Visual Arts
About the Visual Arts Team
Portsmouth High School currently staffs three full-time visual art teachers. Our teachers are state certified in the topics they teach and maintain advanced degrees. PHS high school Visual Art teachers are diversified with backgrounds in photography, ceramics, wheel throwing, painting, drawing , mixed media with multiple decades working in education. All of our Visual Art teachers are highly qualified in the courses they teach.
Meet Our Teachers
Tamara Carrigan (tcarrigan@sau52.org): Photography, Printmaking, Fundamentals of Art, Painting
Sarah Mundy (smundy@sau52.org): Sculpture, Ceramics, Wheel Throwing, Fundamentals of Art
Eric Moore (emoore@sau52.org; https://mooreartphs.weebly.com/): Mixed Media, Drawing, Painting, Fundamentals of Art
About Our Courses
The visual arts program is interdisciplinary in nature and integrates culture, history and writing through the art process. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, problem solving and expression. A positive work ethic and respect for the studio space is expected. Peer and self-assessment are also an important component of each course.
**Students not able to schedule advanced courses, but have met the prerequisite may be integrated within beginning sections only with permission of the instructor. Continuing students reinterpret the same curriculum as the other students, revisit it in new ways and work more independently at a higher level. The student, with guidance from the teacher, will develop one independent project. All courses in the Visual Arts Department may be taken to satisfy the Fine Arts Education requirement. Successful completion of prerequisite courses is required for advanced courses.
Department Highlights
- The Visual Art Department at PHS is expanding community partnerships to support student creativity.
- We showcase student art work and performances by hosting a Fine Arts Evening at 3S Artspace. gathering where we display student work and offer the opportunity for students to play music/read their creative writing.
- Fine Arts Night is modeled after a professional gallery opening experience for our student artists