Creativity | Reimagined

Art is a conversation, and everyone has a voice.

At least, that’s the philosophy here at The Peck School, a K-8 in Morristown, NJ. In both the fine and performing arts, Peck art teachers don’t necessarily set out to educate the next Mozart or Monet.

They want to graduate alumni who can not only express themselves creatively, but can also appreciate and engage with the creativity of others.

“Art is an expression of creativity, and a chance to express our humanity and learn about other’s humanity,” says Art Department Chair Scott Beil. “Every time we put something out there it’s a little part of us. And that’s exciting.”

With this in mind, art teachers at Peck equip students with a practical skill set to understand, articulate, and bring to life their creative visions.

Whether in the woodshop, during an improvisational acting class, in an instrumental ensemble, in front of a canvas, or singing in a chorus, this creative toolkit hinges on four core capacities: Observation, Critical thinking, Making, and Feeling.

For Observation, the question is what am I seeing and/or hearing?

Critical Thinking asks how does this work of art speak to me? What do I think the artist was trying to accomplish?

In Making, students identify skills and techniques involved, and ask themselves how can I apply these to make something that is unique to my own vision/experience? How can I apply these to make something that is unique to my own vision/experience?

Feeling prompts the questions What emotions am I experiencing, and hoping to evoke, as I create/perform?

Somewhere along the way from childhood to adulthood, people stop feeling like they’re creative or capable of being an artist. I don’t want that to be the case,” Beil said. “So that’s the impetus for the curriculum here: we teach children to identify their voice, regardless of the art form.

There is tremendous interplay between these four capacities. For example, a student who struggles in the “making” department on a particular assignment may have deep capacity to feel. A student with great technical ability may need help to grow their connection to feeling and expression.

Practicing observation is a natural starting place, one that encourages students to become perceptive members of the world.

“We want students to develop the habit of looking at the world and noticing things that someone else might not see,” Beil says.

For example, Beil asks guiding questions about a piece of art: where are the shadows, what are the shapes, or how does this piece make you feel?

In music, teachers prompt active listening—what tones did you hear, how fast is the tempo, and what emotion is coming through the music?

From seeing, students explore reflecting on their work and the work of others.

Beil encourages students, whether in a museum or at a concert, to engage with their gut reactions with curiosity. “This is where the conversation about art can really begin,” Beil says.

“Art is subjective, and how one piece resonates with me might be totally different than how you connect with it or not, based on our perspective and lived experience.”

Ultimately, art is about expression. Teaching students strategies on how to understand their own unique perceptions, and infuse that into their work is just as important as making pieces that are aesthetically pleasing to view, hear, or watch.

“I’m often teaching students how to communicate feelings that don’t necessarily have a language,” Beil says. “That’s what makes art of all forms so powerful. This is how we all connect through art; regardless of language or cultural background or nationality, we all understand emotion.”

The idea of infusing one’s identity into art is especially prominent in sixth grade, when visual arts classes are guided by the essential question: How is art connected to identity? In the spring, they sculpt wire structures that express something about their identity while displaying dynamic movement: from kicking a soccer ball, a performing ballerina, or a wizard wielding a staff.

Julien ’25 crafted a water mage poised to blast away an enemy. For Reyes, his love of magic and wizardry was a new part of his identity to share with many of his classmates.

“This project is a great way to show people what you’re talking about and who you are through art,” he said, as he embellished his wizard’s staff with blue gems and beads to illustrate the water elements.

“For me, this is about sharing and bringing to life the fantasy world I enjoy.”

Through these four areas of artistic growth and through the questions, discussions, encounters, and techniques they learn while participating in Peck’s K-8 arts program, students not only acquire concrete skills they can apply in other disciplines and carry with them for life, but they become engaged consumers of art and unlock outlets for creative expression and communication.

“Somewhere along the way from childhood to adulthood, people stop feeling like they’re creative or capable of being an artist. I don’t want that to be the case,” Beil said.

"Every child contributes to the artistic conversation, and every child can see themselves as a creative person. No matter what career or hobby or direction they choose to follow as adults, each is capable of giving something unique and beautiful to the world.”

The Peck School is a K-8, co-ed, independent school in Morristown, NJ. www.peckschool.org

We set the standard for excellence in K-8 education, where academic preparation and character development intersect powerfully in the learning experience. By embedding consideration of others, service, and belonging in all that we do, we are designing an integrated approach to education that develops curious and disciplined learners who positively shape the world.