Visual Arts

Visual Arts

Art in the Middle School is designed to foster the skills and dispositions necessary to creative thinking, encourage active problem-solving, and increase confidence in expressing original ideas. Students gain deeper knowledge of the elements and principles of art, learn to assimilate art historical information into their work, delve into personal expression, engage in collaboration, and gain experience in the conception, planning, and execution of multi-layered projects. Projects are designed to allow for maximum creative variability while advancing skills in particular media. The overriding goal is to maintain a high level of motivation and enthusiasm for all aspects of the creative process.

Art 5: Art Foundations 1.0 credit AY 5

Fifth grade art students build upon the skills and dispositions developed throughout their lower school years. They are familiar with most art materials and are ready to learn more sophisticated techniques and concepts such as metaphor and social significance in art, use art terms, and implement instructions and their own research to span an entire project. The fifth grade program teaches the elements of art through personal storytelling and curriculum-related subject matter in history, social studies, and science. Children become familiar with the artwork of different cultures through an introduction to the Art Link program, and learn to use their expanding visual vocabulary in order to communicate their own stories and deepen their understanding of the life experiences of others through their art.

Art 6: Explorations in Media 1.0 credit AY 6

Art in the Sixth Grade builds upon the discoveries made in Lower School as the students continue to experiment, invent, play, wonder, and create with a variety of media. In addition, they will grow their sense of independence, responsibility, pride, and ownership of the studio environment, while celebrating themselves as individual thinkers and observers of the world. Students learn how to research and compile visual references and materials for their projects from books as well as digital resources. In addition to creating personal portfolios of work, student work is exhibited upon the conclusion of the course.

Art 7: Collecting Ideas 1.0 credit AY 7

In Seventh Grade, students continue to develop their skills in different media and explore the fundamental concepts of art. Through continued practice and experimentation in drawing, painting, collage, and sculpture, students gain insight into their imagination and achieve greater selfconfidence in visual expression. Assignments are more complex than in Art Foundations, necessitating deeper thinking and greater self-discipline. Most major projects include an art history component as well as some written work relating to class content, vocabulary, and self-assessment

Art 8: The Artist’s Story 1.0 credit AY 8

The eighth grade year finishes the students' preparation for art classes in the Upper School. Students use a wide range of media, working toward age-appropriate mastery of basic skills and techniques and the fundamental concepts of art while developing the capacity to think creatively, forming original ideas and solving problems. Projects are more complex than in previous years: they incorporate new as well as previously learned technical skills; they involve assimilating art historical information into a personal expression of the style or period; they are often multi-layered, incorporating different media and many stages from inception to completion.