Andover’s Art Department offers a range of electives designed to engage students in both technical and conceptual aspects of visual arts. From traditional mediums like drawing and painting to cutting-edge digital arts, students can find courses that not only help them develop artistic skills but also encourage critical thinking, cultural exploration, and personal expression.
Art 310: Digital Photography I: Appreciating Light, Color, and Time
Evie Lagrandeur ’26 in an email to The Phillipian:
“We have regular readings and reflections about the history, technology, and philosophy of photography. For this class, I hope to get comfortable using features on the camera other than program and automatic. I know logistically what the features are and when to use them, but I realized today while taking photos that I have no experience using this knowledge in practice. I’ve never taken a course like this before, so I joined this one since I’m a 2-year Upper and need to take art classes still. All the art electives looked fun, but I chose Digital Photography specifically because I’ve never done anything like it before. I don’t even use one of those little digital cameras everyone seems to have… The teachers are very kind and understanding, so it’s not anything you can’t handle. I’ve heard it gets better though as the term goes on, so I’m excited to get that momentum going and start putting what I’ve learned into practice.”
Art 302: Clay and the Ancestral Pot
Chloe Kasule-Wallace ’26:
“Clay takes a really long time and requires a lot of patience. You can’t expect things to work out perfectly on the first try. You have to plan each step carefully. I’ve learned that you can’t rush the project, you have to let certain parts dry before making adjustments. Overall, it’s taught me to be more patient as an artist, and that’s a skill I’ll take with me when working in other mediums… I definitely want to take another ceramics class, even after just a week. There’s still so much to learn, and ceramics is such an interesting form of art. We’ve been learning about artists like Roberto Lugo and Magdalene Odundo, and I find their perspectives on art really inspiring. There’s a lot more for me to explore in ceramics, and that’s the beauty of it, you can create endless things with clay.”
Art 314: Art and Activism
Kwadjo Adjepong ’27 in an email to The Phillipian:
“I took [the class] last spring; it was so fun and interesting. In it, we learned about how art ties into activism and the diverse ways art can be interpreted. I hadn’t taken anything like it before, but because of our lesson on guerilla gardening, I’ve been inspired to start a garden with my family over the summer and replace the produce we buy at the grocery store.”
Art 309: Video I
Ashiq Kibria ’26:
“Overall I enjoy the class. The teacher, Mrs. [Junko] Pink[owski], explains to us how to use Adobe Premiere Pro. Currently, the project we are doing is a Matchcut video, in which we cut together different clips and create transitions which work well.”
Art 505: Advanced Drawing, Painting, and Mixed Media
Renee Silva, Instructor in Art:
“In [the class], the second half of the term is an independent project, and that’s really great because everyone writes a proposal and basically comes up with a series of work around a topic. And then there’s also an element of research to it, which is sort of similar to how professional artists work. So they’re getting real-life experience in the field. Then we also publish them into zines, which are small, handmade magazines. So they get to publish their work and distribute them, and everyone is always really excited. It’s a unique experience.”
