Arts
The Marvelwood School Arts Program thrives and continually expands, thanks to the wide-ranging talents of the dedicated arts faculty as well as the School's location within a supportive arts community and proximity to top museums and theaters in the region and in New York City. The self-expression afforded by The Arts makes these opportunities essential components of the Marvelwood experience.
Curricular and extra-curricular options in studio art, music, theatre, photography and film/video challenge and encourage the creativity, technique and talents of our students with a combination of hand-ons, performance/production time, history, theory and critiques.
THERE'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Digital Media
Visual Arts
Performing Arts | Theatre
Film Studies
Music
Digital Media
Digital arts are becoming more and more important as technology improves and becomes integrated into classroom curriculum and leisure time. Students contribute their work to Marvelwood's photography library for use on the website, in news stories and press releases, on the School's YouTube channel and more. Creative college applicants use digital media to bring their resume alive. And moving into the college years, a creative and technical understanding of digital tools becomes essential.
Visual Arts
Marvelwood's Visual Arts offerings explore different media and ensure students have guidance and resources for self-expression in 2D and 3D forms. All Visual Arts programs are electives and can be added to a student's course load as determined by the student and his/her advisor.
In addition, after-school arts programs and club activities include visual arts workshops. Visits to museums in New York City, and in the museum-studded Berkshire Hills bring studies to life.
Performing Arts | Theatre
The Marvelwood Players is an active and inclusive theater group. Performers, stage crew, and theatre technicians work together on two productions each year: a fall musical and winter play. Novices and theatre pros find a place in the program. Practice is after school during the activity period. Students may also elect to take theatre class.
Film Studies
Students in our award-winning film studies program have a variety of opportunities to learn and develop filmmaking skills. As an elective, Film Studies introduces students to the basics of film production and analysis. Short films are written, filmed, edited, and screened for the School community.
Documentary film projects are produced as part of Community Service Wednesday in conjunction with various groups, including the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area and the National Park Service. These projects are extensive and involve a tremendous amount of planning, research, coordination, and teamwork.
Marvelwood Film Studies work has been selected for local and national film festivals, including the All American High School Film Festival, which takes place in New York City each fall.
Music
Music is an integral part of the Marvelwood experience. More than half the student body participates in the music program either via curriculum or extra-curricularly, and instruction is offered at all levels of ability — from those just getting started to those with considerable experience. From jazz to chamber music, from voice to strings, there is always an attentive audience for numerous group and individual performances. Private music study is offered in selected areas as well.
