Image: taken by author
The Multimedia Art Academy (MMAA) is a three-year program at Washington that provides numerous opportunities for students interested in the arts. It can be joined by 10th or 11th graders, giving them experience with common industry tools, mentorships from professional artists, and more. The program gives students direct exposure to what career pathways in the arts may look like. For example, students can gain training and instruction in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Procreate, which are tools that are commonly used in professional arts fields. According to Ms. Campisano, one of the program’s leading teachers, the academy prepares students for careers in illustration, graphic design, fine art, professional photography, art direction, and more. Even for students who might not become artists in the future, understanding things like visual communication and design aesthetics can give them an advantage in other fields such as advertising and media management.
A big feature of the academy is its mentorship program, which connects 11th grade students with professionals in different creative art fields. These mentors, who are from all across the world, including areas like New York, Pennsylvania, and even internationally in the United Kingdom, volunteer their time to give students feedback on their work. They suggest specific assignments the students can do to improve their skills and help them with career and college preparation. Additionally, the Digital Imaging course offers students dual enrollment credit at Ohlone College, allowing them to earn college credit whilst still in a high school class.
The MMAA curriculum also blends art with other subjects like English and history. In one recent project, students designed murals based on civil rights topics, combining the information they learned from U.S. history with their drawing skills. Another project involved creating posters that were inspired by 1920s propaganda, blending history, social issues, and artistic skills. “They created art and wrote essays, and then we printed a magazine in the style of the 1920s,” recalls Ms. Osicka, another teacher who works closely with the academy students. The most recent project students have been creating are their own manifestos about beliefs they hold to be true, which have been posted around the school.
The program also includes exciting field trips. Each year, students visit museums like the Oakland Museum of California, the Berkeley Art Museum, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which provides them with an introduction to today’s artistic world. These trips let students bond with each other, allow them to see professional artwork, and help them become more comfortable with navigating the Bay Area. “Some of our students don’t know how to get to different cities without actually being driven around in a car,” says Ms. Campisano. These trips, usually taken through BART, can help students learn independence. 12th grade MMAA member Nowshin Rodoshi says, “I’ve been to all of the field trips, but SFMOMA is definitely my favorite. After we go on the BART to get there, we get these nice bracelets. We also get a lot of freedom in being able to roam around the museum and seeing all the artworks on our own, which I love.”
One of the most rewarding aspects of the academy is the sense of community it creates between students. As Ms. Campisano explains, “One of the things about being in the academy is that you share up to three classes a year with each other. And by the end of three years, if you stick with it, you almost have a family.” Students are able to interact with like-minded students that have similar interests, creating a welcoming setting for students to learn in.
As the art industry and the students change, so does the MMAA. Future plans they have include bringing in more guest artists, increasing opportunities for shadowing professionals, and expanding experiences with specific industry experts.
MMAA Logo: designed by 11th grader Yamileth Benitez Martinez
Isha Kannan is currently a sophomore at Washington High School. She was born in Santa Clara, but has been living in Fremont since she was four. This is her first year with The Hatchet and she is excited to cover interesting stories about student life and important world events. Beyond writing, Isha loves baking, going to debate tournaments, reading, singing, and traveling to different places. In the future she hopes to go to university, but is undecided as to what she wants to major in.