This Year's Art Theme:
Exploring our Identity through the Visual Arts
General Art Room News:
Welcome back to the CHS Art Room! As we begin the year I wanted to share some thoughts with you about just what we do in art at CHS...
An adult friend recently asked me, “What do you do?” When he found out I taught art to 3-10 year olds, he asked, “Can you teach them anything?” In his question there was a hint of doubt. I said, “Of course!” Still, this did get me thinking about what exactly I do teach my students- the obvious skills as well as the underlying ways of thinking. My guess was that he was imagining me teaching my students how to use crayons and markers and maybe paint. However, teaching art is so much more than it appears on the surface.
Yes,
I do indeed teach my students the skills necessary in developing their visual
voice in art. Within that context however, I teach them many skills that will
serve them in life, in their pursuits for knowledge, as well as in their relationships
with each other, with nature, and in the world around them. In art class I
teach them that they have a voice that is unique and how to express that voice
visually through a variety of mediums. I teach them through reflection, that
their voice is valuable both as it relates to their understanding of themselves
as well as how they contribute to the world around them. I teach them to
observe (look and actually see) what is around them; to pay attention to life.
When
students come to the art room they know that it is a safe place to use their
imaginations and envision ways to meet art challenges, that there is no right
or wrong answer, only their own answer at that moment in time. Through the
experience and joy of experimenting, exploring, and working on a project for
several weeks, students learn to engage and persist, to stretch their abilities
and grow in many directions. They learn to think beyond their first impressions
and look deeper inside themselves for answers. They learn to test and trust their
decisions. They learn that this creative process pays off with rich rewards.
In
the art room students learn to collaborate with one another, the way people do
out in the world. They learn to offer ideas, listen to others, assess the
choices presented and come to conclusions together. In other words, they learn
how to merge their voice with others. They learn that at times the group can be
bigger than the sum of its parts, and that creating something together can
inspire feelings of ownership and community.Art lays the human experience at our feet asking for an authentic response to life. Practicing that authenticity is what we do in the art room.
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Our School-Wide Art Theme this year will be exploring our identity through the Visual Arts in conjunction with Lauren Huntley, our new School Counselor, who is working with students on this theme throughout the school. In what ways are we unique? In what ways can visually represent those distinguishing characteristics that make up our Identity?
Stay tuned
for updates as we explore this theme together...
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