The aims of the program in Art/Design are to: provide students with the opportunities to develop the aesthetic, imaginative and creative faculties; stimulate and train visual awareness, perception and criticism of the arts of various cultures; enable students to discover, develop and enjoy means of creative visual expression in the studio and elsewhere, which are suited to their temperament and capabilities; encourage the pursuit of quality, through training, individual experiment and persistent endeavor; exemplify and encourage a lively, enquiring and informed attitude towards art and design in all its forms, both in history and today. The Higher Level program is a two-year course. It consists of two parts, both of which are compulsory: Studio (Practical) Work and Research Workbook. (12/94)

There is considerable research on the academic value of students receiving instruction in the Visual Arts. All District 11 art classes are taught by qualified art teachers. Students will learn the elements of art and principles of design. They will learn about art in relation to history, culture, and the community. They will also recognize and use the visual arts as a form of communication, and will critique works of art through analysis, assessment, and evaluation. Informal and formalized assessments of each student's level of mastery begin and continue throughout the course.