Visual Arts
Drawing (half credit)
This course will guide students in their
increased response to and coherent
translation to paper of the visual qualities
of the perceived world. Students
will learn and practice the basic elements
of visual experience, including
light, edge, mass, texture, and space.
We will draw from a variety of sources,
including the figure, head, still life,
landscape, and interior, with a variety
of wet and dry media. We will also
work on the direct development of the
expressive and structural elements of
drawings in their own right. The course
will further assist students in discovering
and exploring themes and images
of personal significance with command
and clarity. Each student will keep a
personal sketchbook to record observations
from his/her own daily life, and
will submit weekly assignments that
follow from class discussions. We will
study the work of notable artists and
visit the collection of drawings at a
major museum. The class will engage in
frequent discussions about the work of
all participants (critiques), with an aim
to share experiences, define successful
elements of a drawing, and encourage
individual efforts.
Advanced Drawing
(half credit)
This course will guide students in the
interpretative and expressive development
of the student’s own approach
and vision in drawing. The course
will assist students in discovering and
exploring themes and images of
personal significance and in responding
to the visible world with greater command
and clarity. The primary goal of
this course is to enhance development
of a student’s personal approach to his/
her subjects and techniques. Students
are encouraged to explore new areas
of interest, new media and new
approaches, and to extend basic skills
already gained in prior study. A major
objective is to encourage interpretation
and discussion of one’s own work,
the work of other students, and the
work of the many artists we study. We
will draw from a variety of observed
sources, including the figure, head,
still-life, landscape, and interior, with a
variety of wet and dry media. We will
also work on the direct development
of the expressive and structural elements
of drawings in their own right.
Students will keep a personal sketchbook
to record observations from their
own daily lives, and will submit weekly
assignments which follow from class
discussions. Students will also pursue a
single theme through a large number
of extended studies and variations in
approach. Prerequisite: Drawing or
permission of the instructor.
Painting (half credit)
This course will focus on the understanding
and control of color and on
the expressive application of acrylic, oil,
and watercolor paint from observed and
invented sources. The class will guide
students in responding to and translating
visual qualities and color contrasts,
and in using color to suggest light, edge,
mass, texture, and space. We will paint
from a variety of sources, including the
figure, head, still life, landscape, and
interior, and with a variety of color
media. We will also develop expressive
and structural elements of painting
and explore themes and images of personal
significance. We will study many
relevant precedents for student work
through the paintings of acknowledged
masters through slides and reproductions
of their work, and through a visit
to a museum collection. The class will engage in frequent discussions aiming
to share experiences, define successful
elements of design, composition, materials
and color and encourage individual
efforts. Students will be expected to create
a cohesive body of work related to a
specific theme by the end of the semester.
Prerequisite: Drawing.
Advanced Painting
(half credit)
This course, intended for students
with a strong foundation in drawing,
allows them to pursue ideas of
color and painted form with emphasis
on the head, figure, and landscape.
Fundamentals of painting are stressed
and students are encouraged, through
specific projects, to develop a “painterly
vocabulary” of color, light, and form.
Concepts of abstraction and representation
are addressed as students increase
their visual awareness and understanding
in relation to their own painting.
The course culminates in large-scale
paintings and projects of sustained
personal interest. Students articulate
their ideas through frequent presentations,
group discussions and critiques.
Prerequisite: Advanced Drawing, Painting,
or permission of the instructor.
Printmaking
(half credit)
This course will guide the creation of
interpretative and expressive artwork
in major forms of printmaking incorporating
a student’s own approach
and vision with power and presence.
Students will explore intaglio (etching,
drypoint, aquatint, and mezzotint),
relief (wood and linoleum cut, letterpress),
and planographic (monotype,
lithography) printmaking techniques.
The course will assist students in discovering,
exploring and developing
themes and images of personal significance
through prints, and to delve into
personal, unorthodox, and idiosyncratic
approaches to established techniques
(involving combinations of technique,
photographic or transfer processes,
color printing). Students will examine various ways a matrix (block, plate) can
be printed, changed, and developed.
Emphasis in the class will be on exploring
printmaking as a varied and potent
medium, on the unique power of
multiple states in the conscious development
of an image, and the achievement
of technical skill in the service
of expressive ends. Students will look
extensively at the history of printmaking
as both fine art and as social vector.
Students will keep a sketchbook for
notes, observations, and imaginings.
Further emphasis in the class will be on
the variety and options for the presentation
of prints, and on the continuity
of imagery and unique forms of expression
that printmaking offers. Students in
Advanced Printmaking will further
explore techniques and approaches in
intaglio, lithography, and relief print-
making through sustained individual
projects. Prerequisite for Printmaking:
Drawing or Advanced Drawing at
Putney or two classes of Printmaking
evening activity. Prerequisite for
Advanced Printmaking: Printmaking
academic class.
Sculpture
(half credit)
This course guides students in exploring
the skills and techniques of sculpture
using various materials and approaches.
Students will learn the processes of
modeling, carving, and welding using
clay, wax, plaster, wood, stone and
metal. Drawings and three-dimensional
models will be used to create designs for
sculpture. Students will be expected to
complete sculptures in various media.
Understanding the history and integrity
of the material are emphasized as
students create their work. One of the
exercises of this class is sculpting the
figure from a model. Realism, abstraction,
and symbolism are explored as
ways of translating ideas into sculptural
form. Reading and written work, slide
presentations, discussions, field trips, and
critiques integrate the work of other
sculptors with the student’s studio work.
Prerequisite: none.
Advanced Sculpture
(half credit)
This course, intended for students with
previous sculpting experience, allows
them to delve into sculptural materials
of their preference to create a cohesive
series of sculptures or one or two
larger single works. Students will be
encouraged to experiment, but also
to develop mastery of their chosen
sculptural techniques. Students learn to
articulate thoughts and goals for their
own work through reading and written
reflection, presentations, discussions, and
critiques. The class will study the work
of past and contemporary sculptors.
Prerequisite: Sculpture or permission
of the instructor.
Ceramics
(half credit)
The Ceramics class is designed to
expose students at all levels of experience
to the wide array of techniques
that are possible for the means of
expression with clay. Students are
expected to develop good craftsmanship
and pay attention to detail. Innovation
and experimentation are highly encouraged.
Students move through increasingly
complex techniques in both hand
building and wheel work. Along with
different construction methods, students
are introduced to a variety of surface
decoration possibilities such as texturing,
carving, painting with slips and stains
and colored clay. Form, design and proportion
are explored as well as function.
Students fire their work in a gas reduction
kiln and in the spring and fall may
have the opportunity to do raku and
pit firings. Studio work is augmented
with relevant books, magazines, videos,
field trips to local studios and galleries.
Advanced Ceramics is offered to students
who have completed two trimesters
of the Ceramics academic course
and want to deepen their exploration of
clay with greater challenges.
Fiber Arts (half credit)
This is a studio art course, using textiles
to explore structure, function, color and design. In group and individual projects,
students will learn about a wide range of
techniques, leading to the development
of an idea into a finished product. The
primary focus is on weaving, but felting,
basketry, fabric dyeing, sewing and quilting
may be covered. Advanced Fiber
Arts is offered to students with previous
experience working with textiles. The
focus of the course will be independent
projects in the students’ areas of interest
including weaving on four-and eight-
harness floor looms, exploring color
through dyeing cellulose and animal
fibers, paper making, knitting by hand
and machine and clothing design and
construction. Prerequisite for Advanced
Fiber Arts: two trimesters of Fiber Arts
or permission of the instructor.
Photography
(half credit)
This course examines photography as
a visual language. Students are guided
through assignments that will broaden
their perception of the visual world and
help them to acquire new vocabulary
in design. Students will explore basic
elements of the camera, composition,
light, narrative, series building and editing.
They will learn how to process
their own negatives and print traditional
black and white photographs.
Assignments are given with presentations
that introduce students to the
history of photography. Alternative
printing processes will also be covered,
including collage printing, multi-media,
toning and hand coloring. The students
will use manual 35 mm cameras.
The school has cameras to lend but it
is always helpful if a student has their
own. Students will need to purchase
their own paper and film. The cost
averages between $40-$80. Supplies
can be purchased online or through the
school store.
Advanced Photography
(half credit)
This course builds upon the foundations
provided in our basic photography class.
Students in this class create portfolios of images. Each portfolio has its own
concrete focus and offers the student the
opportunity to do in depth exploration
of a genre or alternative photographic
technique. Examples of genres include
portraiture, still life, existing light and
documentary photography. Alternative
techniques include infrared film, large
format cameras, pinhole photography,
and digital. Emphasis is put on building
a strong group of images through
thought-ful editing of work and careful
consideration of compositional features.
Prerequisite for Advanced Photography:
One trimester of Photography or permission
of the instructor. Students will
need to purchase their own paper and
film. The cost averages between $40$
80. Supplies can be purchased online or
through the school store.
Digital Filmmaking (full
credit)
This course examines the use of digital
video through its narrative, animated
and documentary forms. Students
produce short films to broaden their
perception of the visual and aural
world as they acquire a cinematic
vocabulary for visual storytelling.
Students will explore elements of
composition, screenwriting, camera,
sound recording, animation and digital
editing using Final Cut Express4
as they create short films, animated
shorts, music videos and a documentary
film. Works by historical, contemporary
and foreign cinematic artists
will be viewed throughout the course.
History and Language of Art
(half credit, offered
alternate years)
We will look at painting, drawing,
printmaking, and sculpture in Europe
and the United States (with tangents to
the art of other cultures) from the Early
Renaissance to the present. The course
will take a thematic rather than chronological
approach, examining how a single
subject or idea has been approached by a
variety of artists, revealing the fundamental
stylistic differences, characteristics, and attitudes of each period. We will learn
to read the language of art to see how its
elements combine to speak eloquently
and clearly over time and beyond nationality
(as well as offering insight into a
particular time and place). Students in
the class will discuss and write extensively
about the art they see, will visit museums
and artists’ studios, and will explore vast
web-based and CD-ROM collections of
images. The course will include a studio
component to complement our investigations
into the history and language of
art. This course meets the requirement
for a senior humanities credit. It does not
fulfill the arts requirement.
A Survey of Contemporary
American Art Since 1945 (half
credit, offered alternate years)
Postwar American art from Abstract
Expressionism to the present will
expose students to diverse major movements
in contemporary art, design and
architecture. We will examine early
influences starting in Germany during
W.W.II including Bauhaus artists
and those who fled Germany for
America. Major American artists will
be discussed at length including; Jackson
Pollock, Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner,
Franz Kline, Joseph Albers, Louis Kahn,
Frank Ghery, Claes Oldenburg, Jasper
Johns, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman,
Jeff Koons, Matthew Barney, Pat Steir,
Louise Bourgeois, Eric Fishl, Sally Mann,
Joel Shapiro, Elizabeth Murray, Ciao
Fonseca. We will look at the social and
cultural transformations rooted in mass
media technologies such as: television,
video, photography and the internet.
Students will examine elevated consumer
commodities to the status of legitimate
art subjects, as in installation and pop
art. Students will analyze the sometimes
contradictory, formal, ideological and
political conditions during this period
that made American art predominant
throughout the world. We will visit
New York City and see major exhibitions
in museums and galleries and visit
contemporary artists today at work
in their studios in Manhattan. Books
will include Edward Lucie-Smith’s
Art Since 1945 and Robert Hughes,
Shock of the New. Films will include
“Pollock,” “Basquiat,” “Picasso,”
“Art City; Making It In Manhattan,”
“Artists Talk on Art,” “Louise
Bourgeois, Her Art and Life.” This
course meets the requirement for a
senior humanities credit. It does not
fulfill the arts requirement.
Visual arts in the Evening
Arts Program include: Animation,
Blacksmithing, Ceramics, Diplomas,
Painting, Figure Drawing, Jewelry,
Knitting, Origami, Photography,
Printmaking, Sculpture, Sewing,
Spinning, Stained Glass, Weaving and
Woodworking
Music
Music Theory (full credit)
This course serves as an introduction to
the theoretical understanding and artistic
creation of music. In the first trimester
we will cover the basics of music notation
and analysis within the Western tradition,
focusing on the written and aural
comprehension of pitch and rhythm.
Additional areas of study will include
phrase structure, melody and basic harmony.
The course is mostly technology
based, with theoretical rudiments
introduced through the program Practica
Musica. Musical notation is learned both
in manuscript form and electronically
through the computer notation program
Sibelius. The second trimester begins
with the basics of four-part writing and
rules of voice leading. Students will
encounter this material both from the
analytical and compositional approaches.
Advanced melody writing techniques,
advanced harmonies (seventh chords,
secondary harmonies, augmented sixth
chords, ninth chords) and the basics of
orchestration will also be covered. Basics
of atonality, serialism, minimalism, aleotoric
(chance) music and other modern
techniques will also be introduced. No
prerequisite, though some musical background
is very helpful.
Music Composition
(half credit)
This course explores the creation and
notation of musical ideas for acoustic
and/or electronic media. The course
is designed to be a natural progression
from Music Theory and continues the
process of learning to create and notate
musical gestures and ideas. The structure
of the course will be flexible to suit the
strengths and desires of the individual
student, but will always include at least
one composition for acoustic instruments
and one for electronic media.
Prerequisite: Music Theory or equivalent
with permission of the instructor.
Music Intensive (half credit)
This course is designed for advanced
musicians who would benefit from a
focused and individualized setting in
which to develop their skills. The program
and emphasis of the course will
be determined by the student with the
guidance of the instructor, but is subject
to approval by the private lesson
instructor where appropriate. Students
must establish and adhere to a weekly
schedule of at least three hours per
week of practice time (in addition to
class time and private lessons). Three
short performances (such as performance
of a song in school assembly) and a
longer final lecture/demonstration are
required. Admission to the class is by
permission of the instructor. Students
enrolled in private music lessons get
priority.
Jazz Basics (half credit)
This course is designed to introduce
students to the essential skills required
to play jazz. Jazz is a complex musical
language that emerges from the study
and application of simple rules involving
melody, harmony, and rhythm.
Once familiar with these basic concepts,
students will learn how to improvise
based on the melody of a song. They
will then advance through the study
of chord tone soloing, using chromatic
approach notes and applying various
rhythms, to gain insight into how a simple melody can turn into a richly
compelling improvisation. Techniques
covered include listening skills, chord
progressions, comping, scales, modes
and arpeggios, applying scales and
arpeggios to chord progressions, pacing
of a solo, chord tone soloing, various
rhythmic styles and “feels” commonly
used in jazz, and the interaction of soloist
and rhythm section. Course is open
to all at the advanced beginner level and
above; interested students must demonstrate
basic ability on their instrument in
an informal audition with the teacher.
Chamber Music (half credit)
This academic class is open to advanced
instrumentalists, primarily string, woodwind
and keyboard players. The course
has two primary aims: first, to provide
intensive coached rehearsal of chamber
music leading to improved individual
and collaborative playing skills, as demonstrated
in performances; and second,
to become familiar with the forms,
historical periods and genres of western
chamber music through readings and
listening to representative examples.
Time will also be dedicated to developing
efficient practice skills and to
the formation of strategies to manage
performance anxiety or “stage fright”.
When students in this class are also
working on college audition repertoire,
class time may be used to work on this
music through group coaching and
mock auditions. Prerequisite is an informal
audition. All participants (except
pianists and percussionists) are expected
to take part in Chamber Orchestra on
some level.
Chamber Orchestra (full credit)
Open to all players of orchestral instruments
from the advanced beginner level
and up, including members of the greater
Putney community. This ensemble
is dedicated to music for string, chamber,
and full orchestra (including works
with chorus) from many different genres
and historic time periods. Students are
often featured as soloists. Prerequisite:
basic ability on a string, wind, brass, or percussion instrument; the desire
to share and experience music making
This course is a full year commitment
and will meet three late afternoons and
Wednesday evening. For other options,
see Chamber Orchestra in the Evening
Arts Program section.
Music in the Evening Arts
Program includes: African
Drumming, Band Jam, Music
Appreciation, Music Practice,
Music Production and Recording,
Songwriting, as well as the Music
Ensembles: Chamber Orchestra,
Chorus, Jazz Combo, Jazz Ensemble,
and for advanced music students,
Madrigals (see pages 27-31 for full
descriptions).
Support for Music Program
Although these next two entries do not receive academic credit, they are listed here to note support that students have in pursuing their musical lives here at The Putney School.
Afternoon Practice
With the permission of the music faculty and the director of afternoon activities, students may sign up for Afternoon Practice during afternoon activity time in up to two of the three trimesters in Putney's schedule.
Private Music Lessons
Private music lessons in a wide variety
of instruments are offered on campus.
Payment for lessons is normally
made through the students’ accounts.
Scholarships are available to students
receiving financial aid for tuition.
In order for lessons to be scheduled,
students and parents must sign the
Music Lesson Agreement form, which
explains the financial and scheduling
terms of music lessons at The Putney
School. Music lessons may be taken for
academic credit. (See Music Intensive
course above).
Theater
Elements of Theater
(full credit)
All aspects of theater are studied in this
class. Students present work for review,
discussions, and critique. In the first
semester, students work on monologues
and improvisations and then move on
to scene study. They explore a range
of acting styles and performance skills
while preparing their work. Students
write scenes and short plays that are
presented and critiqued during class
meetings. They also direct each other
in scenes from plays they have selected.
Outside rehearsals, readings, and written
papers are required for this course.
History of Theatrical
Performance (full credit)
This class concentrates on the history
of acting from the Greeks through
Shakespeare, Molière, Ibsen, Chekhov,
Brecht, Beckett, and other writers
from the twentieth century. Through
scene study and play analysis students
will develop and apply the necessary
skills to perform a particular style or
period of drama, within a cultural and
historical context. Written assignments
are required as well as extensive scene
study. Performances for the wider school
community are encouraged. This course
meets the requirement for a Senior
Humanities credit as well as an Arts
credit. Prerequisite: Elements of Theater
or permission from the theater director.
Theater Intensive (half credit)
This course is designed for advanced
students interested in pursuing an aspect
of theater. Students may choose to
direct, perform or write a play. The
emphasis is determined by the student
before enrollment and approved by
the theater director. A presentation
of the work is required at the end of
the semester. Prerequisite: History of
Theatrical Performance and/or permission
from the theater director.
Theater in the Evening Arts
Program. One play in the fall and
a musical in the spring are produced as
part of the evening program (see page
28 for a full description).
Dance
Modern Dance (full credit)
Through the study of technique, choreography
and improvisation, this course
will provide students with the opportunity
to explore the continuously evolving
art form known as modern dance.
First focusing on experiential anatomy
as it relates to the human body as an
articulate instrument of expression, students
will learn to “listen” to the innate
intelligence of their bodies, align their
structures, see and sense their wholeness
while simultaneously tending to their
various parts. Their capacity as dancers
to move and be moved, tuned and
ready to receive the moment will be
heightened and strengthened. The class
will then observe the history of modern
dance by drawing from the various
techniques and styles of past generations.
Students will continue to delve
more deeply into their own creative
voices, choreographing, collaborating
and culminating in performance. To
further enhance the understanding of
modern dance, studio class time is supported
by journaling, reading, viewing
DVDs and going to live performances.
Students who have taken level 1 and
wish to continue may register for
Modern Dance II, III, and IV. For these
returning students, an independent path
of study that both relates to the overall
focus of the class and the curiosity of the
individual student will be collaboratively
developed by the student and teacher.
The Dance Program offers both
Dunham-Style Jazz and Contemporary
Ballet during Afternoon Activities (see
page 24 for full descriptions) and Afro-
Modern, Dance Ensemble, Hip Hop,
and Latin Dance as part of the Evening
Arts Program.
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