For Northwood’s 9th and 10th graders, Intro to Arts is a required class covering visual arts and music over two semesters. 9th grade is currently in the visual arts semester of the course, while the 10th graders are split between art and music for the first semester.
Ingrid Van Slyke, who teaches all of Northwood’s visual art classes, discussed why the Intro to Arts class was formed last year. “Intro to Arts started because we found that many of the students who needed an art credit were seniors/PGs or juniors, and they had such full schedules that it made it difficult for them to get into an art class. They enjoyed art, but it was very hard to schedule them. We figured that if we get students an art class early, they don’t have to be stressing about the art credits they needed by the time they’re ready to graduate.”
The art class has evolved since its start last year due to the increased number of 9th and 10th graders this year. “The classes are much bigger this year, which is tricky to work with, but we try to give everyone the chance to explore and be exposed to different forms of art that they might like.” Currently, the 10th grade class has covered painting and printmaking, with drawing slated for the next unit.
