Fine Arts - Queen Anne County Public Schools

ArtScene: A Zine About the Arts Scene in QACPS

Vision | Fine Arts Education

Queen Anne’s County Public Schools, in its commitment to educating the whole child, embraces the belief that “the fine arts are among humanity’s greatest aesthetic and intellectual achievements” (Maryland Essential Learner Outcomes for Fine Arts) and need to be integrated in students’ programs throughout their education. Our vision is to increase the access, equity, and quality of arts education in Queen Anne’s County through rigorous and meaningful child-centered learning experiences.

Mission | Fine Arts Education

The Fine Arts Program (visual arts, music, theater, media arts, and dance) in Queen Anne’s County is designed to foster creative potential in each student and provide a high quality, sequential program of studies that communicates a broad range of customs, beliefs, ideas and feelings. The fine arts are the primary means of transmitting culture throughout history, influencing a broad range of discovery and 21st Century skills in various disciplines. The fine arts are an essential part of every child’s learning and cognitive development, sharpening analytical skills, encouraging abstract associations, innovative critical thinking, self-direction, perseverance, and creative problem-solving.

Visual Arts High School Scope & Sequence

Program Overview

The high school Visual Arts programs in Queen Anne’s County are designed to offer opportunities for students to learn, explore, and concentrate on visual art concepts, while developing creative problem solving and studio art skills that foster artistic behaviors at the highest levels possible. Objectives relating to aesthetics, art history, culture, and art criticism are sequenced to develop behavioral characteristics of the studio learner while embracing personal ideas and concepts. Design elements and principles will be explored through two- and three-dimensional activities, such as drawing, painting, printmaking, visual journaling, mixed-media, ceramics, and sculpture—at all levels.

Students preparing a portfolio for college admissions are offered the option of following a sequential studio track in 2-D or 3-D. This provides the opportunity for students to receive honors level fine art credits and equitable access to rigorous Advanced Placement (AP) art courses in: AP 2-D Art and Design, AP 3-D Art and Design, and AP Art History. Courses may be taken sequentially or by sampling the many visual arts course offerings in both 2-D and 3-D, even at the same time. The goal of sequencing levels is to build on prior knowledge while increasing opportunities to prepare our visual arts students to become college and career-ready.

Already have skills? Bypass Fundamentals of Art and dive right into 2-D Studio I or 3-D Studio I!

For all rising 9th graders, simply check the box to move right into a 2-D Studio Art I (drawing and painting) or 3-D Studio Art I (ceramics and sculpture) course when completing high school course selection forms. For all current 9th – 12th graders who have already taken an art course, please consult with an art teacher to determine which art course to take next within our progression. Fundamentals of Art is an “introductory art course”, not to be taken after a 2-D or 3-D Studio Art course.

Visual Arts High School Course Sequence Diagram

Performing Arts High School Scope & Sequence

Dance

The Dance programs in Queen Anne’s County are designed to provide an opportunity for students to experience intellectual, physical, emotional, and social growth through courses that include studies in the major areas of dance—technique, history, creating original dance movement, the choreographic process, aesthetic criticism, and performance. Students observe, respond, create and perform using the body as an instrument to communicate feelings, thoughts, and ideas. Dance education fosters positive student interaction and an appreciation for diverse points of view, opportunities to work collaboratively while establishing strong human bonds that transcend racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic barriers. The National Core Arts Standards are the basis for the high school dance curriculum.

Dance High School Program Course Sequence Diagram

Music

The high school Music programs in Queen Anne’s County are designed to offer a comprehensive scope and breadth of music course offerings for all student levels and interests. In a world where much importance is being attached to 21st-century skills, high school music courses are ideal settings for the development and broadening of those skills. Music classes are both rigorous and stimulating and offer students many opportunities for creative, innovative thinking that encourages problem-solving and collaboration. Students enrolled in school performance ensembles have the opportunity to participate in organizations such as All-County Ensembles, All-State music experiences, solo and ensemble festivals, and other enrichment musical activities. Courses may be taken sequentially or by sampling many of the outstanding music course offerings.

Music High School Course Sequence Diagram

Theatre

The high school Theatre programs in Queen Anne’s County are designed to develop performance and production skills, creative collaboration, and aesthetic appreciation of Theatre at the highest possible level. The process of Theatre Arts as a program of study enhances the development of creative and critical thinking skills, affords opportunities to build individual and group work ethics, and increases achievement through both individual and collective efforts. The Theatre Arts Program affords opportunities in co-curricular productions that allow for mastery and application of performance and production skills taught in Theatre courses.

Theater High School Course Sequence Diagram

National Art Honor Society

The National Art Honor Society program supports members in their efforts to attain the highest standards in art scholarship, character, and service, and to bring art education to the attention of the school and community.

Students are invited into membership based on artistic excellence, work ethic, dependability, and character. Membership is an honor bestowed upon deserving students by the visual arts faculty.

NAHS Eligibility

To be eligible for selection to membership in a Queen Anne’s County NAHS chapter, the candidate must be a high school student in grades 10 – 12 who has completed a period equivalent to one semester of art in the school. A transfer candidate must be in attendance for a period of at least one semester at the high school as well. He/she must demonstrate the qualities of scholarship, leadership, character, and service as measured by school rating sheets based on a point system developed by the high school’s National Chapter Sponsor.

Each member must maintain a 3.0 average in all Art classes. Members may remain active during such times when there is no art on their class schedule. Seniors earn their honor cords for graduation by completing a senior project. Each student must have had at least two recommendations from the art faculty. The selected students will receive an invitation to join NAHS at an official induction reception.

Leadership and Service

To remain a member in good standing, a member must pay annual dues and complete a certain number of service hours, attendance at meetings and participation in projects, activities, and fundraisers in the visual arts each year. The number of hours, meeting frequency, and projects will be determined by each school’s teacher designated as the NAHS Chapter Sponsor. To graduate with NAHS honors and earn the right to wear a NAHS honor cord, pin, or tassel at graduation, a member must remain in good standing until the graduation date.

Service is considered to be those actions undertaken by the student which are done with or on behalf of others without any direct financial or material compensation to the individual performing services. The NAHS candidate should be one who contributes to the betterment of school, classmates, and community and who exhibits a positive attitude towards service.

Character is difficult to define; however, “a candidate for membership in National Art Honor Society will demonstrate the qualities of respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and citizenship as defined by Character Counts.”

Scholarship Opportunities

There are numerous scholarship opportunities available only for NAHS members:

Columbus College of Art and Design

CCAD offers scholarships to National Art Honor Society certificate holders who submit copies of their certificates.

Certificate holders are eligible for $4,000 tuition scholarships ($1,000 per year for four years)
NAHS-related scholarships are coordinated with other financial aid

The Art Institutes

High school seniors who belong to NAHS may apply for a National Art Honor Society Scholarship. Tuition scholarships for first-, second-, and third-place awards may be applied at The Art Institutes school of recipient’s choice. Scholarship Awards include:

First place: $20,000 tuition scholarship
Second place: $10,000 scholarship
Third place: $5,000 scholarship

Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)

Fifty $4,000 – $8,000 merit-based scholarships allocated over 4 years are awarded each year to high school seniors who are members of NAHS. You must be accepted for admission to MICA in order to receive a scholarship/award

Pratt’s Charles M. Robertson Memorial Scholarship

This 4-year partial scholarship to the Pratt School of Art & Design in Brooklyn, New York, recognizes brilliance in student art achievement and artistic involvement at the high school level.

Awards

There are a variety of awards available only to NAHS members, including the following:

Rising Star Secondary Recognition Program

This program promotes art education by recognizing 50 talented, active NAHS members interested in becoming art educators.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

All students in grades 7 – 12 can submit work in 28 categories of art and writing. The awards identify teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talent and bring their remarkable work to a national audience through recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarship opportunities.