The Pleasant Valley High School Fine Arts Department believes that the quality of a student’s life is uniquely enriched in essential ways by the development of skills and values learned in the creation of the Fine Arts. We encourage the student to function on multiple intellectual, analytical, thoughtful and expressive levels.

Our program strives to

• Enable students to understand and apply a wide variety of media, techniques, and processes.
• Use and apply knowledge of art terminology, structures and functions.
• Choose and evaluate a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas promoting independent thought and constructive imagination.
• Understand the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.
• Reflect upon and assess the characteristics and work of others, focusing on the development of a sense of quality and appreciation of craftsmanship.
• Make connections between visual arts and other disciplines.

Our award-winning staff believes that each student can find a positive creative outlet through the visual arts. We believe that art is a process by which students can explore the world around them. Art provides a basis of communication, a means for creative expression and an opportunity for individual introspection. We encourage each student to find their unique voice through art and to see the world from a range of perspectives.

Field trips have been taken to California State University Chico in the past when free transportation was available to students. Through the SSP grant for the Art Studio I class, students have been able to go to CSUC for a campus tour and to visit galleries, Sacramento for the Capitol Building, Crocker Museum, multiple galleries and, upcoming, a trip to San Francisco for museum visits.

Our students are encouraged to show their work. Special events that art students have participated in are the PTSA Reflections Art Contest, The Duck Stamp contest, Chico Palio, Pastels in the Plaza, painting t-shirts for Dance and Theatre productions, murals and sets for school plays, Empty Bowls Dinner, CSUC Gallery Summer Art Show, creating the fish mosaics for the sound wall mural between East Avenue and Marigold School, murals at Loma Vista School, Chico Art Center Creative Fusion Art Show and the Silver Dollar Fair. We hope to expand course offerings, create a second, permanent computer lab and maintain the Art Studio @ PV program with a mentor, job shadow and internship program.

Our curriculum includes the following classes:

Drawing, Introduction to Art, Art Studio, AP Studio Art, IB Visual Arts, Sculpture, Photography, Digital Art Exploration, Sculpture, Airbrush Painting and Advanced Journalism (Yearbook).

Community Support has been provided by the Community Wish Foundation (kiln installation), City of Chico and Sacramento River Partnership (creating mosaic fish), CSUC (gallery show, student mentors, and faculty members Cris Guenter, Teresa Cotner and Masami Toku), Chico Museum and Janet Turner Gallery (students curated art shows at these venues), Chico Art Center (Creative Fusion Art Show), Rotary (Empty Bowls), Community artists (guest lectures) and the Community Advisory Board for the SSP Grant.

Our Needs

Needs that have been identified that are beyond our current budget are sketch books, technology maintenance, support and upgrades, a permanent computer lab, ongoing expenses related to equipment, tools and supplies for classes. When grant money runs out, we will need money to pay guest artists (experts in their field) and to go on field trips to see art.
Reta Rickmers- Dept. Chair, Cindy Hopkins, Nancy Ritcher and Susan Christensen