Art
The arts program at (school) is an amazing blend of the visual arts, art history, technology and construction. Each class is challenged with a design problem and must creatively brainstorm to solve the puzzle.
Art classes have been designed to reflect the teaching in the Language Arts, History and Science classes. Mosaics (ancient civilization) to mobiles (contemporary), sculptural friezes (Greece), to Pop Art, (1960s), the middle school experiences a vast and diversified arts program incorporating 2 and 3 dimensional art forms. They could be soldering, designing and constructing large mobiles as did Alexander Calder, or studying photography and creating art through digital display and distortion. Papier Mache sculptures can reflect studies in science along with constructed sundials that examine the relationship between Earth and the sun. Art history is also discussed and students learn of the relationship of color and line as was done by the masters. They select a painting then re-create it only using the primary colors. This allows students to visually break down color composition and become expert in color blending.
Elementary school students’ study batiking, jewelry design, weaving, coiled pottery, wire sculpture, and papier Mache as a support in understanding color theory, perspective, texture and line studies. Life forms, gesture drawing, soapstone carving, linoleum cuts, scrimshaw, and oil painting lessons are planned to round out an exciting, cutting edge program.
Middle-school children learn how to do ancient and modern art while also learning the history of those eras. They design sculptural friezes in the style of ancient Greece then recreate the balance and beauty of 20th-century kinetic artist, Alexander Calder.
They also study photography and how to enhance or distort the images using the latest in digital editing.
Fundamentals are also stressed. Students choose a painting from several Modernist artists, such as Amedeo Modigliani, Joan Miro or Andrew Breton. They then recreate that picture, using only primary colors. In this way, they learn a fundamental tool, the basics of color blending.