The school believes that every student should have the opportunity to create art, understand art and the creative process, perceive art and value art.
 
Strengths:

• The instructors are committed to the mission and core values of the school and include personalization as a focus of the arts curriculum.
• The arts faculty is resourceful and imaginative, using a wide variety of sources from the local community.
• Student participation in the fine arts is considerable. One hundred percent of the student body enrolls in an arts class.
• The inclusion of arts classes in the graduation requirements; the incorporation of grades for arts classes on an equal basis as academic classes; and the provision for multiple opportunities for public presentation of work demonstrate the school's support of the Fine and Performing Arts Department.

Courses offered:
 
AP Music Theory
AP Studio Art
Advanced Photography
Advanced Studio Art
Band
Choir
Intro to Music/Percussion
Intro to Photography
Modern Photography
Music Theory
Publication Design
String Ensemble
Studio Art
 
January Term Courses:
Acting
Bach to Beatles
Beat Poets
Creative Elements of Theatre
Culinary Arts
Dance
Film Art
Film Theory
Glassblowing
The History of Film Music
Metalworking
Opera
Portrait of an Artist
Printmaking & Bookbinding
Scenic Acting
A Study of Comedy
Studies in Acting
20th Century Drama
20th Century Music
Theaters of Indianapolis
Video Production

Click here for course descriptions

Vision Statement of the University High School Fine and Performing Arts Department

The Fine and Performing Arts Program at University High School provides a personalized approach to understanding creative expression and its manifestations. The goals for the program comply with state and national standards, and the mission of the school and its core values serve as guiding principles for the arts curriculum. The core values create a safe environment in which it is possible to produce thoughtful art. Mutual respect among students and between the faculty and students predicates the arts curriculum. Furthermore, the arts instructors are practicing artists in the community, so students are able to model real-life artists.
 
Every student at University High School participates in the arts. The school believes that every student should have the opportunity to create art, to understand art and the creative process, to perceive art and to value art. To achieve this inclusive experience, composition and theory are elements in all music classes and the studio-art classes include elements of art history. Students ask questions of themselves, learn how to make choices and study how to solve problems. Process is emphasized over product; students are encouraged to take creative risks and come to know themselves as artists in an ever-changing world. The arts faculty is devoted to integration of the arts in the greater school community. Teachers serve students of all skill and ability levels. This personalization allows every student to have a full and meaningful relationship with the arts. For example, the studio-art classes accommodate prior experience; this enables students of varying ability and talent to work at different expectation and challenge levels during the same class period.
 
Because the arts are inextricably linked to the human condition, the arts curriculum opens the hearts and minds of our students to new ideas and understanding of other people. Hearts and minds cannot be expanded without artistic expression and aesthetic appreciation. Students gain an appreciation of art in many cultures throughout history and learn how art functions in different societies. This expands their perceptions of themselves and the world in which they live so they can articulate themselves clearly and thoughtfully.