Art

Grades K-4

The goal of the K-4 grade program is for students to develop a LOVE OF ART! God has given each of us the gift of creativity and we are to use this gift in all possible ways. We believe the visual arts are part of a child’s basic education. This program seeks to open students’ eyes, spark their imaginations, direct their hands, and challenge them to explore media and techniques. Learning the “language of art” will strengthen children’s problem solving and communication skills.
*Each grade level progressively builds upon and reinforces the following areas:

Motor Skills 

Students learn basic skills of cutting, gluing, drawing, painting, coloring and building. These skills always include safety instructions and care of materials. Each year these skills are reviewed and more advanced techniques taught. One of the most important skills taught is patience.

Elements and Principles of Design

Lessons and projects are built around the basic “language” of art: line, shape, space, form, texture, depth, value, color, repetition, variation, balance, contrast, emphasis, and unity. These terms become part of the student’s vocabulary.

Media

All students explore using a variety of media each year, including clay and glazes, paper construction and collage, tempera, watercolor, oil pastels, markers, crayons, colored pencils, pencils, printmaking materials, fabric, yarn, and craft materials.

Art History and Cultural Arts

Every grade level focuses on a famous artist and relates projects to the style and thought process of that artist. (Da Vinci, Seurat, O’Keefe, Monet, The Impressionists, Degas, Van Gogh, Picasso, Abstract artists). Each grade level also uses in one of their projects a style or type of art related to another culture (Native American, South American, Asian, Hispanic, African).

Creativity and Expression

When children feel confident with their motor skills, understand “art words” and ideas, and have tried making art with many different materials, they are able to express more freely the thoughts and feelings they wish to communicate. Students are always encouraged to explore their own unique way of seeing, feeling, interpreting, and appreciating the creativity of others.

“Art is created by expressing, interpreting, questioning, exploring, experimenting, comparing and contrasting.”

Our middle school visual arts program introduces the students to the elements and principles of design through projects with a variety of techniques and media. Our program develops the student’s abilities to make critical judgments about art and to understand and appreciate the influences of art from other times and cultures.
In Grades 5-8 we build on the fundamentals of art learned in grades K-4. We master our skills and our work becomes more mature as we develop our talents. All student projects aim for success at all levels in our art program. Mediums used in middle school include oil pastels, tempera paints, watercolor paints, acrylic paints, fluorescent paints, chalk pastel, charcoal pencils, markers, colored pencils, plaster, metalwork, ceramics, mosaics, scratchboard, printmaking. 

The history of art is an integral part of our studies in middle school. Students learn the vocabulary and analytical skills necessary to appreciate and critically evaluate art pieces.
These are some of the artists we study in middle school: 
Fifth grade: Henri Rosseau-Primitive Art, Wayne Theibaud-American Art, Frank Stella-Abstract Art, Cultural arts from China and Africa
Sixth Grade: Henri Matisse-Modern Art, Marc Chagall-Surrealism, Henri Lichtenstein-Pop Art, Paul Cezanne-watercolor
Seventh Grade: Graphic Design Studies, Claus Oldenburg-Sculpture, Peter Max-Modern Art, Cultural Arts from Mexico, and Australia
Eighth grade: Andy Warhol- Pop Art, Egyptian Art-King Tut, Renaissance Art-perspective, Michael Snow-Graphic Artist

Students are encouraged to explore new ideas, maturely appreciate the work of other students, develop creative thinking and master the use of art materials. Each student from each grade level is represented in our Annual K-8 Art Show.