SDA School

of Arts and Design

Welcome to SDA School of Arts and Design, where we provide aspiring artists with the training and education they need to prepare for a successful career in the art world.

Our school offers a wide range of programs designed to help students build the foundational skills they need to excel in their future studies and careers. Whether you're interested in painting, drawing, sculpture, or any other area of the visual arts, we have the resources and expertise to help you achieve your goals.

Our experienced faculty includes accomplished artists and educators who are passionate about sharing their knowledge and expertise with the next generation of artists. They will provide you with personalized instruction and guidance to help you develop your skills and hone your craft.

Our facilities are state-of-the-art, equipped with everything you need to bring your artistic visions to life. We offer access to the latest technology and tools, as well as studio space and exhibition opportunities to showcase your work.

At SDA, we understand that pursuing a career in the arts can be challenging, but our programs are designed to prepare you for success. We offer workshops and seminars on everything from portfolio development to marketing and business skills, so you can be confident in your ability to navigate the art world and build a fulfilling career.

Our alumni have gone on to attend some of the most prestigious art colleges and universities in the world, and many have built successful careers as artists, designers, and educators. With our comprehensive programs and supportive community, we're confident that you too can achieve your goals and make your mark in the art world.

Themes in the following quarters:

Spring Quarter Themes

Renaissance Art and Techniques
- Focus: Mastering the classical techniques that defined the Renaissance period, such as perspective, chiaroscuro, and anatomical accuracy.
- Skills: Drawing, painting, and understanding light and shadow.
- Projects: Beginners replicate Renaissance still life and portraiture; advanced students create a detailed piece with human figures in classical poses.
Impressionism and Modernism
- Focus: Capturing fleeting moments with loose brushwork and color theory, while also exploring the breakaway movements of the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Skills: Loose brush techniques, color blending, and light representation.
- Projects: Beginners create studies inspired by Monet or Degas; advanced students produce a modern landscape or urban scene using Impressionist or early Modernist techniques.
Impressionism and Modernism
- Focus: The elegant, flowing lines and organic forms of Art Nouveau, influencing architecture, furniture, and graphic design.
- Skills: Decorative design, pattern making, and combining organic forms with architecture.
- Projects: Beginners design simple Art Nouveau-inspired motifs and patterns; advanced students create a cohesive Art Nouveau composition for a piece of graphic design or architecture.
Baroque Drama and Composition
- Focus: The drama and emotional intensity of Baroque art, with a focus on dynamic compositions and dramatic lighting.
- Skills: Chiaroscuro (strong contrast between light and dark), movement, and dynamic figure painting.
- Projects: Beginners replicate Baroque still lifes or religious compositions; advanced students create a dramatic scene with emphasis on emotional intensity and composition.
Classical Greek and Roman Sculpture
- Focus: The pursuit of idealized human form and anatomy in sculpture, studying both Greek and Roman influences.
- Skills: Figure drawing, sculpting techniques (can be translated into digital or traditional mediums).
- Projects: Beginners focus on drawing the human form from classical sculptures; advanced students create a 3D digital or clay model inspired by Greek or Roman sculptures.

Summer Quarter Themes

Cubism and Early Modern Movements
- Focus: Experimenting with form and structure, learning from the likes of Picasso and Braque to break objects down into geometric shapes.
- Skills: Abstract thinking, deconstructing forms, and experimenting with multiple perspectives.
- Projects: Beginners create abstracted still life using simple shapes; advanced students create a mixed-media piece that deconstructs a human figure or landscape in Cubist style.
The Surrealist Dreamscape
- Focus: Surrealism’s exploration of the unconscious, dream-like worlds, and irrational juxtapositions.
- Skills: Imaginative drawing, symbolism, and free association.
- Projects: Beginners create dream-inspired drawings; advanced students develop surrealist compositions that combine reality with fantasy elements.
The Bauhaus Movement and Functional Design
- Focus: Merging art with functional design in a clean, minimalist way, focusing on geometric forms, materials, and industrial aesthetics.
- Skills: Geometric abstraction, practical design solutions, and creating functional art.
- Projects: Beginners create simple geometric compositions; advanced students design a piece of functional art, such as a piece of furniture or a building concept.
Feminist Art and Representation
- Focus: Exploring the role of women in art, starting from historical representation to contemporary feminist art movements.
- Skills: Visual storytelling, self-expression, and exploring gender in visual arts.
- Projects: Beginners create self-portraits exploring gender and identity; advanced students develop a series addressing feminist themes through personal or cultural lenses.
Postmodernism and the Deconstruction of Art
- Focus: Challenging traditional definitions of art and aesthetics, often through irony, paradox, and rejection of the norms of modernism.
- Skills: Conceptual art, mixed media, and critical thinking in visual representation.
- Projects: Beginners create collages or artworks that mix high and low culture; advanced students produce a postmodern artwork that challenges traditional boundaries and expectations.

Key Features for Each Theme

Historical Context: Each theme is connected to a historical art movement or period, offering students both technical skills and cultural knowledge.
Level Adaptability: Beginners work on foundational techniques inspired by the theme, while advanced students apply deeper analysis and innovation.
Portfolio Development: Students create works that both develop their technical skills and serve as portfolio pieces demonstrating their understanding of art history and theory.