Art & Idea
Designed for senior students interested in pursuing art in college, "Art and Idea" is a conceptually intense class that allows students to explore the motivations behind contemporary art-making in the company of fellow artists. Daily class time is reserved for discussion and critique, while all artmaking assignments are completed outside of class. In addition to 15 “making” assignments, students tackle 5 writing assignments and read passages from Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland.
Sample Assignments
Good Art/Bad Art
Bring in an example of what you deem to be “very good” art and “very bad” art, both of which should be created by you. Classmates will try and guess which is which.
Classmate Portrait
Interviewing a classmate and create a 12x12 portrait that captures their spirit and includes both symbolic and literal elements.
Classmate Portrait
Interviewing a classmate and create a 12x12 portrait that captures their spirit and includes both symbolic and literal elements.
I Am an Artist
Write a full page of text that begins and ends with the phrase “I Am an Artist.” The body content is up to you.
Art for Profit
Develop and create artwork for purchase. Market and sell your work with the intent of earning the highest profit possible. You will be evaluated based on total earnings, rather than quality of work.
Vulnerable Portrait
Push yourself to the edge of your growth zone to create an honest and open portrait of yourself.
Art Every Day
Create a new 8x8 piece of artwork, every single day for the duration of the class. Each piece can be created as a standalone or as part of a cohesive collection.
Parental Collaboration
Working with your parents or parental figures (either locally or at a distance) find a way you can collaborate on a project that you would all consider to be art.
Art Every Day
Create a new 8x8 piece of artwork, every single day for the duration of the class. Each piece can be created as a standalone or as part of a cohesive collection.
Parental Collaboration
Working with your parents or parental figures (either locally or at a distance) find a way you can collaborate on a project that you would all consider to be art.
The process of working hard and stretching yourself is what allows you to break through...
"From the first day I will treat you all as young artists ready to explore and discover what motivates you personally to be creative and what holds you back from being exceptional.
As an artist, you can sometimes fall into a hole where you feel like you can’t make anything, and they only way to get out is to keep on making and making and making until you pull yourself out. The process of working hard and stretching yourself is what allows you to break through, and that's what I try to make clear through this class."
— Tom Evans, Visual Art Teacher
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.