Our Program (Grades 9-12)
The HCA Artist Academy, began in the Fall of 2020! This school-within-a-school allows students at the high school level, who are considering a career in visual arts or are just excited about art and creativity, to emphasize and prioritize coursework in visual arts and graduate with a special Artist Academy distinction from HCA. Students will follow a comprehensive, advanced-level art curriculum track exclusively for Artist Academy students along with their state-mandated graduation requirements, and will be given completely individualized mentoring and development. They will have additional exciting opportunities as they progress along in the program, which could include local internships, training from industry professionals across disciplines, summer workshops, and more. This will also be a community-within-a-community, where the students can grow in relationships with others who share their interests and encourage and challenge one another in their creative abilities. The Artist Academy will be directed by Mr. Rob Stotz and will utilize our cutting-edge ArtLab and his extensive background in traditional illustration to provide students with a well-rounded skill set, whether it be for personal enjoyment or for use in a future career. Click the link for more info, and contact Mr. Stotz at rstotz@harvestchristianacademy.org with any questions. We are excited to offer this stellar new program to our HCA family!
Current HCA Grade 9 students fill out this form if you are interested in the Artist Academy program.
Current HCA Grade 10-12 students fill out this form if you are interested in the Artist Academy program.
Our Facility
As a part of our emphasis on excellence in our visual arts program, the Artist Academy is based in our technologically advanced ArtLab. Thanks to a generous donor, our state-of-the-art lab contains technology that is rarely accessible to students even at the college level. Many of the Artist Academy courses will incorporate the use of this technology, which is considered top tier in the professional realm. Utilizing the Adobe Creative Suite software on iMac workstations and Cintiq digital tablets, students will learn to integrate traditional artistic disciplines with cutting-edge technology, resulting in a greater understanding of concepts and their applications in both artistic and non-artistic careers. Artist Academy students will be adept at this technology by the completion of the program.
Topics of Study
Each year will include all topics listed during a single class period through both semesters. Detailed descriptions to come.
Year 1:
- Introduction to Drawing
- Digital Illustration – Essentials
- Figure Drawing – Gesture
Year 2:
- Character Design
- Storytelling Art
- Animal and Portrait Drawing
Year 3:
- Digital Illustration – Composition
- Environmental Design
- Figure Drawing – Structure
Year 4:
- Portfolio Building
- Creative Community Exploration
- Senior Showcase
All Years:
- All-school art electives are also open to Artist Academy students in addition to courses listed above
Our Director
Rob Stotz is the director of the HCA Artist Academy, teaching a full roster of core courses as well as open electives. Mr. Stotz is traditionally trained, having received his formal education at the Ringling School of Art and Design, and has continued to educate himself as technologies and trends have continued to change over the years. He came to HCA in 2018 from a corporate career encompassing various artistic roles, which have included comic book illustration for publishers such as Marvel and Image Comics, running his own company, which provided biblical images to children’s ministries all over the world, and working in the advertising industry for 10+ years for a top Fortune 500 agency. During this time, he was also an instructor at Harper College. His varied experience has given him a broad understanding not only of artistic concepts, but also their applications in real-world careers. He and his wife have attended Harvest Bible Chapel for over 25 years, and have 3 kids who have attended HCA since preschool, two of whom are now HCA alumni. If you would like to see a sampling of his personal portfolio, it is available at robstotzart.com.
This program will give our students an unparalleled opportunity for growth.
FAQ
Yes! Since this is the first year the program will be offered, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors can be grandfathered into the program based on previous courses taken.
Good news! You will still graduate with all of your requirements to pursue any type of undergraduate degree you desire, and the skills you’ve learned in communicating visually will be an asset in almost any career you choose.
Not a problem. The Artist Academy courses will satisfy your art electives if you choose to revert back to the standard graduation requirements.
All Artist Academy program offerings during the school day are included with your regular tuition. However, some courses require specific supplies and will incur a lab fee.
