This is a one-year college-level course with heavy emphasis on portfolio production and review. Advanced Art students will produce a series of sequential visual forms while exploring in greater depth a particular visual concern or inquiry, through practice, experimentation and revision. Emphasis will be placed on the elements of art, the principles of design, materials, processes and ideas, and skill development. Students will study and discuss historical and contemporary artists to aid in their own creations and development. Students may choose to submit portfolios to the Advanced Placement program in the spring in Advanced Placement Drawing, Advanced Placement 2D Art and Design, or Advanced Placement 3D Art and Design. The course is taught in the same physical space and time block as the Studio Art course.

Prerequisite: Studio Art or other relevant Visual Arts course and department approval

This is a one-semester course for the higher-level ceramics student who has already completed Ceramics 1 and has mastered the basics of throwing pottery on the wheel. In this course, students will explore the act of combining hand-built elements with wheel-thrown pieces. Projects will include teapots, nesting bowls, water pitchers, vegetable steamers, ring holders, and citrus juicers. Students will also be tasked with using the principles of design to create an effective and attractive composition for an independently produced original piece of art, which may be either decorative or utilitarian.

Prerequisite: Ceramics 1

Offered Spring 2026

This class moves at the pace of the Advanced Placement Music Theory course with the intent to prepare the student to participate in the Advanced Placement testing program. This course includes fundamentals of music theory and related aural skills, score analysis, sight-singing, and harmonic and melodic comprehension. Students’ eligibility will be determined by the instructor.

Prerequisite: Departmental approval

This course is designed to follow the prerequisite Photography 1 and includes elements of studio photography, fashion photography, staged photography, modern photography, street photography, drone photography, photojournalism, and the study of contemporary artists. DSLR cameras are supplied for the duration of the course. The course incorporates field trips for photography assignments. It will also include an emphasis on independent studies as students focus on their own interests, all while creating an online portfolio of their best work.

Prerequisite: Photography 1

Offered Fall 2025

This semester-long course is designed to cover a broad range of digital photography techniques, principles, equipment, and image subjects. A Nikon DSLR camera is supplied for the duration of the course. The course also covers areas of post-production and image manipulation. It includes principles of exposure, portrait photography, landscape photography, macro photography, sports photography, food photography, black and white photography, low light photography, light painting, wildlife photography, in-class challenges, and more than 20 other topics. Over the course of the semester, independent shooting, collaborative peer critiques, and historical research will contribute to each student’s final portfolio that exhibits her individual photographic style.

Offered Fall 2025 and Spring 2026

Visual Arts courses are offered at several different levels. Students with a passion for a particular field may register for the same course over multiple semesters.

The Ceramics class will provide an opportunity for students to develop a body of work that is both conceptually valid and reflective of their artistic style. Sculpture techniques, the science of glazing, and wheel skills are taught to all levels of students, and they will be encouraged to experiment at all times. In addition to developing technique, students will design their own multi-part construction based on exploration of pottery around the world. Each student will be expected to produce work that portrays her creative powers and technical abilities.

Offered Fall 2025 and Spring 2026

African Drumming is an essential part of Walker’s music program. The group utilizes a variety of drums, some of which were constructed from trees on the school property in Simsbury. Students study a wide array of styles and develop an appreciation for the intricate musical sounds, and variety of moods the different drumming disciplines convey and express. The tones of the instruments as well as the use of a particular rhythm open the mind to the rich world of music and enhance the capacity of each drummer. Students are encouraged to both read and hear patterns so that they engage the better part of themselves when they play together. The group often performs on campus and continues to create a moving presence at Walker’s.

Meets outside of a class block

Orchestra is open to instrumentalists who are capable of individual preparation and working toward a standard of musical excellence in a group setting. This is a wonderful environment in which to develop technique and broaden the musical experience.

Meets outside of a class block

The Bell Choir performs for many events on campus and can be taken as a music discipline for Music Majors. This course teaches a basic understanding of rhythm and note reading and allows students of all levels to perform in an ensemble. All musicians are welcome.

Meets outside of a class block

Each year, our campus rock band morphs and evolves as new students join the group. Students who sing and play drum set, keyboard, guitar, bass, percussion, and other instruments collaborate as an ensemble to play classic rock and more contemporary covers, learning how to exchange musical ideas and work together as a group towards a rock concert performance at the end of the school year.

Meets outside of a class block

This vocal ensemble is an a cappella singing group. Only members of the Choir may audition. This ensemble performs music from a wide range of genres. Auditions take place at the beginning of the school year and include a simple sight-singing exercise, presentation of a piece that best shows the singer’s voice, and a group piece that determines vocal blend and intonation.

By audition

Meets outside of a class block

The Chamber Ensembles afford the serious musician the opportunity to perform fine works. Students must be proficient on their instrument and enjoy working in a focused, musical environment. These ensembles are called upon to perform at many functions throughout the school year.

By audition

Meets outside of a class block

Credit is given to students who wish to take two private lessons a week or two music disciplines, not including Choir. A half credit is given along with grades and comments for each semester. Music majors are expected to perform during the school year.

A two-semester course that involves the study of the laws, forms, and language of music with a focus on assimilating these skills and demonstrating them in compositional forms. The course is taught at the level of the student and progresses according to her capacity. It presents the basics of music theory, dictation and notation, and ear training before composition is introduced. The advanced student may study composition and harmony and musical analysis.

A full Arts credit is given for this course. It fulfills the arts graduation requirement but is not figured into the GPA. Walker’s Choir performs regularly at many school functions and presents two major choral concerts. This ensemble enjoys meeting a varied repertoire and honing musical skills such as sight-reading and vocal production. Students interested in Grapes must be part of this ensemble.

The goal of this course is to develop self-awareness, master acting guideposts, and build on previous knowledge of stage acting through the use of scenes, improvisation, and monologues. This one-semester class introduces students to basic acting techniques rooted in Stanislavski and Meisner, incorporating effective use of the voice, principles of stage movement, building a character, playwriting, story creation, and improvisation. The course is designed for students interested in exploring theater as a means of personal development and expression, as well as for those who wish to begin to study the craft of acting and/or playwriting. Students are expected to memorize lines, write journals, and be evaluated on their performances. This course may be taken more than once, so the course will be tailored to the students’ interests and needs.

Offered Fall 2025

This course is designed to give students an overview of dance technique, improvisation, composition, and history. We will focus on several techniques and history to build strength and knowledge in the art form. The study of dance composition through improvisation and design concepts will also be a focal point of the course. Recommended for students with little to no experience in dance.

Offered Fall 2025 and Spring 2026

This course focuses on the process of choreographing original dance pieces. Students will learn composition through experimenting with the elements of movement: time, space, weight, and flow. This course is recommended for students with some dance experience through the advanced level.

Offered Spring 2026