Program Description
The NHS Art Department offers an open studio environment that holds “creativity as king” and teaching methods and concepts of technical art making. Students that work in this open studio are encouraged to mentor and learn from each other. Because art is a visual media, the mere presence of students making art side by side in the same space almost daily allows students to see works develop into fine pieces of individual art. Social interaction around the subject of art is applauded and fostered.
Our philosophy runs deep in the belief that creative and technical knowledge must run side by side to develop a successful, confident, and competent artist. Students are exposed to the historical evolution of art, emphasizing the appreciation of art and how it was made. This knowledge of art appreciation is often explored in their works of art. Students are called upon to “make art” promptly by taking risks and always focusing on creativity, craftsmanship, basic art concepts, and truthful self-evaluation. We hope students will carry the art-making process as a “lifetime sport.”
Our course offerings are changing significantly for the 2010- 2011 school year, enabling students to choose from ten elective courses after completing Art II. This goes along with our philosophy of media concentration and a student’s ability to explore concepts in greater depth.
NHS Art student art is recognized yearly for excellence in All-State Art Festival and The Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards, as well as high scores on AP Studio Art Portfolios. Students have also been accepted to art schools and departments like RISD, Massachusetts College of Art, Emerson College, Art Institute of Boston, Syracuse University, Umass Dartmouth, and NYU.
Faculty Bios
Erin Feeney joined the NHS Art Department in the fall of 2014, where she instructs several Art I classes as well as ceramics and digital photography. Feeney graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design with two bachelor’s degrees in Art Education ans Sculpture. She is currently working towards a master’s in Education at Framingham State University. Feeney brings a high level of enthusiasm and energy to the classroom each day, where her students are encouraged and motivated in the areas of self reflection, big picture thinking and personal discovery as well as being pushed to think and problem solve both critically and creatively.
Nathan Nottingham joined the Art Department in 2010. Nottingham has received both is Bachelors and Masters degrees in Art Education from Syracuse University, where he studied a variety of media and art history. As a practicing artist, Nottingham continues to expand his own repertoire of skills and encourages his students to do the same through a multitude of projects designed to both work with new materials and build understanding of their surroundings and self through the production of art.
Jennifer Greenberg joined the NHS faculty in the fall of 2012, where she instructs students in visual art and digital photography. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the College of the Holy Cross and a Master of Education in Teacher of Visual Art from Lesley University. Jennifer comes to us after teaching a variety of visual arts courses at the high school level, leading environmental and experiential learning expeditions for urban middle and secondary students and working in art and advertising in the business realm.
