Art and Photography

The visual arts curriculum at FFS includes the following:

• Introduction to Art. An exploratory study of art providing students with an introductory and developmental experience in drawing and painting.
• Watercolor Painting and Drawing. Develops the student's skills and knowledge in drawing, watercolor and still life painting.
• Basic Design. Focuses on design issues and the development of 2- or 3-dimensional designs using natural elements.
• Mass Drawing and Oil Painting. Further develops the student's understanding of the painting process including materials, methods, and subjects.
• Cast Drawing and the Art of the Self-Portrait. An introduction to life drawing using plaster casts and self-portraiture.
• Photography. Covers the basics of d-SLR camera operation, including aperture, shutter speed and their impact on image quality; picture composition, and output software.
• Photography 2. The emphasis is on composition and the production of fine art digital prints. Students will be introduced to high-end digital printing techniques, media selection, mat cutting and presentation of images.
• Advanced Instruction. Individualized instruction for students who want to further develop their technical skills in drawing, painting, sculpture or photography.
• Portfolio Development. For students seeking to continue their art or photography education in college or art school.
• Weekend Activities. Drawing, painting and sculpture seminars; plein air landscape painting (painting outside on location); the art of the pochade (quick, one-session studies of the landscape), and head drawing.
• Student Art Exhibits, Scholarships and Awards. Art and photography exhibits on and off campus; a virtual gallery; and help with scholarship applications and entries for competitions sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers; the Congressional Art Competition; Young Arts, National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts; and National Portfolio Day for high school seniors.

For more about the visual arts at FFS, visit our Arts Blog.

Art and Photography Faculty

Judith A. Reeve Art Department Chair

B.A., Fordham University

Postgraduate Studies: The Lyme Academy of Fine Art, Silvermine Center for the Arts, Woodstock School of Art

Judith joined The Family Foundation School in August 2011 as a working artist with teaching experience at the Woodstock School of Art and the Catskill Society of Art.  Her art studies include an undergraduate degree in theatrical scene design and post-graduate work in figurative drawing, painting, and lithography.  She has run an independent studio since 1994 and has spent some years studying and writing about the color theory of American painter Robert Henri.  Judith's main interest is landscape painting in the Catskills and the Northeast.  She and her husband Rick, FFS Development Director, and their children Benjamin and Bridghid live in Fremont Center, NY.

 

Yuri Kuchukov Art Instructor

School of Fine Arts, Russia

As The Family Foundation School's artist-in-residence, Yuri brings a wealth of artistic talent and training to share with the student artists of FFS. A native of Russia, he studied painting and icon restoration with the late Russian iconographer Archimandrite Cyprian, and examples of his worknow grace the Family School chapel. He has also participated in collective and personal exhibitions in both the U.S. and Russia, and has had displays in the Museum of Russian Contemporary Art in France. Yuri and his wife, Natalya, FFS Russian teacher, live on campus and spend summers in Russia.

Gerald Janauer, Ph.D. Photography Instructor

B.S., M.A.T., Ph.D., Binghamton University

Like many staff, Gerald wears more than one hat at The Family Foundation School. He joined the faculty in 2006 as a chemistry teacher and is now the Science Department Chairman. In 2011 he was named Academic Dean. He shares his photographic interests and skills with students in photography class, an extracurricular activity he established in 2007. The class specializes in nature and wildlife photography, taking advantage of the rural mountain campus, and the student work is now showcased at all school functions. Gerald and his wife Ann, Dean of Students at FFS, serve as Family Leaders for Betton House. They live in rural Hancock where they enjoy gardening, bicycling and hiking.