News

Visual Arts Shine

October 5th, 2020

Since the spring of 2020, Landmark School has made countless adaptations to our program, facilities, and approach to accommodate extra health and safety measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers are innovating like never before but staying true to the roots of the Landmark method. Not surprisingly, the High School Visual Arts department has been particularly creative in setting up their workspaces to be as engaging as possible for students who are attending school in-person, remotely, or in hybrid mode (some days on campus, others at home). 

Co-Department Heads Kara Healey and Beth Jamieson developed new systems utilizing new tools and technology in the art room and by converting the gallery space to an electronic media lab to engage students no matter where or how they are attending school. 

Traditionally, the department uses shared materials, however, this year, all studio art students received individual art kits furnished with supplies as well as portfolios filled with various papers and surfaces and drawing boards. At the start of the year, students were coached through the process of setting up a portable home studio and how to position their document camera so that teachers can view their working space in order to give real-time feedback and encourage productivity throughout the entire studio class period. 

Jamieson said, "Inside of the classroom, various monitors and cameras have been positioned so that remote students can see multiple angles of the class and feel like they are participating in the classroom environment—even when they are working from the comfort of home. We set up projectors and demonstration cameras so that teachers can model techniques and give students an up-close view of the lesson and a sample project." 

In the digital media lab in the gallery, Healey and Jamieson set up two keyboards and mice for each computer station in order to ensure that all materials can be sanitized between classes, and each student is given an individual mousepad to store in their class binder. Digital art students are using various programs and apps in order to create work in Digital Photography and Graphic Design classes. 

No one can predict what will come in the months ahead, but we know that Landmark's High School Visual Arts Department will be ready.