The Masconomet Art Department has gained a national reputation for outstanding achievement through the accomplishments of its students and faculty. We take pride in our solid program, which not only emphasizes the making of art and the solving of complex visual problems, but also encourages the ability to verbalize about art. The art program is open to all students, regardless of level of ability and experience.

 *** Beginning with the Class of 2026, students will also need to earn 5 credits in Visual and/or Performing Arts.*** 

The yearlong Art Studio courses offered provide a sequential program of experiences, culminating in Advanced Placement 2D Art and Design, which will enable the future artist and/or designer to pursue post-secondary education in art or to continue making quality art as an avocation. In Grade 9, we highly recommend scheduling ART STUDIO I for any student who enjoys having art in their daily schedule and is interested in taking art throughout high school. Art Studio I students are exposed to a wide variety of media and a range of art experiences that provides a strong foundation to build upon. Another introductory option that is available for 9th graders is Art Explorations, which is a semester art course that covers the same core concepts (drawing, color theory, 2-D design, 3-D design) as in Art Studio I but with a shorter time commitment (overall fewer projects and less variety of media than is covered in the full year course). This is an option for some students who are interested in or are curious about art but may find it difficult to commit to the yearlong Art Studio I course. 

In addition, a wide selection of semester-long art courses are available for those students who would like to explore various aspects of art in greater depth. These include Photography I*, Photography II*, Photography III, Photography IV, Photography and Social Media*, New Media Arts*, Graphic Design, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture (available in school year 2026-2027), Innovative Product Design, Architecture I, Architecture II, Ceramics, Fashion Design, Woodworking I*, Woodworking II*, and Woodworking III. There are two additional yearlong courses available, Media Communications/Yearbook, a desktop publishing course, and A.P. Art History (available in school year 2025-2026 and offered for Social Studies elective credit). Priority in enrollment will be given to twelfth, eleventh, tenth, then ninth grade students in classes which are over-enrolled. (*Semester courses that are available to Grade 9 students.)

Occasionally, we request that students purchase limited amounts of supplies. This is done, for the most part, so that students can continue to work on projects at home. The types of supplies requested are generally limited to tools and materials that will be used more than once, such as pencils, erasers, adhesives, X-Acto knives, sketchbooks, etc.

New Media Arts students and Photography and Social Media students will be provided a digital camera and iPad as needed to complete course assignments. Photography I, II, III, and IV students will be provided a 35 mm, single lens reflex (SLR), manually operated camera as needed to complete assignments in those courses. Additionally, students are also welcome to bring in appropriate cameras of their own to work with as well. Photo II, III, and IV students may work chemically or digitally and should have access to the appropriate camera(s).

HOMEWORK - There is homework for College Prep art classes, but it is highly variable depending on the nature of the in-class project and the efficiency of each student. Honors level can expect to have approximately 2–3 hours of homework each week.

 

SEQUENCE OF ART COURSES

Students are encouraged to begin their art studies with our sequential program. The Art Studio courses offer experiences with a wide range of materials and processes. This establishes a strong foundation to build upon for the next year while also providing an opportunity to discover new abilities and areas of interest. Students in the Art Studio sequential program will have the option of electing courses for either college-prep or honors credit. Students electing honors credit will be responsible for completing one major additional independent art project during each quarter. Participation in Honors is an opportunity for students to gain additional experience and strengthen their portfolio.

COLLEGE PREP

Art Studio I (CP)

Art Studio II (CP)

Art Studio III (CP)

Art A.P. (AP)

HONORS

 

 

All AP 2D Art and Design students are urged to be enrolled in another art class in the fall semester of their senior year, particularly if they are planning to pursue art or design in college. This additional experience provides an opportunity to create quality pieces that will add to the depth and breadth of the student's portfolio.  A new course as of last year, New Media Arts, focuses on the creation of a variety of types of artwork that utilize electronic media and technology. Taking this course will enrich students' art and technology skills as well as their knowledge and ability to build and maintain their portfolio. Additionally, students interested in furthering their studies in Architecture or any other design discipline (ie: Graphic Design, Fashion Design, Industrial Design) are strongly encouraged to take as many art courses as possible to create a strong portfolio of work, which is needed for college applications. As previously stated, enrollment in the foundation Art Studio courses is highly encouraged. We also strongly recommend the semester-long drawing course for any student interested in art, because drawing is fundamentally important to all visual art pursuits. Please speak with any member of the art faculty for additional course recommendations.