Art Program

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time” - Thomas Merton 

The primary goal of the Art lesson is to introduce the children to the enormous range of amazing art that surrounds us and is interwoven to greater or lesser degree into every aspect of our daily lives, this is art which may make us feel happy, sad, angry or wistful. Art will be a subject where they can find and develop ways to interpret the key elements being taught to reflect their feelings and growing personalities.

Art is not, nor should it ever be, limited to just a few key artists, knowing how to hold a paintbrush, or being able to draw photographically with a 2B pencil. Art is about learning that there are “grey” areas in life where people can hold varied opinions about the same piece of work. “Grey” areas where different people can have wildly different outcomes to a single project brief.  The main objective is that the resulting work from a project brief is a personal response which reflects the person who created it.

The different artists, styles, movements, techniques, etc. which we will cover are not things which are taught in isolation and then we move on. Art, naturally, revisits itself interweaving disciplines within project briefs and is also consistently cross-curricular in its very nature.

Over the course of each year we will touch on, learn about and re-trace the 7 elements of art (Line, Shape, Form, Space, Color, Texture), Artists, Art specific vocabulary, Materials & Movements through varied project briefs encompassing individual & group-based work in both 2D and 3D. The briefs can and will be tailored to the dynamics of a class group, leading to an “organic” style of curriculum that can be shaped as the year progresses to fit the needs of the students.  Art is a subject that naturally allows for differentiation as there is no fixed outcome, simply an expectation that students will follow the directions given leading to their personal response…. Or as I like to put it “no black and white answers instead art is the most beautiful rainbow of grey”

Most of the students’ art work will be displayed throughout the year on boards both within the art room and around the school.  In the past, student work has been displayed in local businesses and area art shows.  The work that is put on display is chosen based on effort applied and how students followed the directions of the brief.  Remember art is subjective, there may be work that gets displayed that you do not see as being the greatest piece, however, to its creator it is their honest and personal response, so please be mindful of this when openly talking about work you see.