The Arts

Sky Islands knows that there are many different ways to express intelligence, and that developing the right brain is just as important as developing the left. We believe that developing skills in creative expression and creative thinking is just as important as developing skills in literacy, science, or math. For that reason, we feature full art programs for high school students that spans a variety of different mediums, including 2D/ visual arts, graphic arts, performing arts, ceramics, culinary arts, and classical guitar through the UofA’s Lead Guitar program.

At Sky Islands, we aim to develop the whole person, and know that a good curriculum teaches more than just how to pass a test or find ‘the right answer’.

Visual Arts

This course serves as an introduction to art materials and concepts for 9th graders. Students will use a variety of media, including drawing, painting, printmaking and clay, to represent the natural world around them, as well as their own ideas and imaginings.

Introduction to basic digital imaging using Adobe Photoshop + Illustrator®. Topics include navigation of the interface, the tools, using layers, adjustment layers, layer styles, filters, creating and manipulating selections, masking principles, cropping, image size and resolution, and image compositing of raster images.

Basic principles and techniques in two + three-dimensional art and design; develop skills in the critical analysis of art using a range of artistic media. Concepts addressed include formal composition, the creative expression of ideas through visual form and the relationship between visual expression and contemporary culture. 

Ceramics/Pottery students will learn the historical and cultural context of ceramics, aesthetic inquiry, and creative production. This course will provide knowledge of ceramic techniques (e.g., kiln firing and glazing) and processes with an emphasis on creative design and craftsmanship. Methods include clay modeling, hand building, coil building, casting, and throwing on the potter’s wheel.

Introduction to fashion, fashion design, illustration, apparel and textile technology.  Content provides opportunities for students to explore historic costumes, research current fashion styles and trends, analyze fibers and textiles, design clothing and accessories, utilize technology in fashion design, and explore career options in apparel and textiles.

Performance Arts

Drama courses are designed to enhance students’ understanding of life through the study and performance of dramatic works. Students will develop their ability to express themselves through playwriting activities, studying playwrights and different types of theatrical techniques and traditions. Students are expected to write original scenes and /or one-act plays that will be reviewed and performed by local actors. 

This program, which has been offered since 2015, is a partnership with the UA Lead Guitar Program and Brad Richter. Students learn the fundamentals of music and classical guitar-playing techniques, fingering and chords. This is a performance class and students will have the opportunity to perform on the school’s stage as well as at the UA. A Master Teacher is provided through the UA Lead guitar program to work with Sky Islands’ students on a weekly basis thought out the year. 

Culinary Arts

The ecological farm-to-kitchen culinary program at Sky Islands high school focuses on the diverse food cultures from the Southwest and around the world, supplied by the school gardens and local organic vendors. Students in culinary arts learn all the basic skills of operating and running a kitchen, including knife skills, cooking techniques, recipes, and teamwork, as well as serve the school lunches in the Blue Sky Café.

The Test Kitchen is a from-scratch pastry arts, bread making, baking, and cooking course focused on traditional and international plant-based, gluten-free and living foods cooking techniques. Students learn useful skills in recipe selection, recipe scaling, and recipe development, and are encouraged to select recipes that are challenging and creative.

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Testimonials

Klairisa
KlairisaAlumni
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Sky Islands is amazing because the curriculum is unlike anywhere else. It is a community that is always changing, and everyone is friendly. The teachers here are the best teachers I have had in my entire student career. I now look at the world differently than others.
Hannah
HannahAlumni
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I feel that the school’s messages they communicate to the students are really eye-opening, from the food we eat to the advertisements shaping us, and that we as a community can change this. I’m happy to know I’m graduating as an individual rather than a teenager clone, which would be the case at other schools.
Cortez
CortezAlumni
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When I first came to Sky Islands, I felt it was kind of weird because I wasn’t used to the whole idea of a school being a community, but more and more I came to the realization that this is how school should be.
Emma
EmmaAlumni
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Community is a huge part of Sky Islands. This school has amazing teachers, they are all fantastic, and they have taught me so much. I used to hate math more than anything because I never understood it. Now it is my favorite subject.
Luciana
LucianaAlumni
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Sky Islands is a great place to be! Everyone is welcoming and everybody knows each other at our school. Throughout the year, we work on projects in and outside the classroom. We also learn about so many interesting topics that you don't learn about at other public schools.
Sky Islands Parent
Sky Islands ParentParent
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My daughter graduated from Sky Islands in 2020. She studied there for 4 years of High School and it was the best decision we ever made. The curriculum there allowed her to broadened her mind and approach to more greenery and sciences. She started out very shy and and introvert and graduated more outgoing and she really bloomed at High School there. I would always refer my friends to have their students attend high school for the simple fact that they will get the education needed to go to college plus special treatment and care for each and every student.

Schedule A Campus Tour

We would love to have you visit our campus for a tour so you can experience how special Sky Islands really is. Please leave your email below and we will coordinate a time and date for your tour.