studio art - woodworking - ceramics - photography - sculpture

VISUAL ARTS

LOWER SCHOOL

Instruction in the arts is woven into the daily curriculum at Lower School. Students experiment with a variety of art forms to uncover their interests and talents while developing their creative skills.

Beginning in Junior Kindergarten, students are given hands-on experience with the artistic process through design and creation. Student's creative muscles are flexed to allow them to think creatively and experience the process of innovation.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

The visual arts offerings in middle school include inspiring courses such as 2D Art, Woodworking, Ceramics, Digital Photography, Robotics and more. Students are challenged creatively while they explore new artistic mediums and develop critical thinking skills as they work on projects in Parker's state-of-the-art studio facilities.

Exhibits of student sculpture, paintings, photos, video, and drawings are presented on campus in the James Alan Rose Art Gallery.

UPPER SCHOOL

The range of visual arts courses in the Upper School include ceramics, sculpture (bronze and stone), woodworking, video, photography, drawing, painting and digital design. Courses give students the experience of producing original works of art from concept to completion. Formal elements and principles of design are introduced and emphasized with an appreciation of a diverse global artistic heritage. Students are encouraged to create personal works of art appropriate for their skill level in Parker's state-of-the-art studio facilities.

STUDIO ART

Studio art encompasses work done with paint, ink, charcoal, pencil, and other forms of 2D Media. Students in the lower school all participate in art classes, and will be exposed to a variety of creative outlets. The Middle School offers Studio Art as an elective, and focuses on expanding students' creativity through a variety of mediums and projects. The Upper School offers both regular Studio Art and AP Studio Art.

"Elephant Man." by Gale Bruell '19

"Painted Lady." by Jacqueline Ghosh '19

"Ophelia." by Isaac Gray 17'

WOOD WORKING

Woodworking at Parker is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to correctly perform woodworking operations using hand and power tools and woodworking equipment. Instructional emphasis is placed on the safe and proper operation of equipment found in the woodshop. Students are introduced to the care of woodworking equipment, selection of materials, understanding woodworking processes, and the importance of design. The successful completion of introductory projects will lead to more challenging endeavors such as furniture construction.

Clock by Sujan Nadipati '19

Illuminated Wood Sculpture by Trevor Palmer '14

Bowl by Max Guinn '19

CERAMICS

Ceramics explores technical and conceptual three-dimensional art skills through manipulation of clay, the ceramic process, and mixed media. The course guides students through research, planning, production and critique. Students investigate art from various cultural, social and historical backgrounds, and are introduced to the contemporary world of 3D art.

Moon Jars by Nicole McDermott '19

Ceramic Sculpture by Cameron Engh '20

Spring Arts Night 2019

PHOTOGRAPHY

Parker photography provides an introduction to the technical, aesthetic, and cultural aspects of photography. Students will learn the basics of camera operation as well as photographic composition, lighting and exposure. Black and white film processing and printing are done in Parker’s darkroom. Black and white photography is the primer for visual communication: including cinema, video, graphic design and digital photography.

"Once Upon a Time" by Nicki Astor '21

by Megan Pai '18

by Alex Tchang '19

SCULPTURE

Sculpture emphasizes hands-on construction using the creative process. Students focus on a balance between the exploration of materials, development of technical skills, and content building. In Middle School, students work with an array of materials such as wire, wax, plaster, recyclables, photographs, fabric and fibers, paper mache, small metals and more. Projects may include jewelry making, sewing, fabric design, assemblage, carving, modeling, and other types of sculpture practices. High School students have opportunity to work with large metal and stone carving projects. Parker also has one of the few art studios in the U.S. that practice lost-wax metal casting.