The art department is gifted with teachers and resources that kids can utilize to advance their careers as artists and Commonground talked to teachers and students to get their opinion on it. 

Harwood offers all arts from working with pencils and brushes to clay and jewelry to computers and cameras, giving students that go to Harwood many opportunities to explore new subjects or focus on subjects they are really interested in. 

Common Ground  interviewed senior artist Elyiss Heyward to try and get to know him and his art experience at Harwood.

-Common Ground, “What is something you like about the art department and why?”

-Hayward: “The many options they give us… the amount of courses and the variety of options within the courses…in Individualized art I was able to work with paper mache which I never done…and the class allowed for me to do that”

The art department and its gifts allowed Elyiss to advance his career in art and explore new things all while enjoying it. 

-Common ground, “How has Harwood’s art department helped develop your art career?”

Heyward: “The teachers are always there to help and give you comfortable, constructive criticism…also opening up and suggesting more options for me at Harwood, but also maybe after Harwood furthering my career”

This shows how the Art Department embraces its students and can help specific people in specific ways adapting to their preferences.

-Common Ground, “What made you want to take art in the first place?”

-Heyward: “I’ve always liked art since I was very young…[it]always has intrigued me and allowed me to express myself”

-Common Ground followed up, “did art classes help develop your art interests?”

-Heyward, “it definitely helped me pursue the subjects of art I enjoy more” “also just giving me the variety of classes to choose from to see what areas of art I want to focus more on”

This again highlights the variety and uniqueness of the art department and the kids that put themselves in it.  When asked about a memorable story that Heyward has as an art student, Heyward said:

“Two years ago I got two awards from the art department for my work”

-Common Ground, “did you feel like the art department recognized you for your work and perseverance?”

-Heyward “yeah definitely, 100%”

Heyward is a very talented artist and has been developing his craft for a long time; he knows what kind of art he most enjoys making but also is open minded to trying new things. The art department has recognized this and is helping him go into his art career after high school. Along with that they have awarded Elyiss righteously because of his advanced skill.

Common ground  also interviewed a new art teacher, Isabella Mottola, at Harwood to get a better understanding and fresh perspective on the Art Department. 

-Common Ground, “Have you ever taught art anywhere else?”

-Mottola: “I taught at Lake Region high school for 1 year only because the art teacher there had taken a year off from teaching… a long term sub position…It was a huge learning curve for me and definitely solidified that yes this is the career I want to pursue”.

Mottola was new to teaching in general but had some previous experience teaching also in Vermont farther up north.

-Common Ground “How has your experience been teaching art at Harwood?”

-“It has been so amazing to have other art teachers to help me at Lake region. I was the only art teacher and there was no one to bounce ideas off of, there was no one to ask advice on things, so having the most amazing department has been very helpful,” replied Mottola. 

The art department’s teachers at Harwood have helped her in many ways allowing for her to have a smooth transition from her previous school.

-Common Ground, “What has been a project you’ve been excited about or are excited about teaching your students?”

-Mottola:“Any project that allows for a lot more student choice that is not very specific, but where I can just assign prompts and give students somewhere to start and they can decide what they want to…I teach the skills and the students can make what they want from it also making them more excited about it”.

As being one of her students myself her approach at teaching art at Harwood has been amazing. She allows for students to move at their own pace and do what they’re capable of with very nice constructive criticism. 

The art department at Harwood is known to be one of the best in the state and gets Highlanders far in their careers. With so many options and helpful people being around, it’s a very welcoming environment and allows for kids to fully express themselves. It is a gift to have as a young artist trying to develop their skill and personal preference in art.