Turning Art into an Anchor

Scott Beil, Upper School Art Teacher, is working to bring the myriad resources, museums, and art history at our disposal in the tri-state area into a central database so teachers of all disciplines can utilize art as a prompt for learning in any subject area.

“I’ve always viewed teaching art as a multi-faceted role,” explained Beil. “One component is to find ways to make art more of a classroom presence across the curriculum and to help infuse some creativity and some art history to enhance what’s being taught in other disciplines.”

Beil is pulling his professional Deep Dive thesis from some of his past professional development experiences in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum.

His project is entitled “Connecting Collections” and he seeks to build a digital bridge between the museum and the classroom. His goal involves visiting local museums and working with Peck’s Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development Chris Weaver as well as with individual teachers to find touchpoints where works of art could benefit their specific curriculum.

Beil's database organizes the works by museum so if a class is studying, for example, ancient cultures in fifth-grade history, they can locate a list of complementary works for in-class viewing and discussion (or, better yet, go visit them in person).

“Deep Dives typically are a yearlong exercise, but for me, I see this as a pilot and something that can continue to grow. I love the idea of generating excitement amongst our students for art and its importance in the regular curriculum,” said Beil.

“Peck sees teacher development as an active experience, and it’s a personal one. The Deep Dive is so exciting because it shows how invested the school is in fostering a culture of lifelong learners.If faculty are taking on a challenge, or making a stretch, it benefits the whole community. This is something really unique to Peck that I haven’t seen in other schools—and it’s awesome.”