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Students » Arts

Arts

In drama, the visual arts, and music, artistic expression enhances communication skills—written, oral, persuasive, narrative—personal empathy, and confidence when it comes to getting your ideas, skills, and self out there.

Drama

The Drama department at SOF believes in the power of storytelling to engender empathy, build bridges, and highlight injustice. Students learn to use their voices and bodies to express themselves and these goals. They start off with basic acting technique and build performance skills like vocal projection, stage presence, and movement. With time and experience, students go deeper into improvisational skills and the methods through which an actor breaks down a script, creates a character, and portrays emotion on stage. Students develop respect for the rehearsal process and the importance of careful preparation for auditions and showcases. 

Drama at SOF is also a chance to be part of high-quality stage productions. The department produces a high school play, a middle school play, and a musical in the spring for which students in all grades can audition. This is yet another special experience at SOF, where bonds are forged between students of diverse backgrounds who share a passion for theater. They work together to expose audiences to material that expands their perspectives. 

For more information, contact Director Lisa Sobin at [email protected]. 

Visual Arts 

The visual arts program at SOF challenges students’ ideas of what art is, what inspires artists, and what artists can say through their artwork. As an important component of grades 6 through 12, art class is an opportunity for students to share ideas, discuss technique, and engage in making art in response to social, cultural, and emotional prompts. 

SOF’s art studio itself is a space where students are free to put forth what cannot necessarily be articulated through words. It is also a place of risk-taking—not simply to do what has been done before, but to be inspired by master artists. The talents and abilities of each student are celebrated, and our emerging artists ultimately learn how to create a strong point of view. 

Over the years our artists have been selected for various competitions and summer arts programs, including P.S. Arts, Scholastic’s Art & Writing competition, and ICP Teen Academy. SOF student artwork is displayed often throughout the school year, and a selection of remarkable pieces is exhibited at SOF’s annual Arts Showcase. 

In the fall months, lead instructor Ms. Janine offers a portfolio review and practice sessions for middle school students who want to apply for admission to NYC’s Specialized and art-focused high schools. She also runs small group instruction/make-up sessions twice a week throughout the year to students who need some extra time (and quiet space) to finish their work.

For more information, contact Janine Kelly at [email protected].

Digital Arts

Students at SOF learn about digital art and design principles while studying other concepts in Digital Arts Media. Paintings, photographs, and sketches can be combined into glorious new bodies of work when students investigate and experiment with different methods for producing their works. SOF artists learn Adobe Creative Suite and develop their own creative processes and describe them in writing and by using critical analysis.

For more information, contact Jackie Riutort at [email protected].

Workshop

This SOF middle school elective presents the fundamentals of thinking through, designing, and building in 3-dimensions. Students explore the steps of design and fabrication using materials like paper, cardboard, and wood. They also use basic hand tools—rulers, tape measures, compasses, rulers, squares, hammers, nails, and hand saw—to create individual and group projects that bring about greater facility with the foundational skills of planning and problem solving. School of the Future uses the Maplewood WorkShop hand tool set as a platform for building out of wood.  

For more information, contact Jackie Riutort at [email protected].

Music

The School of the Future Department of Music provides all students with a comprehensive, standards-based music education. The study of music fosters artistic development, critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and the pursuit of life-long learning. Through performing and responding to music, all students develop individual skills, realize a sense of belonging, and establish connections to their school community.

SOF’s rich and rigorous music experience starts in 6th grade, when basic skills are introduced in a quarter-long survey course. It continues, up until senior year, with an increasingly greater emphasis on improving ensemble skills. 

Students can hone their selected performance skills, vocally and instrumentally in these ways:

  • Grade-level Band: flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, percussion
  • Middle School Chorus 
  • High School Chorus (during lunch hour)
  • Middle School After School Music
  • Spring Musical (for Middle and High School students)
  • Fall Talent Show (for Middle and High School students)
  • Music Production - 10th Grade Elective and 11th/12th Pathway 

For more information, contact Paul Sandberg at [email protected]