Mission Statement
The goal of STAC is to encourage in the STAC student an empathetic understanding and valuation of the self and others through the appreciation of art and the development of a personal artistic philosophy and process.
STAC challenges students to strive for excellence while providing the support needed to succeed. Students are presented with situations and experiences in which they confront the limits of what they think they can accomplish, and then go beyond those limits.
A student graduates STAC with a deep understanding of the cultural, social and political forces that shape contemporary art and his or her place in the world as an artist and socially conscious young adult.
An Overview
STAC is a comprehensive multi-discipline creative arts program unique to Herricks High School.
Entrance to the program is by audition and portfolio review. Approximately 30 students in grades 9-12 participate each year.
STAC has won more than a dozen awards and honors. Student videos are regular winners in
high school film making contests and have been broadcast on Public Television and Cable
stations nationwide. STAC students have written and performed full-length plays, several seasons of musical theatre for children, and traveled to San Francisco to perform an original rock opera.
Alumni of the program have gone on to successful careers in the arts. STAC has been featured in the New York Times and Newsday, and is recognized nationally as a model for a modern arts education program.
STAC was founded in 1979 by Ron DeMaio. Upon his retirement the directorship of the program was taken up by Luke DeLalio. The Fine Art aspect of STAC is taught by Richard Ganes.
Time Commitment
The STAC Company meets five days a week for three periods. Students receive three credits including a half credit for the fine art component of the program.
There are evening excursions to NYC, as well as one full day trip per quarter. In the Spring of 2005 STAC spent 10 days in Europe visiting Prague, Vienna and Budapest.
Curriculum
Program curriculum is fluid and varies each year depending on the make-up of the Company, cultural events in New York City and the surrounding area and the sociopolitical situation in the world. Units span academic quarters and encompass art and social theory, a historical background and are contextualized by relevant contemporary art practice. Students are assessed via critical evaluation of projects, participation in group activities and their personal reflections on the material and their engagement with it.
Workshops
Company members study in their respective disciplines with arts professionals in hands-on, intensive workshops. Additional workshops are offered in related areas such as photography, yoga, Alexander Technique, etc. Guests also come in to discuss their careers and provide insight
into the life of a working artist. Workshops generally meet four to ten times and each discipline has a minimum of three workshops per year.
Topics covered in workshops range from the practical to the esoteric. Company members learn useful skills and also participate in experimental and cross-discipline workshops that challenge and expand their thinking. Guest instructors are all working artists who are recognized as experts in their fields and who have the ability to relate to young people and teach.
Fine Arts Study
All students in STAC study the fine arts, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, etc., as part of their weekly activities in the program. The development of technical skills is encouraged through an emphasis on creativity, self-expression and ownership. Additionally, students study the social context of the arts through exploration of arts movements and trends through history.
Film and Filmmaking
Students study all aspects of film from social relevance, the work of particular directors, trends and styles, to filmmaking techniques and process. The class watches a variety of films each year drawn from all eras, genres and countries. Films are selected by careful consideration of their relatedness to the current unit curriculum, artistic merit and accessibility to the students.
Company members write, direct, film and edit six to ten productions a year and have access to digital video cameras, sound and lighting equipment, Macintosh based computer editing systems (Final Cut Pro), music composition software and audio editing stations.
