Visual Arts
The prekindergarten-12 Visual Arts program educates students through rigorous and meaningful child-centered learning experiences. The Visual Arts curriculum and instruction is designed to foster 21st century skills, encompassing critical and creative thinking, self-direction, perseverance, and accountability in the making of personal works of art.
→ View the Visual Arts exhibition schedule
Objectives and Artistic Processes
Creating
The process of conceiving and developing new or personal ideas through art making.
Long Term Transfer Goals: Students are able to
- experiment and take risks to investigate multiple solutions to a problem.
- respond to technical, formal and conceptual ideas and challenges
- use knowledge and understandings to create engaging, purposeful artistic expression with a focus on personal choice making and quality.
Responding
The synthesis of meaning, context, and process through interaction with, and connection to the visual world.
Long Term Transfer Goal: Students are able to
- respond to the artistic expression of others through informed understanding, critical analysis, and personal aesthetics.
Presenting
The relating of personal artistic intent and choices through reflections, thoughtful presentation and or exhibition of personal work.
Long Term Transfer Goal: Students are able to
- Select and prepare work for an audience.
- Reflect upon work to guide and inform their behavior and process.
Disciplines
Drawing
- Working from observation, memory and imagination, use a variety of technical approaches and media to represent subject matter and ideas to develop a personal solution to a given art problem.
- To record and generate solutions to any given art problem.
Painting
- Apply color theory, specific techniques, a variety of technical approaches and media to develop personal solution to a given art problem.
Sculpture
- Apply sculptural techniques and 3-d design strategies to develop personal solution to a given art problem.
Printmaking
- Integrate specific printmaking skills and strategies to convey and develop a personal solution to a given art problem.
Craft
- Design and produce a functional and well-crafted object as a personal solution to a given art problem.
Alternative or mixed media
- Explore traditional and contemporary practices of mixed or alternative media to develop a personal solution to a given art problem.
Grading Standards
- Idea development: Applies strategies to generate a variety of solutions to a given art problem.
- Design/Organization: Organizes ideas through the use of materials and compositional / formal strategies.,
- Personal choice-making and meaning: Uses best practices and experiences to inform and develop an authentic voice.,
- Craftsmanship: Employs strategies and techniques to insure the quality and the final presentation of completed assignment.
- Studio Skills & Practices: Demonstrates artistic behaviors in the studio environment: perseverance of task, care of materials, and respect for others and their work.
- Reflection: Communicates an understanding of concepts and strategies, personal choices, through the evaluation of artworks.
Courses
Elementary School
- pre-K Visual Arts
- Grade 1 Visual Arts
- Grade 2 Visual Arts
- Grade 3 Visual Arts
- Grade 4 Visual Arts
- Grade 5 Visual Arts
Middle School
Course descriptions can be found in the Middle School Course Catalog.
- Grade 6 Visual Arts
- Grade 7 Visual Arts
- Grade 8 Visual Arts
High School
Course descriptions can be found in the High School Course Catalog.
- Art I: Foundations of Studio Art
- Art II: Developing Ideas in Media – GT
- Art III: Portfolio Development – H/AP
- Art IV: Personal Directions in Art Studio – H/AP
- Art Studio – H/AP
- Photography I: Developing Ideas in Photography – GT
- Photography II: Portfolio Development – H/AP
- Photography III: Personal Directions in Photography – H/AP
- Photo Studio – H/AP
- New Forms in Art – GT
