Art at Dauntsey's
Art has a high profile within Dauntsey's and this is reflected in the prominence given to displays of pupils' work around School. Dauntsey's has its own Art School, housed separately from the main school site in a spacious building rich with history. Having for years served the local community as a primary school, it underwent a redesign to suit the needs of the Art Department. The building has lent itself sensitively to the various disciplines taught, and pupils from the First Form to the Upper Sixth, enjoy a host of activities.
The wide ranging programme offered to all pupils includes; painting and drawing, relief printing, screen printing, batik, 2D and 3D textiles, sculpture, ceramics and jewellery. Two well-equipped dark rooms are available for pupils who wish to use photography as a means of developing and extending their ideas and digital photography is also well provided for and encouraged.
Each class group is offered a full complement of computer design, including: image manipulation, animation and 3-D modelling. History of Art is taught as an integral part of the course throughout all year groups and its' influence is reflected in pupils' work at every stage.
Central to the Art School is the exhibition area, The Gallery, which hosts a wide range of work of artistic merit from both pupils and guest artists, all of whom are invited and encouraged to display their art work. Please use the following links to view our Pupils' Gallery 2010 and the recent "Parents in the Frame" Exhibition.
The department accommodates:
- two large painting and drawing studios
- textiles area
- screen print room
- ceramic studio and 3-D studio
- jewellery workshop
- intaglio print room
- two dark rooms
- library and resources area
- computer room
- gallery
- reception
All pupils study art for their first three years at Dauntsey's when the foundations of visual literacy and awareness and technical competence are laid. Thereafter, pupils may opt to study the subject for GCSE and then go on to AS and A2 in the Sixth Form.
Most A2 candidates go on to take up university places related to art or further their art studies by applying for a place on an Arts Foundation Course.