The Art Program

All students at Hoosac are encouraged to study both visual arts and performing arts, which provide them with meaningful opportunities to investigate creating art and art history, and understand how art teaches about world cultures. Every course that the Hoosac Art Program offers challenges individual students to reach her or his highest potential as a whole person and as an artist. The Program emphasizes the need to unlock the potential of every young person and to help them develop the capacity for original ideas and actions that will enable them to engage positively with the increasingly complex, rapidly changing global society. Hoosac believes that art is for everyone, not just “talented” people, and that everyone can learn about themselves and the world through the Arts.

Visual Arts

In each Hoosac Visual Arts course, students will learn to think for themselves, to develop a personal style, and to search for original, inventive answers to aesthetic problems. Interdisciplinary connections, visiting museums, interacting with working artists and creating original art are all part of the Hoosac Visual Arts experience. Technique, skill, media, principles of art and design, and ideas are integrated into each project. Feedback and critical assessment (written and oral) of students’ artwork are key in the development of self-assessment and communication skills; it is the foundation for learning how to describe, analyze, and interpret art, as well helping students to develop communication skills and the language necessary to express ideas thoughtfully and respectfully.

Performing Arts

Another aspect of a Hoosac education is to partake in theatre, music and dance. The Boar's Head & Yule Log Pageant at Hoosac is like no other. Ours is the oldest performance in North America and second only to that performed at Queen's College, Oxford. The roots of the Boar's Head and Yule Log performance date back to the mummer plays and folk drama of the middle ages. All students who come through our school take part either in a performance role or a support role for the celebration. This part of the year is an incredibly festive and fun time and gives the students a glimpse into the world of performing arts.

Why Creativity Is Important To Us

Creativity is important in all areas of human activity. The Crosby Center For The Arts at Hoosac School is an encouraging, accepting, and safe environment in which students can discover and develop their creative skills, imagination and ingenuity. All students have creative abilities, and each has them differently. When young people find their creative strengths, it can have an enormous impact on self-esteem and on overall achievement.

The Hoosac Arts program is an essential part of the School’s mission to develop enthusiastic learners with creative minds and strong moral compasses who are ready to handle college and life with intelligence and grace.