The Arts

visual arts class

In this class, students come to understand that each person has their own unique creative voice and that all voices are valid. Additionally, students learn that the work they do is their own and a reflection of their ideas, thoughts and capacities. Sample projects include: Sanding Manzanita wood, self portraits using mixed media, masks, wire sculpture

electives

Each year, art electives are offered on a rotating basis. Some classes offered include:

Culinary Arts, Ceramics, Aerial Arts, Dance, Art Activism, Drumming, Keyboards, Ukulele

studio art

Our high school art program is organized as a visual art studio experience.  Each year, the students are given more freedom and higher expectations for their work. Students are encouraged to try different mediums and to begin to discover what kind of art experience (oil painting, sculpting, mixed medium etc.) they are drawn to and want to learn more about. Their work must demonstrate their best efforts. The course includes a research paper(s), an artist statement and final projects that are displayed in our annual High School Art Show.

individual passion projects

Guided by a Manzanita staff mentor, High School students work to answer the questions of “Where have I come from?” and “Who am I?” by studying topics of their personal interest and working towards self determined project-based goals. Topics chosen by students contain a mix of artistic and academic elements and final projects are presented to the wider school community at the end of each semester.

Creating a youth magazine

What the student learned about: journalism techniques, photography, magazine editing, magazine design, research skills, and advertising.

What the student worked on: writing journalism pieces, designing the front cover and other parts of the magazine, interviewing classmates, taking photos for the magazine, and working on a budget

designing sneakers

What the student learned about:  customer needs and satisfaction, design techniques, proper art materials, and business.

What the student worked on: designing, drawing, and coloring on white sneakers, studying other shoe artists, developing ways to gain customers

foster youth study

What the student learned about: outreach, project planning, and foster youth.

What the student worked on: creating care packages for foster youth, creating a fundraiser collecting donations and bringing them to a partner organization, nonprofit visioning, outreach to organizations, and research about foster youth