Visual Arts

Lower School is the first place that creativity flows boundlessly with collective innocence, confidence and just pride. Every child has a natural sense of what they want to convey visually and often are willing to inform the teacher of an idea that they feel is in need of being expressed. The LS art curriculum embraces the Disciplined Based Art approach; the elements and principles of art are taught in combination with art history and technical skill development. The students experience a variety of book readings, print and/or movie visuals, artists’ biographies and technique demonstrations (drawing, painting, printmaking, pastel and clay demonstrations) in preparation for each topical lesson. While every project includes a variety of goals, the children’s artistic interpretations are always distinctive and delightful.

Middle School students are naturally energetic and look forward to being challenged; they can be surprisingly curious, quizzical, and enthusiastic about expressing themselves. Yet, in their quest for personal expression they often look for rules to follow - at least when it comes to making art! Thus, the Middle school art lessons are taught from a Fine Arts perspective. Experimenting with spontaneous and analytical line, scale and proportion, and light and shadow helps the students to understand the fundamental principles needed to create the illusion of three dimensions in their two dimensional works of art and increases their understanding of the forethought needed to develop actual three dimensional artworks. Giving our young students the tools and rules to draw and sculpt what they actually see is a stepping stone in giving them the confidence needed to make artworks that intentionally alter and/or exaggerate a subject for greater personal expression.

The Creative Process is linked to every field of study. Allowing all of our students the time to experience the visual arts process alongside their study of the humanities and sciences broadens their understanding of the cognitive, physical, and historical links that connect the disciplines and the shared impulse to create. The goal of the general Creative Arts curriculum is to provide ‘academic balance’ by giving our students the physical experience of various challenging artistic concepts, principles, and techniques within a studio environment. Each grade level has specific art related targets that embrace the following content areas in either particular and/or integrated lessons so that many will have an opportunity to realize their creative potential via their original artistic ideas and/or applications: Art Elements and Principles, Concept Development, Technique, Art Vocabulary and Critique, Art History, and Current Artistic Influences.

Additionally, the need to have all students experience the Creative Process is enhanced through the Integrated Humanities Curriculum. This course outline allows the students to learn about the relevant literature and art achievements of a time in an historical and congruent fashion. In Creative Arts, the students’ Humanities education is improved by periodic studio lesson integration.

Upper School Visual Arts courses can be found beginning on page 29. 

2022-2023 course Guide