Arts

VPA 101: First-Year Arts Seminar
Full-year course (1 credit)
College Prep
The First-Year Arts Seminar is designed to give students an opportunity to explore the visual and performing arts here at Kents Hill. The course is taught in multiple sections by different instructors, each focusing on a specific scope and topic. Students will be introduced to a variety of artistic media including Drawing and Painting, Ceramics, Woodworking, Music, and Theater. The course provides necessary background before students complete more specialized Arts courses. Additional course fees apply.

VPA 201: Ceramics
Full-year course (1 credit visual art)
College Prep
This course is designed to introduce students to multiple methods of creating art with clay. Students will learn the four primary methods of construction, glazing techniques, and various clay bodies. Students will also learn more advanced techniques such as mold making and slip casting, as well as wheel throwing. Projects will range from creating sculptural pieces to functional wares while giving the students creative freedom to develop their artist voices. Additional course fees apply.

VPA 221: Digital Media
Full-year course (1 credit visual art)
College Prep
This two-course series is intended for students who want to explore the ever-expanding world of commercial art, logo design, photo manipulation, and new media. Digital Media combines the principles of art and design with the digital tools of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. The basic elements of art and design such as color, composition, visual emphasis, typography and ligature, composition, line, and color are focal points in each project. In the first semester of this course, with the use of Photoshop, digital photographs are manipulated to create expressive artworks. In the second half of the course, Illustrator is used as a creative tool in order to design posters, logos, T-shirts, tri-folds, and other products. Additional course fees apply.
 

VPA 231: Drawing and Painting
Full-year course (1 credit visual art)
College Prep
The first half of this course is designed to help students develop basic drawing skills. Using various mediums including pencil, pen, and charcoal, students will learn how to see as an artist sees and through a series of drawings, will become comfortable rendering from observation. Principles such as proportion, perspective, composition, negative/positive space relationships, value, and shading are all taught through various drawing projects. Upon completion of the first half of the course, students move into painting. Additional course fees apply.

VPA 241: Photography 
Full-year course (1 credit visual art)
College Prep
This full-year course is an introduction to the art and science of taking photographs. Students will explore the history of photography and the technology artists have used over the past century to capture images on film. The class primarily focuses on the use of DSLR cameras, Adobe Photoshop, and Lightroom.  This course introduces concepts relating to studio photography and different lighting techniques. Students will work at cultivating a personal voice through their photos and effectively communicating their ideas and stories visually. Additional course fees apply. 

VPA 251: Sculptural Materials and Metalsmithing
Full-year course (1 credit visual art)
College Prep
This year-long course will introduce students to sculpture making processes and a variety of materials with an emphasis on metalsmithing.  Students will explore concepts and processes associated with: form, volume, line, space, texture, casting, and fabrication. Students will be introduced to materials and processes including; clay, cardboard, wire, and found objects.  The Metalsmithing  portion of the course will introduce students to working with metal from a fine art and jewelry perspective. Students will work with copper and silver as they learn to design functional and sculptural work. Some of the skills they will learn will include using a jeweler’s saw, soldering, riveting, sanding, the development of patinas, and stone setting.  Additional course fees apply. NEW COURSE!

VPA 261: Woodworking and Design
Full-year Course (1 credit visual art)
College Prep
This course will focus on fundamental design principles and woodworking techniques. Students will learn creative problem-solving skills through a variety of projects and construction methods. Students will be instructed on the safe and proper use of woodworking machines including the table saw, jointer, planer, band saw, chisels, and hand planes. Participants will learn how to transform sketches into technical drawings and scale models, then fabricate those ideas into finished pieces. Through slideshows, lectures, and field trips students will be introduced to the techniques and concepts of historical and contemporary furniture design. Additional course fees apply. NEW COURSE!

VPA 301: Art of Short Film
Full-year course (1 credit visual art)
College Prep
This full-year course is an investigation into the art of making short films. All aspects of filmmaking are covered including storyboarding, direction, camera usage and cinematography, editing, sound design, and post-production using Adobe Premiere software. Students create short films of different genres including suspense, action/chase, and documentary-style films. Video cameras are provided. Additional course fees apply.

VPA 311: Community Design and Build
Full-year course (1 credit visual art) 
College Prep
This course will focus on the designing and building needs of the Kents Hill and neighboring communities. Students will identify instances where design can make a positive impact on our campus or community and work together to create project proposals. We will then work as a class to create one-of-a-kind objects of value that enrich the quality of life on campus. Projects will range from garden beds to boat building, office furniture, and furniture restoration. Additional course fees apply. NEW COURSE!

VPA 501: AP Two-Dimensional Studio Art
Full-year course (1 credit visual art)
Advanced Placement
This course is intended for juniors, seniors, and Academic Gap Year students who are serious about art and are considering a major or minor in art in college. Students will prepare an art portfolio for the AP 2-D  or the Drawing Studio Art exam in May and as a supplement for their college applications. The goals of this course are to encourage creative as well as systemic investigation of formal and conceptual issues; to emphasize art as an ongoing process involving informed and critical decision- making; to develop technical skills and to familiarize students with the functions of the visual elements. Prerequisite: instructor permission. Students are required to take the AP Exam and pay the accompanying fee.
 

VPA 511: AP Three-Dimensional Studio Art
Full-year course (1 credit visual art)
Advanced Placement
This course is intended for juniors, seniors, and Academic Gap Year students who are serious about art and are considering a major or minor in art in college. Students will prepare an art portfolio for the AP 2-D, 3-D or the Drawing Studio Art exam in May and as a supplement for their college applications. The goals of this course are to encourage creative as well as systemic investigation of formal and conceptual issues; to emphasize art as an ongoing process involving informed and critical decision- making; to develop technical skills and to familiarize students with the functions of the visual elements. Prerequisite: instructor permission. Students are required to take the AP Exam and pay the accompanying fee.

VPA 202: Intro to Electric Composition 
Semester course (1/2 credit performing art): Fall 2021 and Spring 2022
College Prep
This semester-long course will focus on the fundamentals of music, notation, rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre, texture, and form. Students will take that musical knowledge and learn how to compose music in various electronic media. Using our recording studio, students will learn the nuance of recording, mixing, editing, sampling, and producing music. Students will create high-quality recordings and electronic compositions using a wide array of tools and techniques. No prior musical training is required. 

VPA 212: Intro to Guitar 
Semester course (1/2 credit performing art): Fall 2021 and Spring 2022
College Prep
Introduction to Guitar welcomes any level of guitar player. In this semester-long course, students will focus on the fundamentals of guitar, reading music notation, playing techniques, and literature. Students are not required to perform publicly as part of the course, but playing opportunities will be available within the Kents Hill community for those who would like them. No prior musical training needed. 

VPA 222: Kents Hill Orchestra
Full-year course (1 credit performing art)
College Prep
Kents Hill Orchestra is an instrumental ensemble dedicated to the study and performance of traditional symphonic music including strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion. This is a full-year course open to all students who play an instrument and would like to perform as a group and enrich their instrumental music education. We will learn and review musical notation, symbols, and terminology so as to perform our selections with technical and expressive accuracy. This group will perform extensively throughout the year and participation in concerts and other scheduled events is required. Additional course fees apply.

VPA 232: Kents Hill Singers
Full-year course (1 credit performing art)
College Prep
Kents Hill Singers is a vocal ensemble dedicated to the study and performance of vocal music from a variety of genres and styles. This is a full-year course open to all students who want to sing together as a group and enrich their choral music education. We will learn and review musical notation, symbols, and terminology so as to perform our selections with technical and expressive accuracy. Learning to sing safely and correctly will also be emphasized. This group will perform extensively throughout the year and participation in concerts and other scheduled events is required. No prior singing experience necessary. Additional course fees apply.

VPA 242: Music Theory
Semester Course (1/2 credit performing art): Fall 2021 and Spring 2022
College Prep
In this course, students will develop the fundamental skills of Music Theory. They will learn the basics of music notation (clefs, pitch, note values, and bar lines) and be introduced to the history of music composers.  We will cover basic rhythm, harmonic, and melodic concepts, and students will also learn solfeggio and how to sight read written music, basic song form, and how to actually write a song. The class will culminate in students creating original pieces of recorded music. No prior musical training is required. NEW COURSE!

VPA 252: Introduction to Theater 
Full-year course (1 Performing art credit)
College Prep
This course will teach the students the following: to use the body and voice expressively, to express character through movement and voice, to understand  the formal elements and history of drama, to develop an appreciation of theatre as an art form. Students will get a more detailed understanding of performance and acting technique than in they  currently do in rehearsal for a specific performance. The techniques covered in power point  lectures, video, and practiced in this class will cross the curriculum to music performance as well  as public speaking. Students will perform in front of their classmates, cooperate in teams to solve problems, and observe and critique one another’s work. NEW COURSE!