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Visual & Performing Arts

The Visual and Performing Arts Department offers students opportunities for self-awareness, self expression, self exploration, and artistic growth in a safe environment that promotes both skill development and personal character. Students explore, discover, and develop their innate artistic abilities while gaining an enhanced understanding of the interrelatedness of the world around them. The arts do not stand alone, but are an aspect and expression of the core values of any culture or discipline. While studying the arts at New Hampton School, students augment their understanding of all the other academic disciplines they are studying.

Visual Arts students experience significant self-exploration through our photography, graphic design, and multi-leveled studio art offerings. Students learn the universal elements and principles of visual expression, develop technical and conceptual skills, and gain confidence through strategically structured assignments. All courses reflect a discipline-based art education involving critique, production, art history, and aesthetics.

In the Performing Arts, our wide range of classes and co-curricular activities in dance, theater, technical stagecraft, music, and recording provide students with a solid foundation of basic skills. This foundation provides students with the discipline to become confident performing artists with their own voice.

Students wishing to continue their arts education at the college level gain the necessary solid foundation as well as knowledge and understanding of advanced skills in their chosen area.
  • Animation with the Walt Disney Family Museum

    New Hampton School offers this course in partnership with The Walt Disney Family Museum. The WDFM Distance Learning Initiative supports us in wishing to promote student creativity and observational skills through the study and practice of the screen arts. In consultation with the New Hampton arts faculty, this WDFM course presents focused, detailed assignments and teaching aids as well as guidance and expertise from professionals representing various aspects of the discipline. Technical course work stresses the basic elements of animation and the physics of motion. Other content includes action analysis and animating a scene, character design, storyboarding, and the visual elements of creating environments. 
  • Intro to Recording Techniques

    Introduction to Recording Techniques introduces students to the theory of and practices in digital audio. This course will explore the history of audio, modern recording techniques, and will expose our students to the powerful digital audio workstation (DAW), LOGIC PRO X. Students will develop the skills to serve as an engineer on their own music recordings.  This class will culminate in a final recording completely recorded, mixed, and mastered by the students.
  • Voice Lab

    Voice lab is designed for anyone who loves to sing! Tis class provides you with the opportunity to develop your style of singing while using proper technique. Student collaboration is encouraged and original works can be developed. You will learn how to interpret written music, and may have the opportunity to sing in larger ensembles of-campus.
  • 2D Design

    This course introduces students to the elements of design.  Line, shape, texture, color, and value are emphasized in this class through direct observation and exploration. Students use different dry media such as pencil, charcoal, conte crayon, marker, and colored pencils.
  • Acting

    This course for all interested students provides an exploration of a basic acting philosophy.  Instruction is augmented by acting and improvisation exercises; scenes and monologues; and a final scene that allows the student to apply the various strategies learned throughout the course.
  • Ceramics

    This course is an introduction to ceramic arts. Project work begins with a focus on the elementary processes of hand building through pinch pots, and coil and slab construction and would progress to wheel throwing. Projects will focus on both functional and sculptural ceramics, while drawing on historical and contemporary trends. Students will look at ceramics throughout history, from its early functionality to its modern aesthetics. Students will learn about glaze mixing and application techniques as well as various firing processes.
  • Contemporary Performance Lab

    CPE is a high-level ensemble. Students involved in this ensemble must have some experience on the piano, guitar, bass, drums or other approved instrument. An appointment with the instructor to demonstrate skill level is required. This ensemble will concentrate on contemporary pop music while infusing Jazz, R/B, Blues, Folk and other musical genres. This is a performance-based class that will offer many opportunities to perform on and off campus.
  • Design for Communications: Digital Media

    Design is about answering human needs and desires with creative and responsible products and services. In this 2-D digital design class, students will explore the notion of good design, the role of design in global cultural development, and the responsibility of the graphic designer in an ever-changing society. Through hands-on studio projects, students will learn about form, color, typography, and image to create purposeful design for communication. Sample projects include a personal logo, protest posters, package design, magazine layout, and other pieces of graphic design. They will learn page layout and image manipulation software (Adobe Creative Suite) in a dedicated Macintosh computer lab.
  • Environmental Art

    Students explore the outdoors and use of the environment as their palette. Experimentation and group work are emphasized along with discussion and sketchbook use. Work includes stone, wood, snow, flowers, water and twigs. Sketchbook journals are kept so that an ongoing visual dialogue encourages and enhances creative development in each artist. Books and videos of the artist Andrew Goldsworthy provide inspiration and motivation.
  • Exploration of Music

    This course is designed for any student at NHS to get an opportunity to explore an interest in music. Students will receive beginning instruction in Piano, Guitar and Theory. They will also spend a significant amount of time getting acquainted with the history of classical music and the history of rock music. Students will develop analytical listening skills and will develop the vocabulary to thoughtfully dis- cuss their opinions in regards to music.
  • Film Studies

    The course will explore the art of filmmaking and will introduce you to the basics of film production, narrative, style, editing, performance, sound, theory, and analysis. The course will cover a wide variety of film genres and important filmmakers. It will introduce a variety of films from the silent era of the 1910s–20s and the golden age of Hollywood in the 1930s–50s, up to the present, including some films in foreign languages with English subtitles.
  • IB Visual Arts 1

    Through a highly personal engagement in the subject, students gain visual and contextual knowledge of art from various cultures and pursue quality through experimentation and purposeful creative work in various expressive media. The course enables students to learn about themselves and others through individual and, where appropriate, collaborative engagement with the visual arts. Prerequisites: 2D Design and enrollment in the IB Diploma Programme or IB Diploma Programme Course.
  • IB Visual Arts HL 2

    Through a highly personal engagement in the subject, students gain visual and contextual knowledge of art from various cultures and pursue quality through experimentation and purposeful creative work in various expressive media. The course enables students to learn about themselves and others through individual and, where appropriate, collaborative engagement with the visual arts. Prerequisites: 2D Design and enrollment in the IB Diploma Programme or IB Diploma Programme Course.
  • IB Visual Arts SL 1

    Through the highly personal engagement in the subject, students gain visual and contextual knowledge of art from various cultures and pursue quality through experimentation and purposeful creative work in various expressive media. The course enables students to learn about themselves and others through individual and, where appropriate, collaborative engagement with the visual arts. Prerequisites: 2D Design and enrollment in the IB Diploma Programme or IB Diploma Programme Course.
  • IB Visual Arts SL 2

    Through a highly personal engagement in the subject, students gain visual and contextual knowledge of art from various cultures and pursue quality through experimentation and purposeful creative work in various expressive media. The course enables students to learn about themselves and others through indlvidual and, where appropriate, collaborative engagement with the visual arts. Prerequisites: 2D Design and enrollment in the IB Diploma Programme or IB Diploma Programme Course.
  • Improvisation

    Through a series of games, exercises, and activities, this course provides an introduction to the art of improvisation. This course is open to all students and allows them to develop skills that help them to think of their feet. Students learn how to think positively and productively tell stories to an audience without the benefit of a script. There will be a variety of opportunities to display these skills to the greater school community.
  • Installation Art

    This course fuses several different art mediums, including drawing, sculpture, upcycling, environmental art, video, and more, into a group project focused class. Students explore the history of installation art, from its roots in the Dadaist work of Marcel Duchamp and Kurt Schwitters, to the 70’s “happenings” of Allan Kaprow, to the diverse array of contemporary artists and collectives working today. The process will most closely resemble the modern approach of installation collectives, wherein the class will conceive site specific installation projects to be built gradually over the course of several weeks with a focus on technical skill and conceptual foundation. 
  • Media Productions: Film

    Students in this course will produce short films and publish them on the Internet. Although an interest in media, film, acting, computers, or television is encouraged, it is not required. The goal of this course is to enable students to create original and compelling content with peers, learn the visual language of film, and brainstorm novel solutions to real-world problems.
  • Media Productions: Live Broadcast

    Students in this course will produce a live, weekly television program broadcast over the Internet. Although an interest in media, film, acting, computers or television is encouraged, it is not required. After a training phase students pitch, write, shoot/record, edit, and publish weekly content focusing on NHS events and announcements, local and regional news, and editorials. The goal of this course is to enable students to create original and compelling content with peers, deliver that content on a deadline, and brainstorm novel solutions to real-world problems. These skills, separate from the medium of television, are important parts of a 21st-century education.
  • Painting and Printmaking

    This course introduces skills associated with wet media and color. Students will learn painting skills using acrylics and watercolor paints. Students will learn printmaking techniques associated with the monotype, monoprint, gelatin print, print collage, and the painterly print. Students keep sketchbok journals to facilitate and enhance their creative development. Student will be actively involved in the creative process. Prerequisite: 2D Design.
  • Photography

    In Photography students learn the principles and elements of design, how to maximize the potential of the camera for personal expression, and fine printmaking.  Film students use the traditional, wet darkroom; digital students learn a digital workflow using Adobe Photoshop.
  • Public Speaking

    Open to all interested students, this course offers techniques and practice in several areas of public speaking. Areas covered include informative speaking, persuasive speaking, protest speeches, special occasions speeches, debate, and extemporaneous speaking.
  • Upcycling

    This course is designed to challenge the innovator. What can you make out of trash or recycling materials? What potential do you see in the old chair or stool at your house? Can you design something new by using something old? Can you give it new life or new purpose? Is it marketable? This course aims at connecting students to relevant economic, social, and political issues. Students will engage with real world issues to gain optimism, compassion, and empathy for individuals and communities that differ from those we know. Students will use analytical thinking and social skills to be creative and to communicate effectively through artistic expression and service. This course will increase awareness of our relationship and responsibility to global sustainability.
  • Voice Lab/ Recording Technology

    Voice Lab is designed for anyone who loves to sing! This class provides you with the opportunity to develop your style of singing while using proper technique. Student collaboration is encouraged and original works can be developed. You will learn how to interpret written music, and may have the opportunity to sing in larger ensembles off-campus.

Faculty

  • Photo of Amy Wilson
    Amy Wilson
    Arts Department Chair
    603-677-3513
    University of Maine
    Bio
  • Photo of Matthew Cahoon
    Matthew Cahoon
    Theatre Director, Arts Faculty
    Bio
  • Photo of Kyrie Ellison-Keller
    Kyrie Ellison-Keller
    Assistant Director of Theater, Academic Support Program Faculty
    Bio
  • Photo of Kyle Masterson
    Kyle Masterson
    Arts Faculty
    603-677-3514
    Plymouth State University - BS
    New England Conservatory - MM
    Bio
  • Photo of Julie Pereira
    Julie Pereira
    Arts Faculty
    603-677-3542
    Kyoto Seika University - MFA / PhD
    Rhode Island School of Design - BFA
  • Photo of Charles Smith
    Charles Smith
    Arts Faculty
    603-677-3541
    Skidmore College - BS
    Bio
  • Photo of Douglas Thompson
    Douglas Thompson
    Arts Faculty
    Bio
70 Main Street, New Hampton, NH 03256 603-677-3400 admission@newhampton.org
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