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Visual Arts

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Understanding Visual Arts

Students in Visual Arts find joy in the process of creating art through experimentation, improvisation, skill-building and refinement. Students of all ages are encouraged to find their own voices while simultaneously seeing their work in relationship to contemporary art and art history. Visual communication and an understanding of the elements and principles of design are a cornerstone. Students can expect to see and think about the world in a new way through their study in the visual arts.

Our young artists work with different materials to investigate various concepts, using artforms including:

  • Clay
  • Painting
  • Drawing
  • Printmaking
  • Photography

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  • Lower School Artists

    Art is an integral part of our development of the whole child, beginning with the art education incorporated in the three-year-old program and building their observation skills and technique as they progress.  

    Students are encouraged to keep their own sketch book and draw frequently.
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    • Learning from experts

Learning From Experts

Our Lower School art students are inspired by visiting artists from the Bakehouse Art Complex in Wynwood who help students make unique pieces. Previous visiting artists include:

  • Sculptor and illustrator Mike Rivamonte
  • Russian photographer Irina Lawton
  • Venezuelan artist Xavier Luján
  • Sculptor Augusto Esquivel
  • Fashion designer Andrea Spiridonakos
  • Painter Jason Aponte

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  • Art in Middle School

    The three elective courses we offer in visual arts allow students to explore materials and techniques in detail. Students in all our courses use sophisticated art materials and tools and are exposed to art history.  

    We explore both two-dimensional and three-dimensional work.
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Upper School Photography

The program offers introductory and intermediate courses where students develop an understanding of camera exposure, composition, lens choice and usage of both natural light and artificial light.   


Students in digital photography learn image editing techniques using Photoshop.
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Studio Arts
for Upper School

In these art courses, students explore and implement:
  • Proper use of shading techniques
  • Perspective
  • Composition
  • Color theory

After establishing a foundation, students can apply for Advanced Placement (AP) Studio Art, which is a year-long, rigorous course designed to build a portfolio of artwork for college credit.
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Upper School Ceramics & Sculpture

The ceramics classes offer functional and decorative projects that develop students’ hand-building skills in a clay medium and expose students to the potter’s wheel.

Our sculpture course explores all three main forms of the sculptural process in detail:

  • Molding
  • Carving
  • Sculptural assemblage
    • Ceramics

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MCDS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, age, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by Federal, State, or local laws.
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