DESIGNED AS A FULL IMMERSION INTO CREATIVITY in varied disciplines, students will develop their imagination as a necessary life-long resource to problem-solving, as well as hone their skills in written and oral presentation. Armed with this experience in self-expression, reflection, and metacognition, our freshmen will make more informed choices about their course of study for their remaining three years at Pomfret.

Over the course of the school year, students enrolled in Freshman Arts Immersion will engage in 5-week courses in the following disciplines:

Music: In Freshman Arts Immersion: Music, students explore music production, songwriting, theory, and performance through in-class collaboration and assignments. Over the course of the term, students will learn how to use a digital audio workstation, craft basic beats, critically listen and analyze music, critique/reflect, record and edit their voice.

Photography:  In Freshman Arts Immersion: Photography students explore the world of digital photography through their smart phones and a DSLR. There is an emphasis on the post-processing portion of the photography in this course. Editing and exporting properly has been an integral component in completing the course successfully. Students worked with storytelling, composition, and building an Adobe Photoshop composite in making two album covers that express the emotion in the songs of their choice. 

Ceramics:  In Freshman Arts Immersion: Ceramics, the freshmen begin by making pinch pots. They were tasked with creating two identical pinch pots (no easy feat!) to combine into an egg-like sculpture which they then turned into an animal of their choice. Students were asked to research the animal they chose to sculpt, aiming for life-like accuracy. Students were introduced to traditional ceramic decorating techniques of Mishima, sgraffito, sprigging, and slip trailing.  Students also create a mosaic tile group piece. For this project, each student was given one portion of an iconic Life Magazine cover to recreate in a Bas-relief tile carving which they also enhanced with colored underglazes. This is an ongoing crossover project with the Painting and Drawing Arts Immersion Class which will also be recreating the same covers in 2D. 

Painting and Drawing:  In Freshman Arts Immersion: Painting and Drawing  is a unique and dynamic course that focuses on developing students' artistic skills through hands-on experience. Students work with various rendering tools and are introduced to different ways of looking at art. They work on personal assignments as well as collaborative projects and are encouraged to push themselves outside of their comfort zones. The class also has a strong social aspect, with plenty of opportunities for discussions about art, inspiration, and listening to music while working on projects. The ultimate goal of the class is for each student to gain an understanding of the importance of art and to realize that they are all inherently creative.

Theater:  In Freshman Arts Immersion: Theater, participate in an experiential learning course that integrates multiple programs in the arts. Designed as a full immersion into creativity in varied disciplines, students develop their imagination as a necessary life-long resource to problem-solving, as well as hone their skills in presentation. Each of the theater students during this session gained experience as actors, directors and playwrights. They collaborated with each other through games, exercises, improvisation, and in-class performance. This experience expanded their awareness of how the theater works as a creative and public forum for stories and ideas that have value and relevance.

Dance:  In Freshman Arts Immersion: Dance, students explore basic movement, rhythm, and spatial awareness exercises as a catalyst for creating choreographic work. Each class begins with a full-body warm-up, incorporating elements of yoga, isolation, and strength training. Students work daily on building personal movement vocabulary and discovering dance as a tool to be used to create personal work. This process culminates in a final music video project, in which students act as dancers, choreographers, directors and editors of their own music videos. Students are assessed on participation, creativity, analytical skills, and positive contributions to the class environment.

Regardless of a student's previous experience, all freshman students will participate in the Freshman Arts Immersion course together.  While they will receive three credits towards their seven credit requirements for graduation, students will also participate in six different disciplines offered at Pomfret allowing them an opportunity to meet and work with many of the artists and educators on the faculty at Pomfret as well as explore multiple disciplines and mediums covered in our expansive arts department. More experienced students are encouraged to share their expertise with their classmates. Students' work is often displayed across our campus and online through various platforms, allowing students to shine in our community as its newest members.  

As part of our Freshman Immersion Course, students will participate each term in a group experience with the entire roster of freshmen.  This powerful experience will allow students to grow in their comfort and artistic expression together, noting their progress and the importance of artistic expression in our Pomfret community.