About

The Arts

The Arts at Athenian

In today’s rapidly changing world, the development of creativity and imagination has become more imperative than ever. The Athenian Art Department instills confidence and conviction in your artistic abilities and rewards students who are willing to take risks, make mistakes and try again. Athenian celebrates creative expression and promotes an objective appreciation for the processes of making art. You will be able to explore favorite or new art forms, developing skills, a critical approach, and eventually a portfolio of serious work.


The Athenian Art Department is a place where you can learn the language of sound, movement, shape, and form to express yourself creatively and emotionally. In every class you will learn to communicate in your medium while also exploring and developing your own unique voice. Art is a place where you can safely create new ideas and workshop them, responding to the world around you to create meaning. The Arts at Athenian supports the future doctor, engineer, and artist with a strong background in creative thinking, experimentation, and critique.

Curriculum Summary

Our Middle School Arts program features visual arts, band, and chorus, and theatrical performances.  All sixth grade students take visual art and a music course, while seventh and eight grade students choose between music and visual arts. Theatrical performances take place in classes, on Middle School Focus Days, and with a performance of West Side Story that includes all eighth grade students.  The arts are a vital part of the Middle School experience.
 
In the Upper School, we offer an array of visual and performing arts classes. The performing arts disciplines include band, choir, dance, drama, film and theater tech. Visual arts disciplines include architecture, ceramics, digital art, drawing, film, painting, photography and sculpture. We have both breadth and depth with numerous arts disciplines and advanced courses in each area. You will be introduced to all that a medium has to offer in the introductory class before moving on to in-depth personal work in the advanced courses. To graduate, students must take two years of art, including one yearlong UC-approved art course. Students can also take additional arts classes depending on their interest, schedules and course availability.

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  • Self-Expression, Risk-Taking, and Social Justice Through the Arts

Upper School Arts Offerings

Visual Arts: 2D Art, 3D Art, Architecture, Digital Art, Photography, Advanced Architecture, Advanced Art, Advanced Photography, Architecture Theory, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Ceramics, Sculpture, Environmental Art, Advanced Art- Portfolio Development, Humanitas, The Art and Science of Making, Yearbook
 
Theater and Film: Dramatic Arts, Advanced Drama, Filmmaking, Advanced Filmmaking, Documentary Filmmaking, Screenwriting, Fall Play, Winter Musical, Spring Improv Troupe, Theater Production Crew, Technical Theater Production

Music: Small Ensembles, Concert Band, Advanced Music Ensemble, Choir, Advanced Choir, Songwriting

Dance: Contemporary Dance, Choreography, Musical Theater, Dance History, Pedagogy, and Master Classes 

  • Arnav G. ‘20

    Photography has helped me shape who I am and how I perceive the world. Working with my teachers has allowed me to constantly try to view the world from multiple perspectives and have a deeper understanding of the world around me.

  • Harry Q. '22

    I came to Athenian without knowing anything about dance or theater. However, after I "spontaneously" joined these classes they became some of my favorite times in a day. Dancing helped me understand movement and gesture, while working with classmates in the theater to produce something great has been one of the most unforgettable experiences I had at Athenian.

  • Izzy M. '19

    I came to Athenian’s art program with hundreds of ideas ranging all mediums of visual art, but with very little technical knowledge, or access to diverse supplies. Athenian’s art instructors provided me with extraordinary support and guidance in all of my projects, and I was able to learn a large variety in mediums, including glass carving, soldering, and printmaking. At Athenian, I began to develop an understanding of what makes compelling art, and because my teachers trusted me, I learned to trust my intuition and curiosity.

  • Matthew Y. '20

    The filmmaking program has allowed me to further explore my interest in filmmaking. I have not only learned the importance of camera angles, storytelling, and filming equipment, he also the importance of communication, vision, and perseverance. The skills that I have acquired from filmmaking also seeped into other aspects of my life. For example, I have become a better storyteller and it has helped me to entertain my friends. I am able to turn a dull moment in my life into something magical and entertaining that I can share with my friends.

  • Rosalie K. '19

    Last year, when I first started singing for the advanced ensemble, it was a jazz combo, and I became fascinated with the beauty and complexity of the genre and with the influence it has had on our society and on all modern music.

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