East’s art department offers a variety of electives, including studio art, graphic design, comic and animation, sculpture, photography, AP Art History, and AP Studio Art. In each class, students can experiment with different mediums, techniques, and softwares, with East’s incredible art teachers - Mrs. Duli, Mr. Niedziejko, and Ms. Bellucci - to help them along the way. Mrs. Duli writes, “the art courses at East are designed for any student in high school. We realize that each student is unique and wants an environment that is friendly, safe and educational. While each art class will teach techniques and problem-solving skills, I think my favorite part is to see students in different grades getting to know each other and be inspired by the art!”

Additionally, while taking their second year of art classes, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to join the National Art Honors Society; this allows students to participate in fun, art-related activities and interact with others who share similar interests. Although the event did not occur in 2020, NAHS usually organizes the Coffee House in December of each school year. The Coffee House gives students the opportunity to showcase their art as East’s talented performers play live music. While the pandemic affected this event, NAHS has continued to organize activities that students can safely participate in, either virtually or in-person.

The rigor and homework levels for each class - which are included below, along with statements from both students and teachers - are based on student responses.

Studio Art

“I love the studio art program because we get to work with a lot of different mediums - pencils, charcoal, watercolor, acrylic and oil. It is also wonderful to see a student try something new and then light up when they understand the materials.” - Mrs. Duli

“Portfolio Development is an upper level class for students who really love art and/or going to college for art.” - Mr. Niedziejko

Rigor: 2.5/10

Homework Level: None

When asked what she enjoys most about this class, East junior Claire Chen says “the projects and freedom to choose your subjects while applying the techniques we're learning,” and “the independence during class when you can work on your project at your own pace, but Mrs. Duli will always help if you ask.” “Overall, there's a lot of freedom for you to discover your art and improve on it with the class. It's a relaxing atmosphere and a good class to take to unwind but also produce work you are proud of and can enjoy. It's a good learning experience and provides you with different art perspectives and techniques that expand your art knowledge and skill. The art skills I've learned in this class will definitely stay with me when I continue to do art (even just for fun) in the future. The different perspectives I've learned to view while creating projects is extremely applicable to all fields of life.” - Claire Chen

“The thing that I enjoyed most about this class is the creativity that it allows you to express with the prompts. I would recommend this class because it is very helpful in teaching how to do certain artistic skills. The class really allows you to improve on your skills and how to paint/draw people and the world. It has greatly improved my artistic abilities as well as my views towards art.” - Austin Edmunds

Photography

“I love our photography courses! I think photography is relatable to so many people because of the number of images we are exposed to on a daily basis. People are either taking part in creating photos or looking at them. Our program mixes the current tools, like iPhones, digital SLR cameras, and Photoshop with the earlier tools, such as 35 mm film photography and darkroom printing, which gives students the opportunity to explore different creative practices. Photography is not only a way to exercise creative thinking, self-expression, and problem solving, but it is fun too!” - Ms. Bellucci

“Do you like to take pictures? Do you want to learn how to take better pictures? Then Photo 1 is the class for you. Students will learn how to use a darkroom to print photos, in and outs of a digital camera and explore Adobe Photoshop to enhance your photos.” - Mr. Niedziejko

Rigor: 2.5/10

Homework Level: Little to none

“It is a bit different due to remote learning, but being in photo 1 a few years ago I know a bit about how the class would still be. If it were normal, working in the darkroom and developing film would definitely be my favorite. As of now, it is working in Photoshop and learning how the program itself works. There is a lot of freedom within your projects and it is amazing to see how all of your peers interpret everything differently. Everybody has their own type of style and work process. It will definitely have an impact on my future. I have had the desire to work in the arts for awhile now, but before high school I did not know how much I enjoyed photography. Now, I have been introduced to a whole new world of art, and it has been cool to learn about the aspects of it.” - Natalie Mignogna

“I enjoyed everything about it! In Photo 1 we learned all the basics of photography and learned new mediums, such as a film and how to use photoshop. In photo 2 we learned how to advance our photography through different ways of composition and how to develop our own style. It will hopefully stay with me for my entire lifetime as I am going to school for photography and hope to one day become a photojournalist. Even if I don't keep with it, photography will always be a passion of mine.” - Charlotte Little

Graphic Design

East’s graphic design course, taught by Mrs. Duli, allows students to explore the digital world of art through softwares such as Adobe Illustrator.

Rigor: 6/10

Homework Level: Some homework

“I loved the sense of community, the information taught in the class, and the amount of skill and knowledge I got out of this class. I learned more from this class than I have in any other class. Plus I got to learn how to use programs that I had never tried before. While I took this class Mrs. Duli helped me become a much more organized artist, which helped me plan and execute my pieces much better than I was doing before.” - Indiana Bicking

Comic and Animation

“If you really like comic and animation you will love this class. You will learn to create your own characters and use them in your very own comic book. You also begin to learn how to animate objects that you created.” - Mr. Niedziejko

Rigor: 5/10

Homework Level: None

“Personally, I love the energy of the classroom. Usually, the class size for comic and animation is small, so you become very close with your peers. I also enjoy the rigor of the class and learning more about character design, shot composition, and perspective. I think that the comic and animation course is a great way to learn about an industry that not many know much about to begin with. As well as it being an extremely enjoyable class, I think that if animation is a field that you're interested in this is a perfect way to dip your toes into the art form. In the future, I would love to be a part of the animation industry, so this course is extremely beneficial to where I want to go. The course itself is great for preparing you for making creative decisions with little restrictions, as well as teaching you the ins and outs of artistic careers.” - Erica Martin

Sculpture

“If you love to build objects and use your hands this class is for you. Students will use a vast amount of materials; clay, cardboard, wood, plaster and so on to create images in 3D.” - Mr. Niedziejko

AP Art History

“AP art history is an excellent class to take for 10th, 11th and 12th grade students. Not only is it interesting , no art skills required. Learn about art from Pre-Historic to the 2000's hitting the context of every culture known to the arts. Also, you have to take this in college anyway- why not take it now. Trust me it is way more fun in high school than college.” - Mr. Niedziejko

AP Studio Art

“AP Studio Art is the same as portfolio but students begin to create their own artwork based on a Concentration that is worked on for the entire year.” - Mr. Niedziejko

Rigor: 7/10

Homework level: Homework every night

“You have complete creative freedom, and Mr. N. is super fun and makes an effort to know all of his students personally. This class is essential for anyone who wants to take art in college, and Mr. N. will prepare you so well. However, I'm not taking art in college, but I still found this class very satisfying for doing art as a hobby. This class really teaches you time management and self motivation. You must meet one deadline at the end of each marking period, and besides a few check-ins from Mr. N., you must hold yourself to that deadline and stay on pace.” - Jessica Gomez

“I enjoyed taking on the challenges that my teacher, Mr. Niedziejko would provide for us. Mr. Niedziejko is an amazing teacher, he will always push you to do your best and help you develop your artistic style. For anyone interested in pursuing a career in art, this class is for you. It's a very challenging class, but also an extremely rewarding class. The class may seem very difficult at times, but it is manageable and worth your time. I would recommend this class to anyone who enjoys art and wants to continue developing their personal style. This class will always stay with me in the future. It was a pivotal moment in the development of me as an artist, and I will continue to use what I've learned in this class for the rest of my life.” - Jon Stipe