Drawing, like speaking, is a natural form of human communication. As we see in the caves and tombs thousands of years old, our ancestors related their history through their art. Art is an area of study where there are few absolutes, self-expression and creativity are vital elements. Nurturing the individual students and their natural abilities is perhaps the most important and difficult challenge of a fine-arts teacher. Students are challenged to challenge themselves in an environment where enthusiasm for arts creation prevails.

The arts curriculum is designed to build cumulatively on the preceding years, with a focus on the four disciplines of art: Art Making, Art Criticism, Art History and Aesthetics. Our focus this year is:

• ARTISTS- learning about different kinds of art, and different kinds of artists. It also involves learning about the characteristics of creative people
• ART VOCABULARY-learning the language of the arts
• CRITICIZING AND JUDGING ART- certain criteria and points of view must be known in order to make aesthetic decisions about works of art and/or objects in the visual environment
• ART MEDIA AND ART TOOLS- to both understand and produce art, certain knowledge and skills are necessary, to use tools and materials effectively
• LEARNING TO PERCEIVE- the abilities required for making aesthetic decisions and performing creative, artistic acts depends on the development of the five senses
• PRODUCING A FINISHED WORK OF ART

Through art, children discover how geography, history, and time link all people together, how we are alike and how we are all connected to the cultural heritage of the past. In teaching about the arts of man, we emphasize what a wonder “man the maker” is. We marvel at his accomplishments, and are inspired to express our own creative selves!