Senior Cycle Art

Leaving Cert Visual Art

Visual Art aims to provide the student with a set of personal attitudes and qualities as well as skills and processes and a sense of the aesthetic. Through practical engagement in the areas of art, craft and design students will develop self-confidence, inquisitiveness, imagination, and creativity. They will also develop authentic, real-world problem-solving capacities and the capacity to work over time, as an individual and in groups. These are all transferable skills which will prepare students for college and working life.

• What careers can it lead to

Studying Art or Design in school can lead to careers in many different areas. While you might have heard that becoming an architect, fine artist, sculptor or gallery assistant is an option for those who study Art or Design, there are many other careers available for those who are able to envision, design and create beautiful things.

Art education can also lead students towards creative and unexpected destinations such as Movie Set / Costume / Special Effects Designer, Jewellery design, Millinery, Shoe design, Web and Gaming design, Animation, Graphic design, Furniture design, Interior design, and the list goes on.

Practical Component

The knowledge, skills and techniques explored at Junior Cycle level are expanded and developed further with students engaging in tasks and units of learning that explore the fundamental aspects of art education such as the art elements and design principles. This exploration is facilitated through the study of areas of practice that include Graphic Design, Printing, Modelling, Portraiture and more recently Digital Art.

Visual Studies, previously referred to as Art History

The rich cultural and artistic heritage of Ireland, Europe and the wider world is examined alongside the study of contemporary creative works by current artists, designers, craftspeople, filmmakers, architects and so on.

The art room is a space where students have the freedom to express their ideas and thoughts and work creatively.

Learning through and about Visual Art enriches the experience of studying while at school as well as preparing students for life after school. Art encourages self-expression and creativity and can build confidence as well as a sense of individual identity. Creativity can also help with wellbeing and improving health and happiness as art lessons can act as an outlet for releasing the pressures of studying as well as those of everyday life. Studying art can also help to develop critical thinking and the ability to interpret the world around us.

Studying art and design provides the opportunity to acquire new skills and knowledge of different art forms, media and techniques. Students who study Art learn to work both independently and collaboratively and also gain experience in time management – skillsets valued in college and by employers alike.

Studying art and design at school opens the door to a range of careers in the creative industries. The creative industries, which include art and design, are an important part of the economy.

Even if students do not wish to pursue further study of Art, it is still a worthwhile subject as it can help students who wish to pursue other avenues to achieve the points required to do this.

There are three assessment components in Leaving Certificate Art: practical coursework, a practical examination, and a written examination. Differentiation is achieved through examinations at two levels – Ordinary level and Higher level. In each assessment component, a differentiated marking scheme applies. Each component is administered and assessed by the State Examinations Commission (SEC).

Coursework assessment

The coursework assessment includes two related but separate components – practical coursework and a practical examination – which are completed in the final year of study. Both pieces of work will be based on the same stimulus, which will be chosen by the student from a coursework brief issued by the SEC. All practical coursework must be the student’s own work. Authentication procedures are undertaken by the SEC to ensure compliance with this requirement.

PRACTICAL COURSEWORK (50%)

The practical coursework component is designed to test the student’s ability to use the knowledge, concepts and skills developed in their study of Art to produce a realised work, from a stimulus, over an extended time period. The use of primary sources, including observational drawings, life drawing and drawing from the imagination are important. Students receive the SEC coursework brief at the beginning of Term 2 (Year 2). In the brief, the SEC outline the time period in which the practical coursework must be completed. During this period, students are required to realise one piece of work and plan and develop work for the realisation of a second piece of work during the practical examination.

THE PRACTICAL EXAMINATION (20%)

The practical examination component takes place as soon after the completion of the practical coursework component as possible, and within 5 hours of a single day. Information on the examination is included in the coursework brief issued by the SEC. Students create a second realised work for this examination, based on the same stimulus and the ideas and work they researched and developed during their overall coursework project.

WRITTEN EXAMINATION (30%)

Visual studies, previously known as Art History involves students in the study of creative people from the past and present and the work they produce. There are 3 main areas of study ‘Today’s World’, ‘Ireland and its place in the wider world’ and ‘Europe and the wider world’. The written examination has a range and balance of question types suited to Visual Studies and the application of practical knowledge. The questions focus on a broad understanding of Visual Studies and require students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding, and an ability to apply, analyse, evaluate and respond as appropriate. The written examination paper is designed to assess:

recall, knowledge and understanding of art and Visual Studies

application of practice, knowledge and understanding from different areas of the specification to familiar and unfamiliar situations

critical thinking, the ability to analyse and evaluate information and to form reasonable and logical arguments based on evidence

problem-solving skills in relation to Visual Studies and the practical application of art

the ability to process information and articulate a personal understanding.

All questions will rely on the student’s understanding of Visual Studies and their critical and creative use of visual language to analyse artwork. The written examination paper is 2.5 hours long and is held in June of 6^th Year in the period where written examination of other leaving cert subjects takes place.