Design & Illustration  Instructors: Colleen Murphy and Justin Gonyea E-mail: cmurphy@bsdvt.org and jgonyea@bsdvt.org Phone: (802) 865-4163		Length: 2 years Credits: 3 per year (Fine Arts Credit after two years) Prerequisite: Interview & Portfolio Presentation
If you have creative talents, like to draw and want to explore careers that will help you use these skills, this course will give you the opportunity. You will learn about the many careers associated with the visual arts and get a chance to develop and improve your skills and portfolio.  In this program you will: express your creativity; develop a critical  eye for design; build a visual art portfolio; study the work of  successful design professionals; get experience using computers  to design; learn how to use programs such as Adobe Photoshop,  Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Indesign, Macromedia Dreamweaver and Macromedia Flash; learn how to organize complex jobs; build your visual vocabulary; learn how to work with clients; and map out an individual course to help prepare you for your chosen career.
During the second year of this program, students continue working on their portfolios, gain more experience in solving design problems, and prepare for work experience, as well as for post-secondary  education.  Design and Illustration students may elect to take Advanced  Placement Studio Art in conjunction with their regular course work. By taking the AP challenge students will demonstrate their seriousness about making art to colleges and art schools.  (Design and Illustration with AP Studio Art will be the official course title on their transcripts.)  AP students will assemble  a large portfolio that demonstrates their excellence in Drawing, 2D Design, or 3D Design. Students who earn a "3" or better  on their portfolio are entitled to Advanced Placement credits backed by the College Board and recognized by colleges and  art schools around the world. Qualified students may earn up to six transcripted college credits from Community College of Vermont through a dual enrollment program . Careers in the visual arts continue to have high growth rates and steady demand. Designers and other artists are needed to  meet the demand for visually sophisticated products. Through college visits and specialized guidance provided by the  instructors, students learn about a wide variety of further educational opportunities.