weeks leading up to the performances, Saturday rehearsals are added as well as late rehearsals ending at 6:30pm the week before the show, 9:00pm the week of the show, and later into the evening for the actual performances. Based on the size of the crew and production needs of the play, participation will be confirmed during the first week of the term.
The fall play is a one-term mainstage, process-to-production experience. Students are cast by audition. The term begins by focusing on script analysis and character development and then students engage in the rehearsal process to bring the play to fruition alongside the technical theater and costuming students. Placing equal focus on the process as well as the product, students build collaboration, creative problem solving, empathy, and leadership skills as well as performance skills. Students entering this process should be highly motivated and interested in an intense and exciting experience that requires a great deal of commitment. Rehearsals are each day from 3:45pm-5:30pm. In the weeks leading up to the performances, Saturday rehearsals are added as well as late rehearsals ending at 6:30pm the week before the show, 9:00pm the week of the show, and later into the evening for the actual performances. Past shows have included Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Visit, The Laramie Project, Trap, Marian, The True Tale of Robin Hood, Radium Girls, Noses Off and Miss Holmes. Participation in the play will be confirmed following auditions.
If you are committed to Mixed Media and ready to go deeper, this class is for you. Working with materials you already know and love, you will develop a portfolio of works about a particular theme. Research into how and why artists have used layering and alternative materials in their art will support your studio practice. Prerequisites: Mixed Media and recommendation from the Visual Arts Department Head.
This course builds off your interests and success from Sculpture and provides the opportunity to improve in technique. You will deepen your understanding of a chosen process through rigor and self-direction. Exhibiting completed artworks with intention and concept is required.Prerequisites: Sculpture and recommendation from the Visual Arts Department Head.
If you are committed to drawing or painting and ready to go deeper and work more independently, this class is for you. You will develop a portfolio of works about a particular theme while practicing your technical skills. Researching the subject matter and techniques used by artists throughout history will support your studio practice. Prerequisites: Drawing + Painting and recommendation from the Visual Arts Department Head.
This course builds off the foundational skills from Ceramics and provides the opportunity to expand on hand-building and wheel-throwing practices. You will explore your point of view as a ceramicist by creating a portfolio inspired by a theme or chosen process. Research into how and why artists have and continue to use clay as a method of expression and functionality will support your studio practice. Prerequisites: Ceramics and recommendation from the Visual Arts Department Head.
This course builds off your technical skills and interests in Digital Art. You will enhance your understanding of digital art-making tools while developing your point of view as a digital artist. Researching contemporary digital practices will support your self-directed process and help you explore how to display your work on campus. Prerequisites: Digital Art and recommendation from the Visual Arts Department Head.
This course is dedicated to the exploration of how a ball of clay can lead us toward complex ideas and functional objects. Based on hand-building techniques and wheel throwing students will focus on form, structure, making mistakes, and idea development. By exploring the cultural connections of food and community and the rituals they were created for, students will build vessels and tableware for a social gathering. There will be time for students to design their paths as their skills and confidence grow to give them more control over the objects they envision.Prerequisites: 3D or by the recommendation from the Visual Arts Department Head.
How does design impact how we think, learn, and interact? In this course we will investigate these questions as we explore how graphic communication is woven into our daily lives. Students will gain insight into a range of graphic design applications such as branding and advertising, illustration, typography, information design, and editorial publication. Working primarily with Adobe Illustrator, students will develop their digital drawing and design skills while establishing a workflow between Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop.
This course spans photographic processes from the first camera to the darkroom, to the DSLR, to digital post-production Adobe Tools. As photographers, students will learn to observe light, color, and composition to better understand how to make a photograph. Reflecting, discussing, and thinking critically about the world of photography will lead to deeper ideas.Prerequisites: Visual Art Foundations or by the recommendation from the Visual Arts Department Head.