Art 6 is a course designed to introduce students to art from different countries around the world. 

Students work with a variety of media and techniques, and develop the ability to make critical judgments about art and to understand historical influences of art from other cultures. This course uses four foundational disciplines to teach concepts and skills through a sequential course of study: art production, art history, art criticism, and aesthetics.

Art 7 is designed to help students develop skills in art making, while also focusing on the Elements of Art and Design.

They learn the importance of line, color, texture, space, shape, form and value by studying famous works of art and creating their own artwork to reflect their understanding. Artists past and present are studied to enhance the knowledge needed for these skills. Projects are based on both representational and abstract art, while also connecting to core academic classes.

The focus of Grade 8 Art is to create a series of artworks that culminate into a visual art portfolio. 

Their portfolio of work is tied to creative writing pieces that students develop in English class, the works of art and writing being reflective and meaningful to their personal story. They are instructed on how to build a personal website and digital portfolio to house and showcase their yearlong collection of art and writing.

Drawing is the basic language that an artist uses in order to create any work of art, whether it be painting or making jewelry.

This half-credit course will introduce students to the fundamental elements and principles such as line, value and modeling form. A variety of media will be explored including graphite, charcoal, pens and inks. Through direct observation, students will learn how to accurately  see and record objects from real life. Individual and group critiques will be held regularly. During the second semester, students will gain a working knowledge of the basic principles of composition. Drawing from direct observation will be emphasized, as skills of proportion and various spatial strategies will be developed, including perspective and foreshortening. This course is the prerequisite for Painting, and is offered to grades 9 and 10.

This half-credit course will introduce students to the basic techniques and color principles of watercolor and acrylic painting media.

Concepts and skills learned will include (but not be limited to): composition, surface exploration, color mixing, underpainting, observational painting, layering, expressive use of paint, and abstraction. Prerequisite: Drawing. Offered to Grade 10.

Renaissance Studio Art is offered in alternating years and will be offered in 2025-26. 

This upper level, half-credit course available to juniors and seniors combines art-making with the study of art history, highlighting Renaissance artists from Italy. Students will create inspired works of art in the studio, using perspective, balance, harmony, and specific stylistic qualities from the Renaissance. They will refine their direct observation skills and explore genres and themes through processes and materials. Subject, interpretation, style, context and emotion will be the key elements used to analyze significant works of art by artists such as Giotto, Sandro Botticelli, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello, Duccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, and Lorenzetti.

This honors level intensive studio course is the first of a two-year sequence which will finish with the AP Studio Art 2D Design course.

In Portfolio Prep, students begin (or continue) the process of building a portfolio of works to be submitted to the College Board at the end of the AP 2D Design course for evaluation for an AP score. Students must have strong studio habits and technical skills and be willing to spend a significant amount of time beyond class periods on studio work. Students will be expected to work semi- independently at a rigorous pace on assignments that will build their skills in craftsmanship, design and narrative. Their work will be exhibited at the end of the year. Prerequisites: Students must have taken courses in Drawing and Painting prior to enrollment. Students who took these classes somewhere other than at Montrose must show assignments completed in these courses to the instructor to receive permission to enroll.

The AP 2D Art & Design course is intended for highly motivated students who are seriously interested in the study of art and design. 

The course is taught at a more rigorous pace than previous high school art classes. To successfully prepare an AP portfolio, students need to commit at least twice as much time outside of class creating art as they do during normal class - at least five hours outside of class per week. This course is for students who demonstrate commitment, time-management and artistic accomplishment when enrolled. It is expected that students have a high level of execution and show a high skill set within their work, all while learning how to develop their own personal artist ‘voice’. One year of Drawing, Painting and Portfolio Prep are prerequisites to this course. This course emphasizes making art as an ongoing process that involves the student in informed and critical decision-making at all times, according to their own individual inquiry. Students create a portfolio of work to demonstrate inquiry through art and design and development of materials, processes, and ideas over the course of a year. Portfolios include works of art and design, process documentation, and written information about the work presented. In May, students submit portfolios for evaluation based on specific criteria, which include skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas and sustained investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision, guided by questions.