Art

Welcome to the Art Department Web Page!

The Visual Art curriculum introduces the visual arts to young children through the exploration of a variety of media, presented in conjunction with elements and principles of design, in order to stimulate and nurture their creative potential and development. In addition, children learn through artistic activities how the visual arts relate to other disciplines and classroom curriculums. The Davis School visual art curriculum is part of a system wide curriculum and is shaped by the Massachusetts Arts Frameworks.

Children will be exposed to a variety of mediums, methods and topics. These will consist of graphic mediums, such as markers, pencils, and crayons; paint mediums, such as watercolor, tempera, and finger paint; three-dimensional mediums, such as clay, wood, and recycled materials; basic printmaking techniques; and basic computer applications. Works produced with these materials will range from the direct observation of still life objects to themes and subjects that appeal to the world of fantasy and imagination. Students are encouraged to take risks and be experimental in attempting to communicate meaningful ideas and feelings.

Each year children learn about basic shapes, lines, textures, mass, and color as these relate to the process of producing visual art works. Often the study of these elements will have interdisciplinary connections with other classroom curriculums. A sampling of these has included such topics as wetlands, animals, Native Americans, and the African country of Uganda. We believe the skills that students develop from being exposed to this range of content will lead to more effective self-expression, creative problem solving, and critical thinking.

In addition, children will learn about famous artists through posters, books, videos, and the Internet. Local artists may also be available for classroom presentations and demonstrations.

As a culminating activity, graduating second graders will design an individual tile that will become a permanent part of a tile mural on display in the Davis School corridors.

If you and your child are looking for some fun art projects to do at home, look at the following websites:

Staff Contacts

Name Title
John Preusch Art Teacher
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