As a freshman at Elder High School, one has a choice. He can either choose to take Chorus or take Art. There are a few other options, but these are the two most chosen of the bunch, and Chorus still significantly outshines Art class in numbers year after year.
It seems that these incoming freshmen simply hate art, but I beg to differ. I believe the reason for this imbalance is because of how freshman view art. Coming from grade school where art is a required elective it seems almost childish. It’s just a class that you must get through to graduate, and chorus is less of these two evils, but the upsides to art are consistently overshadowed.
The public perception that art is only a hobby drives many potential people from finding a job in art that satisfies them more than their boring desk job. Art as a field is constantly looking for people. It is a field where most will get hired and the pay is very good . Elders’ Art department is one of the best in the city and consistently sends prospects to high level art schools. Elder Art not only builds people to succeed in an art field but also gives students the opportunity to flex their creative muscles making them ideal candidates for any job position.
Mr. Dwertman the head of the department is very adamant on creating a great artist that can not only produce in one field but thrive in many. He told me that Elder students are taught to think creatively in their Art classes. It is not about making the most striking piece but gaining the experience to be creative. This philosophy has graduated several top students such as Jeff Orozsco. who is now one of the top students at the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP program. The ideas that Elder art students are implanted with allow them to succeed wherever they end up.
Pat Kelsey is another notable Elder alum that went through the art program calling it, “One of the best experiences at Elder.” How the program is set up also is a major factor that greatly improves the success rate throughout the program. As Mr. Dwertman said, “After freshman year you can take anything on a semester basis until you get to AP.” The program allows for students to jump in and out of course that they find interesting. Art is a creative endeavor, and one must be passionate about this endeavor so the program being set up like this allows for people to find their grove. This has also allowed the program to expand easily; new classes like film creation are being added.
Mr. Sullivan is going to be teaching the new film creation class that has just recently been added. As a child, he told me, he would mess around with movie creation. Most of his projects were nothing to special but it exposed his passion for the art. He frames that most of the class is, “Coming up with the ideas behind the process.” The class is not a structured nightmare that boils the film making process down to steps but an exploration of the mind of the students creating the films. It allows certain freedoms that most other classes would hinder.
In short, the Elder Art program is one of the best programs in the school. It has fun creative classes that elevate the way a student thinks. It is constantly adding new aspects to classes that prepare and challenge students in ways they once previously thought not possible. Expanding the students mind to new possibilities and outcomes for where they could peruse their passions. If nothing more, it is just a great experience to be a part of the Elder Art community.
