Visual Art

We seek to promote an appreciation of New Zealand and international art through the study of a wide range of artist models, genres and movements throughout students’ time in our department.

We begin our courses with an emphasis on the fundamental skills of drawing, painting and design. We achieve this by providing a broad range of challenging and enjoyable activities, all within a safe and positive environment, offering students the opportunity to explore, analyse, generate, shape and critically communicate their ideas creatively. All students are encouraged to bring their own identities into the classroom in order to produce work that is reflective of themselves and our diverse community.

Years 9-11 Visual Art provides a wide range of mediums and styles for students to explore whilst NCEA Levels 2 and 3 see students specialising in either Painting or Art Design.

Aims

• • To develop a practical knowledge of forms, processes, techniques, media, technologies, elements and principles
  • To develop students’ conceptual and critical thinking within a range of practices across drawing, design, painting and printmaking
  • To develop ideas in the arts, where students learn to initiate, develop, refine and resolve ideas
  • To communicate and interpret ideas in the context of the visual arts
  • To understand the arts in social, cultural, past and present contexts