All visual arts programs in Baltimore County
are based on five standards, aligned with and
adapted from the National Standards for Visual
Arts and the Maryland State Standards for Visual
Arts. The Baltimore County standards for art
education are: Standard
1: The student will
demonstrate the ability to perceive,
interpret, and respond to ideas,
experiences, and the environment
through visual art. Standard
2: The
student
will demonstrate
an understanding
of visual
art as
a basic
aspect
of history
and human
experience. Standard
3: The
student
will demonstrate
the ability
to organize
knowledge
and ideas
for expression
in the
production
of art. Standard
4: The
student
will demonstrate
the ability
to identify,
analyze,
and apply
criteria
for making
visual
aesthetic
judgments. Standard
5: The
student
will demonstrate
productive
artistic
behaviors
and habits
of mind.
There are twelve
emphasis areas in all programs. These are introduced
to students at levels appropriate to their developmental
stage and become increasingly complex as students
enter the upper grades:
working from observation
working from memory, imagination,
and observation
understanding design, style,
and meaning of art
understanding that art expresses
ideas and feelings
understanding the purposes
of art, how art reflects society, and the factors
that influence art
understanding style and context
making interdisciplinary connections
working with media
problem solving through design
applying processes for idea
development
identifying and generating
criteria
valuing one’s own and
the work of others.
Comprehensive
Fine Arts Program (PreKindergarten-grade 12)
The Comprehensive Fine Arts Program is the general
visual arts program taught in all Baltimore County
schools. It provides a sequential program of
art education, PreKindergarten through grade
12, that builds a foundation for developing the
knowledge, skills, and processes for visual literacy
and creative expression. Students study the art
and cultures of different times and places, learn
processes of visual problem solving and critiquing
artwork, work with traditional and non-traditional
art media, and express ideas in the production
of their own art.
The sequence of study in the PreK-grade 12 Comprehensive
Fine Arts Program includes:
Elementary Art,
PreK-grade 5
Middle School Art.
grades 6-8
High School Course
sequence:
-
Fundamentals of Art (fine arts graduation requirement),
Fundamentals
of Art GT
-
Fine Arts, Fine Arts GT
-
Studio I, Studio I GT/AP
-
Studio II, Studio II GT/AP
(This
is the comprehensive fine arts sequence –
students may
also select an elective program sequence concurrent
to the fine
arts sequence if their schedule allows. For descriptions
of art
elective sequences, see high school elective
programs
below
Gifted and Talented Art Program
The Gifted and Talented art program is a secondary program that
is available in all secondary comprehensive and magnet schools
for students who exhibit a strong interest and high level of
achievement in art. Eligibility for the program is determined
by a nomination process (by parent, elementary and secondary
art teachers, self-nomination by the student) and submission
of a portfolio of required art works.
Students in the GT art program are provided differentiated instruction
in general art and magnet art classes. Students are required
to maintain sketchbooks and a portfolio of work. Art experiences
are designed to provide greater depth and rigor, develop and
refine observational drawing skills, broaden experiences and
develop mastery with a variety of media, solve challenging problems
of visual composition, and expand creative thinking. As students
move into high school, emphasis is placed on practicing productive
artistic behaviors requiring students to become increasingly
articulate in talking about their work and independent in pursuing
and expressing visual ideas with depth and mastery. Portfolio
expectations are based on three criteria adopted from the Advanced
Placement Studio Art program: quality (originality
of ideas and concepts presented, visual impact, use of media), concentration (ability
to focus on an idea or concept and explore several ways to present
the idea or concept), and breadth (willingness
to explore new media).
At the upper levels of high school courses, gifted and talented
program expectations merge with the Advanced Placement program
criteria of quality, concentration, and breadth. Students wishing
to pursue advanced placement credit at a selected college have
the option of submitting their portfolio to the College Board
for review and scoring.
The intensity and rigor required to maintain
sketchbooks and a portfolio has limitations at
the elementary level; therefore, there is no
formal elementary GT art program. High achieving
elementary art students are provided differentiated
experiences in their general art classes and
may be provided additional art experiences in
after school workshops or studio pull-out classes
where scheduled. Students who wish to do so are
encouraged to keep sketchbooks and samples of
their best works.
During 5th grade, art teachers
begin nomination procedures of students who have
demonstrated consistent high achievement and accelerated
skill development. Students complete a diagnostic
drawing which is forwarded to the receiving middle
school along with teacher nominations. These forms
are used to inform receiving art teachers to include
the incoming students in the middle school GT nomination
and portfolio preparation process in the fall of
the next year.
Magnet
Art Programs Magnet programs in visual
arts are offered in five middle schools
and two high schools. The magnet
art programs are intended for students
who wish to pursue the visual arts
in greater depth through a more sustained
schedule of study. Based on the same
standards as the comprehensive fine
arts program, magnet programs provide
students opportunities to explore
in greater depth traditional media
in the areas of drawing, painting,
sculpture, ceramics, printmaking,
and new media of photography-digital
imaging, digital graphics, and multimedia.
Students are guided in developing
a portfolio of work, keeping sketchbooks,
practicing the skills of articulating
their art processes, and evaluating
their progress. At the high school
level, magnet art students continue
to expand their portfolios as they
create more sophisticated visual
images and develop greater mastery
and advanced proficiencies in all
media.
Middle
schools offering visual arts magnet
programs:
-
Sudbrook Magnet Middle
-
Deer Park Magnet Middle
-
Southwest Academy
-
Loch Raven Academy
-
Parkville Magnet Middle and School
of Technology
High schools offering
visual arts magnet programs
-
Carver Center for Arts and Technology
-
Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts
High
School Elective Programs and Elective Courses
Upon completion
of Fundamentals of Art, the prerequisite course
for all upper level comprehensive art courses,
or Foundations of Art, the prerequisite course
for all upper level magnet courses, students
may choose to continue in the comprehensive fine
arts or magnet program sequence. For students
who wish to concentrate on specific media and
who have time in their schedule to add other
art courses, the following elective art programs
are available.
- Photography-Digital
Imaging: This four course program
begins with experiences in traditional photography
in the entry level courses. Students learn
the basic processes and techniques of photography
which include elements of the 35mm and digital
camera, design and composition, and film
processing. At the upper levels, students
expand and refine skills with both analog
and digital photography while exploring the
purposes of photography, pursuing self-generated
visual design problems, and developing a
portfolio of work.
- Art Intermedia –
Digital Arts Career Completer: This
four course program is designed for the student
who is interested in pursuing a career in graphic
design, multimedia design and visual communication.
It is intended to develop skills that will enable
students to enter the workforce upon graduation
from high school and/or enter a two-year or four
year institution of higher learning. Students
work with both traditional and digital media,
gradually working toward the development of both
a print and electronic portfolio at the upper
levels. Students become skilled in using a variety
of electronic equipment including computers and
graphic software applications: Adobe Photoshop®,
Adobe Illustrator®, Multimedia Director®,
Multimedia Dreamweaver®, Adobe GoLive®.
- Design in Clay
I and II: This two course elective
is open to all students in comprehensive
schools. It’s focus is on three-dimensional
design with clay media. Students study past
and contemporary functional and non-functional
clay forms. Knowledge gained from the study
of these forms is used in the creation of
their personal clay designs.
Interdisciplinary
and Enrichment Programs
Developing Language and Literacy Through the
Arts I (DLLA I)
Developing Language and Literacy Through the
Arts II (DLLAII)
Developing Language and Literacy Through the
Arts III (DLLA III)
Developing
Language and Literacy Through the
Arts I (DLLA I) and Developing Language
and Literacy Through the Arts II
(DLLA II) are interdisciplinary art
programs available at the elementary
level for prekindergarten and kindergarten.
Developed as a partnership with staff
from The Baltimore Museum of Art,
Baltimore County classroom teachers,
and art teachers, DLLA I and DLLA
II are resources for classroom teachers
designed to expand children’s
communication skills by actively
engaging them in discussions about
art. Selected artworks from The BMA’s
collection are the centerpiece of
units that incorporate strategies
to foster language development. Art
teachers work with the classroom
teacher to further the study of these
artworks through hands-on experiences
with a variety of media.
A third
level of this program, Developing
Language and Literacy Through the
Arts III (DLLA III), a collaboration
with the Walters Art Museum, is under
development.
Prekindergarten
Enrichment Program:The
Prekindergarten Enrichment Program is offered
to students in Title I schools. Students
in these schools meet once a month with an
art specialist to explore art concepts and
media. Learning from units studied in DLLA
I and DLLA II are reinforced with hands-on
experiences with media.
Summer
Art Enrichment Program: The
Baltimore County Summer Art Enrichment Program
provides opportunities for students in grades
3-12 to build their personal art skills and
add to their art portfolios during the summer.
This two-week, highly intensive program offers
a choice of courses to meet the varied needs
and interests of the student. Whether a student
is seeking to improve his or her art skills
or is preparing a portfolio for application
to the G/T or magnet art programs, entrance
to a college program or preparation for an
Advanced Placement portfolio, his or her
needs can be met.
Students work in a sustained studio
environment for approximately 5 hours. Studio experiences
vary from day to day but generally include group
interaction, individual exploration and experimentation
with selected media, instruction in the use of
art elements/principles, and introduction to art
history,criticism and aesthetics. Ongoing critiques
or discussions of works in progress are conducted
regularly to give students opportunities to apply
the language of art in making critical judgments.
Students in all programs participate in at least
one field trip during the two week session. During
Thursday evening of the second week, an Open
House/Exhibit Reception is held to give students,
parents, and teachers an opportunity to share
in the experience and see the art products created
over the two week period.
Limited transportation is available for this
program based on enrollment patterns. This is
a tuition-based program that covers all art materials,
transportation, and consultant fees.
Scholarships are available to students who meet
criteria of need.
