everY Two Years, THe Texas legIslaTure selecTs four
arTIsTs To represenT THe sTaTe
In four posITIons—poeT laureaTe, sTaTe musIcIan,
vIsual arTIsT/Two-dImensIonal, and vIsual arTIsT/THree-dImensIonal.
Because many people in Arts, A/V 2-D and 3-D Creating a Portfolio
Technology & Communications manage Mark Harman, who works with his wife, Denise Harman’s advertising design
their own businesses as well as practicing Denise, at the Dale Jackson Career Center, students also utilize technology. They
their art or craft, students in the cluster teaches Animation. His students learn learn digital photography and software
need a solid foundation in academic courses 2-D and 3-D techniques used in Shrek, The programs such as Adobe Photoshop,
required for success in life. Simpsons, and Toy Story. Media Technology I Illustrator, and InDesign.
at the school includes up-to-date training for “Most of the students have an online
fundamentals of Art employment in motion picture, video, audio, portfolio, a digital portfolio on DVD or CD,
Cagle, a trained architect, photographer, and TV production. Students learn to operate and a print portfolio,” she says. “I try to have
and quilter, appreciates the fundamentals different types of cameras. They experiment the students portfolio-ready before they leave
of art—knowledge of composition, balance, with electronic editing, signal control, and high school so they can secure a job or go to
harmony, and contrast—that she learned as monitoring equipment. college or design school.”
a student at Skyline High School in Dallas.
The fundamentals apply to all her work,
she says.
Cagle, who is also president of the Visual
Arts Society of Texas, advises students to
S P o T L I G H T
master business fundamentals to help with
self-promotion. She adds that “technology
is a huge component of nearly every career
HIGH PERfoRMANCE
in this cluster. Anyone interested in the arts dallas Magnet high school
should take courses in technology. Even
graduates Artists and stars
in the visual arts, technology is playing
an increasing role in the production and
marketing of images.”
I
magine a high school where you could take mime
and music synthesis, jazz and jewelry-making,
african dance and art History, costume design and
Electives for All
composition, piano and playwriting, sculpture and
Meaningful elective courses related to
stage management, and drawing and directing. professional musicians, visual artists, dancers, and
the arts are available to students in Texas
There is such a place in the arts district, dallas’s people working in theater and film on the front side of
high schools. In addition to the traditional
downtown mecca for the arts. It’s called booker the curtain as well as on the technical side.”
offerings such as Theater, Band, Music, Art,
T. washington High school for the performing and students must apply for admission, and an
Journalism, and Speech Communications,
visual arts. The multiethnic student body includes audition is a major part of the process, says
there are specialized career and technical
about 700 high school students who enroll in a full woodward. she notes that while the unique classes
education (CTE) programs that offer
range of arts and academic classes. look like fun, they’re also challenging. students take
preparation in particular fields.
famous artists who have passed through the all the academic courses required for graduation,
Imagine the chance to take electives such
magnet school’s doors include songbird norah from english and math to science and social studies.
as Animation, Advertising Design, Apparel
jones, soul singer erykah badu, and trumpeter roy “plus every year students have three courses in
Design, Commercial Photography, Media
Hargrove. among other noted grads: dancer jay their fine arts area,” says woodward. “They get to
Technology, Visual Communication, and
franke, cellist john koen, visual artists christian really explore the depth of their interest and talent
more. Seem impossible? These electives make
schumann and chris arnold, drummer aaron comess and gain some professional-level instruction.”
sense when you look at the six programs
of the spin doctor, and folk rocker edie brickell of the more than 99 percent of the school’s graduating
of study in the Arts, A/V Technology and
new bohemians. seniors attend college. “my observation is that
Communications cluster (see “Program
acknowledges principal ruth woodward: “we hard work is more important than being a prodigy,”
Profiles” at left).
have some famous alums. There are authors, woodward says.
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