A Look Inside Our New Studio Art Intensive
This year, a select group of ninth graders are participating in IMS’s first-ever studio art academic class on ceramics. In this course, students study the fundamentals and various artistic styles of ceramics which they then translate into their own works. Unlike our other studio art classes, this course meets four times per week and students receive a letter grade comparable to their other academic courses such as math, history, and science. This challenges our young artists to truly master the techniques they are being taught in order to meet the requirements and expectations of the course.
I really appreciate this class because it’s helped me explore subjects I never thought I’d be able to in middle school. I feel like I finally have the time and ability to take my art seriously thanks to this new course.
The first major project of this year-long course required our ninth graders to construct and decorate vases using Mishima. Mishima is a Japanese slip decorating technique that involves carving intricate patterns into clay and filling them with contrasting colored slips or glaze. In viewing the students’ end-of-term projects, it was clear that their imaginations had no limit and they drew inspiration from all forms of life including city skylines, ocean waves, and even grazing cows.
The presentation of their completed vases not only showcased the talent of our young artists, but the compassion and respect they have cultivated for one another over the last few months. Students expressed the thrill of seeing their classmates’ creative visions come to life during their final critiques. Mr. Visockis, our ninth grade studio art instructor and Art Department Chair, also commended our young artists for exceeding the expectations of the course through their creativity and dedication to their craft.
This class has been such a great opportunity for our students. It places a level of importance on their art that we haven’t felt before, and allows them to pursue their passions more seriously with the extra time allotted each week.
As a new addition to our ninth grade program, this course, along with the other studio art intensive being taught this year, has furthered the high school level opportunities our students receive here at IMS. We are excited to see what other works of art our ninth graders will construct throughout the next two terms. Courses such as these are made possible through the generous support of our community and we strive to continue pushing our young artists to reach their full potential.
