Fine Arts Program

Under the intentional direction of our Head of School, William Grant, Lake Tahoe Preparatory School has greatly increased its emphasis on providing high quality music and arts instruction. Students of all ability levels have the opportunity to take a wide variety of classes in these areas. Music classes include music ensemble, chorus, digital music, instrument performance, and songwriting. Comprehensive art classes include ceramics, 3D art, AP Art, studio art and a wide variety of visual arts including drawing, painting and sculpture. Additionally, returning this year are classes in Jewelry Design, Art History, and Film Appreciation.

Students not only have the opportunity to learn art skills, but to also perform and showcase their projects. Whether it is during monthly musical performances or a year end art show and sale, students are able to share their accomplishments with others. 

 

Over the last few years, several students have been accepted into and are attending programs at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.

Under the direction of our Director of Visual Arts, we are fortunate to have three highly talented teachers in our Arts department. 

Sarah Hetu is the Director of Visual Arts at Lake Tahoe Preparatory School. She has been involved in Art Education for nearly a decade. Ever since she was able to hold a pencil she has been immersed in art, and has been a visual artist her entire life.  Although her favorite mediums are painting and drawing, she enjoys teaching Ceramics the most.

 

Sarah’s true love of art came when she was in high school as she discovered her love of oil painting and figure drawing with her high school art teacher. She was so inspired by him, she chose to teach high school art herself!

Sarah has a Bachelor of Science in Art Education and takes a unique and successful approach to teaching art in her classroom. Classes that she teaches include many visual art electives, such as Digital Art, Ceramics, Studio Art 1-3, and AP Studio Art: 2D. 

After a three year hiatus, famed Jewelry Design Teacher and snowboarder extraordinaire Barry Jones is back at Lake Tahoe Preparatory School! He is excited to return and bring his Master of Fine Art skills to teaching Jewelry Design, Film and Digital Photography and Art History.

 

Barry has over 25 years teaching experience at the college preparatory boarding school and college level.  He was a Master level Instructor for three Outward Bound Schools, has been a Wilderness Instructor for numerous Wilderness programs and teacher in Therapeutic boarding schools.  An American Mountain Guides Advanced level Instructor in rock and ice and a private mountaineering guide for over 20 years, he has led student and client trips all over the United States and around the globe. During the winter months, Barry loves taking students out to local ski resorts to share his passion for Alpine snowboard carving.  When it's not snowing, you can find him out riding his road bike, training for his next great cycling century road race. 

Elspeth Collard is in her first year as the Music Teacher at Lake Tahoe Preparatory School, where she teaches Music Ensemble, Music Technology and Introduction to an Instrument of the students’ choice. 

From a very young age, she has played several instruments and began writing songs as a teenager. This love of music led her to get her undergraduate degree in Music at the University of Cambridge, before moving to the United States to get her Master’s degree in Musical Theater Writing from New York University. 

When she’s not teaching, she stays very involved in music. As an accomplished songwriter, her album, Little Love Notes from Collard and Rosenblatt, can be found on all major streaming services. She has also performed many concerts and shows around New York.