Mr. Minarik’s Art Syllabus

Text:

ArtTalk

Course Description:

Art can be broken into four major areas of study: 1) art history in that the great artists of the past and the present are introduced along with studio projects, 2) art criticism in that students participate in the analysis of art products, 3) Aesthetics in that the students learn to be sensitive to the beauty of art and 4) art production which is emphasized to provide the motivation for involvement in the visual arts. The visual arts provide an avenue for everyone to learn creatively (divergent thinking and problem solving), attitudinally (task commitment), and in general, to be a more intellectual human being that can take advantage of the life yet to come.

Course Schedule:

The course is designed to be a journey through the world of visual arts by examining each of the seven elements of art over the seven and a half week session. The students will be using a wide range of art media as they progress through the quarter. These include drawing, painting, sculpture, and printmaking.  

Art Goals:

Goal 1 – The student will creatively use and describe the elements and principals of art through studio work provided in class.

Goal 2 – The student will develop skills in the use of various tools and media.

Goal 3 – The student will develop critical and aesthetic skills through the analysis of artwork created by themselves and by master artists of the past and the present.

Goal 4 – The student will explore the role that visual arts have for them and use such insight to decide on further course work.

Goal 5 – The student will identify significant works in the arts and how they reflect societies, cultures, and civilizations past and present.

Art Requirements:

For every class, students are required to have: a pencil and an eraser.  

There will be a minimum of handouts for this class. Students will be responsible for recording, in their art notebook, all the information presented in the class. The creation of an art notebook will be the first project of this class. Staying up to date with the information presented in class is essential to doing well in this class.

I believe the first step to ensuring academic success for every student is creating a positive and productive classroom atmosphere. To achieve this, the following expectations are in place in the art classroom:

1. Art students are expected to be respectful of themselves, their classmates, Mr. Minarik, our materials, and George Washington Middle School’s rules.
2. Art students are expected to be prepared for class everyday with class work, class materials, and a positive attitude.
3. Art students are expected to be punctual by being on time to class and turning in all assignments on time.
4. Art students are expected to be willing to take risks in class by actively participating in class discussion, creating works of art and keeping an open mind for different types of art and new cultures.
5. Art students are expected to be responsible for their own success in class by doing all work and taking the initiative to ask for help.

Art Resources:

google.com

The Art Institute of Chicago – www.artic.edu

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago – www.mcachicago.org

A guide to museums with websites designed to be entertaining and educational for students - www.artcyclopedia.com

Worldwide art resources – www.wwar.com

The Vincent Van Gogh Museum – www.vangoghgallery.com

Featuring famous artists who have shaped the history of art - www.allfamousartists.com

Pablo Picasso Museum – www.museupicasso.bcn.es/eng/index_eng.htm

Gallery 37 - Center for The Arts www.egov.cityofchicago/gallery37center

Grading Policy:

Quizzes – 10%

Homework – 10%

Class Work - 40%

Completed Projects – 40%

Project Evaluation Sheet:

Minarik Art Rubric