Personal vision, imagination and meaning enliven our Visual Arts Conservatory
The Visual Arts Conservatory program comprises the Visual Arts Conservatory and AP Studio Art courses. Each student is encouraged to find her own meaningful, personal vision and many students prepare portfolios for AP or college applications.
The Visual Art Conservatory is a community of advanced student artists working in the art studio to express their individual vision with intention and imagination in addition to technical skill. The advanced course is wired with topics in design, drawing and painting to emphasize the synergy of content and form. Where the principles of design and elements of art largely describe form, content is the stuff of the mind, heart, and spirit of the individual artist relating to the world.
Students are encouraged to explore creative mediums with curiosity and to follow their personal interests whether work in the garden or unplugged with traditional media and, or, plugged in with iPad apps, Adobe Photoshop and Integrated electronics. The group supports this process of personal investigation and experimentation through topic based inspiration prompts, ongoing discussion and formal analysis. All course work is appropriate for the senior portfolio and the AP portfolio.
The enthusiastic student interested in advanced visual arts study within the cross-disciplinary community of the Conservatory for the Arts may apply. Students participate in art exhibitions and conservatory events. Foundation Introduction to Art course, intermediate Art + Design or Drawing & Painting course, portfolio review, and permission of the teacher are required. Class meets during the extended I block, twice weekly for two hours after school.
— Cornelia Connelly, Book of Studies
It is to be noted that drawing educates the eye in all perceptible beauty and order, and that it leads to the cultivation of a habit of observation, the only habit by which knowledge generally can be obtained. Nor is it to be considered as an accomplishment, but as an Art, which has its philosophy as well as its poetry.
The September opening of the senior visual art show gave the Mayfield community a glimpse of the talent that the Class of 2020 has to offer. “The show is a beginning point, with a combination of work they have done at Mayfield that could be in their portfolio,” said AP Studio Art teacher Amy Green. “Starting things at the top of the year, they can see their history and are able to see—hopefully—at least one piece that has a spark for their investigations.”
Mayfield artists pushed outside the familiar gates of Bellefontaine this spring, taking a bold step to put their art “out there” before critics, adjudicators and the public. The results are worthy of a standing ovation:
Beneath the black cape a screaming, mean old Witch is a student overcame stage fright. The musicians tucked in the orchestra pit had never experienced the rigor of playing for a live stage production. Those three massive moveable trees on stage? Our technical theatre students started building them back in January, pneumatic staplers in hand.
Established in 1931, Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, CA is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for young women grades 9-12. Noted for its rigorous academic program, which includes 21 Advanced Placement and Honors courses, Mayfield’s curriculum is underscored by a philosophy of educating the “whole child,” which also encourages commitment to and excellence in the arts, athletics, community service and spiritual growth. The nurturing environment at Mayfield Senior School allows each student to flourish in an atmosphere of personal attention.