Visual Design Overview
Where your story begins is not where it ends. LVA is a bridge to the art world and beyond. LVA art students seek college education and majors in very diverse subject matter. Students have graduated to seek medical degrees, engineering degrees, architecture degrees, science degrees and yes, art degrees. LVA has worked with Junior and Senior level students through AP Studio Art coursework that harnesses a student’s ability to create, edit, process, experiment, revise and synthesize visual design projects. Students do not only make art, they are originators of unique concepts, they are visual activists and use their energy to change their world. Students have earned full-ride scholarships at The Cooper Union and School of Visual Arts NY. Students have been invited to attend RISD, MICA, Pratt, Parsons, UNLV, SFAI, Otis, CalArts, and many other 4 year colleges and universities with substantial scholarships. There is no one path that all students are mandated to walk at LVA. The LVA Way empowers each student with the resources to find and develop their identity, finetune their interest and turn their education into a passion that will lead into a career. Graduates of LVA have built careers in local government, entertainment, business, medical fields, education and, of course, the arts. LVA graduates have become designers, web developers and art teachers. Jennifer Main is a prominent working artist that graduated from LVA in Visual Design.
Students are introduced and guided to mastery of traditional art media, new media, technology, lens-based arts, and time-based art forms through their chosen art major. This is a unique approach found only at magnet art programs like LVA’s. LVA offers majors in Film, Graphic Design, Photography, Sculpture and 2D Visual Design. Additionally, the humanities courses required at LVA also enhance a student’s ability to think, reason and be inspired by diverse stories in our local, state, national and worldwide histories.
Program Curriculum
The LVA curriculum is built similar to a college level art studio practice. Students are guided through a Foundation year of black & white media and mixed media exploration that establishes a core skill set with an introduction to drawing and painting techniques, art history, aesthetics and critical analysis. Second year further develops a knowledge base of color media in oil paint, color pencil, art history and concepts with mixed media experimentation quickly becoming mastery. Third year begins to emphasize the voice of the individual by further exploration of gouache paint, intaglio printmaking, oil paint, chalk pastel, oil pastel, history and using pivotal art movements as a stepping stone to creating art projects based on personal concepts for the AP Drawing portfolio. Fourth year is a senior thesis guided by art activism and the AP 2D Design curriculum. Projects begin during the summer months by developing a narrative and ideas focused on art as social activism. The senior year braids together the LVA experience and guides students through the college application process that begins early in the fall. Students are encouraged to tour colleges, attend national portfolio day events, interview with admission counselors to discuss portfolio and admission requirements for college entry. The fourth year curriculum includes silkscreen printmaking, advanced oil paint techniques, acrylic paint techniques, and combining the previous experienced media to empower experimental mixed media to create their senior AP 2D Design portfolios.
This process has helped many students not only earn entry to some of the most prestigious art programs across the country, but to also be offered high level scholarships and full tuition based on the quality of their artwork. Students are empowered through their academic and creative education to harness their talents, develop their skills and to focus their energy on goals they have envisioned for their future. Visual Arts is a demanding Conservatory within the Las Vegas Academy that has guided students to create their future, and in turn, has helped many students earn many rewards.
Program Accolades
The Las Vegas Academy Visual Design Program has been recognized for its achievements in National and International adjudications, including:
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Scholastic Gold Key - multiple winners yearly
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Scholastic National Gold Key
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Scholastic Silver Key - multiple winners yearly
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Scholastic National Silver Key
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Congressional Awards - multiple winners yearly
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CCSD VOICE - multiple winners yearly
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Showgirl Legacy Foundation Art Contest - multiple winners yearly
Program Outcome
The college level approach at LVA results in students being able to draw, paint, sculpt, photograph, record and edit, click and drag and design with expert level outcomes. Most importantly, The LVA Way extends well beyond the classroom. Students are taught skills that transcend the canvas. Visual problem solving, creative thinking, creating, storytelling and visual communication can be applied to many, if not all the situations that students will encounter when they graduate. Students regularly participate in critiques; students discuss their own work and their peers work in constructive ways which helps students develop the ability to speak in public. This ability to clearly, constructively and relevantly communicate is a skill that many students have returned to express gratitude for during spring and summer breaks.