By developing engaged artists, we investigate and critique contemporary social landscapes. Thanks to the diverse interests and expertise of our faculty, our program is robust with a variety of possible specialties and themes: spatial discourse, social justice actions, aesthetic and public performance, cross-boundary collaborations and innovative communication. Our strength is in our wide range of backgrounds, our creative diversity and in the vitality of our cultural investigation. Here students are inspired to master techniques and employ them toward the visually new and challenging.
The Arts are pervasive in all our lives and impart meaning to all experiences. Our goal is to foster student learning and to assist students in becoming better problem solvers, as well as, more effective critical thinkers. We want to challenge students and enhance their self-confidence, so that they grow personally and artistically. We strive to create an enjoyable, positive environment for a child to grow in their understanding and appreciation of art, as well as their creativity.
The goal of the Visual Arts program is to develop in students a familiarity with creative visual expression, moving beyond speaking and writing. Through different media and materials, we seek to introduce students to the vast potential of the visual arts as a means of self-expression and to engage their imagination and curiosity in giving their ideas aesthetic form. Our classes are designed to foster independent and flexible thinking, as well as discipline, risk-taking and perseverance. We ask students to reflect inward, to demonstrate commitment, curiosity and craft in creating their work, and to be courageous and trust the process of experimentation. Students may develop a rich and deep level of inquiry in each class, as all the classes relate to each other, and also by advancing in a medium by taking a class more than once. Classes include outside readings, sketchbook and writing assignments, a research project, visiting artists and field trips.
We believe that visual art is a universal tool for communication, and is a fundamental component of the human spirit. With this in mind, the goal of the Visual Arts program is to foster student familiarity with creative expression through a variety of different media and materials. Our classes are designed to promote independent thinking, risk taking, and strives to bridge social, economic and cultural boundaries through specific discourse, personal inquiry, and interdisciplinary collaboration.