Join us as we explore visual arts for the 21st century! In this contemporary art class, students are encouraged to embrace the unique experience of being creative teenagers in the 2020s.

From digital illustration to graphic design to painting and sketching, we help students develop the art skills that they want. Whether they have dreams of animation or want to explore their creative side, we encourage students to create art without pressure or judgment. Contemporary Visual Arts will be a safe place for students to explore the art-making process through trial and error and be encouraged to take artistic risks. We respect new styles of art brought to us by youth culture and the internet. Students will explore and create art through art-making exercises, activities, and longer-term art projects of their choice.

Some examples of projects completed in previous classes include: 

• Character Designs for a Short, Manga-Inspired Comic
• Sculptures based on Chicano Art
• A Photoshoot That Explored the Use of Coloured Lighting
• An Album Cover for a Student-Produced Album

Brittaney Drake, MA, facilitates our contemporary art class. Brittaney is a freelance illustrator with a focus on ornithology. She has a BA from Cornish College of the Arts in Design and a MA in Illustration from Aalto University.

Additionally, many of our classes will be taught as workshops by artists who are currently creatives in their fields. 

How does it work?

The Pearl Remote Democratic High School’s Contemporary Visual Arts Class is student-centered, project-based. Class time alternates from workshops of short activities that help expand students’ technical ability, discussions of media analysis, constructive critiques on each other’s work, and studio time for students to develop their final projects. 

We teach our classes online, using Zoom, and they are open worldwide! Homeschool students who take courses at the Pearl can earn a WASC-Accredited US high school diploma. Even homeschool students who attend The Pearl from outside the US are still eligible to receive a US diploma. This makes the Pearl an excellent option for students who struggle in mainstream education.

The Pearl utilizes democratic education, meaning students are self-directed and learn through the lens of what they are passionate about.

Students can always enroll for one, several, or all of our online classes as part of a complete education. with our founder to see if The Pearl Remote Democratic High School is right for your family!