You finally finish walking up all four flights of stairs when you are met with two glass doors. You open these glass doors and peer down a hallway filled with colors and beautiful works of East high Alum on the walls. This is the fourth floor art hallway, and you are already feeling creative.

Students at East High School may not be aware of the changes coming to the art department. There are going to be way more creative opportunities, like art center visits, photo realism, tie-dye, spin art, oil painting, and more. These changes will be implemented in the 2024-25 school year. Some of these changes include more intricate drawing classes, as well as painting classes. There will be more advanced metalworking and jewelry making. Classes now, like drawing and painting I, II, III, IIII, intermediate graphic design, advanced graphic design, and AP (Advanced Placement) art, will be broken down and will separate drawing and painting.

Speaking to art teachers at East like Ashley Moore, who teaches drawing and painting I, III, and AP art, the Eastside community can get a better look into the new changes being made.

“Instead of intro to art being a year long class, they will be split into semester long classes,” Moore said.

“It’s really exciting for us as teachers because it opens up more intricate classes for students to choose from, and we are hoping that with the intricacy more students will be willing to try art as an elective,” Moore said.

As East students currently and have been able to choose their electives, most opt out of art. There are hopes that with these more advanced and hands on classes more students will be drawn to East’s art department and opportunities.

“I’m really excited to be more hands on with my students next year. Our curriculum can be used in more fun and exciting ways which is especially good for my kids. I am hoping to see lots of new faces next year too,” Ar t teacher Ryan Koning said.

With new classes being added, this also opens up new opportunities for new teachers at East High School. With the 2020-24 classes being graduated (or almost graduated) those looking to be teachers may see this as the right fit for themselves. East high alum also have a better chance at becoming employed through the Des Moines Public School district, since they have graduated from that district.