Open Window School Art: February 2010

Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's sunflower paintings, the second graders created these beautiful renderings with chalk pastel. In doing so, they practiced overlapping and learned how to render light to make the images appear more 3D.

The Philosophy

The ultimate goal of the Art Program at the Open Window School is to provide students with a meaningful experience in the visual arts by creating a supportive environment that celebrates creative exploration and individuality. The art program takes a discipline-based art education approach to its curriculum, which combines experiences from four disciplines in the study of art: Art History, Art Criticism, Aesthetics and Art Production. Upon integrating this, lessons merge the disciplines instead of teaching concepts from each discipline separately.

OWS Art Students are:
Philosophers (Aesthetics)
· Asking the Big Questions: What is art? What is good art? What is beauty?
· Engaging in group discussions to think about what they are doing, learning, and feeling about their art and the art of others
· Approaching their art endeavors through aesthetic questioning
Art Critics (Art Criticism)
· Describing, interpreting, and judging works of art
· Examining and discussing formal principles of design and elements of art
· Expanding and utilizing artistic vocabulary
Art Historians (Art History)
· Studying the history of objects and the history of people through art
· Recognizing how art uniquely documents cultural changes throughout history
· Studying historical artists and works to gain insights about the past and the present
Artists (Art Production)
· Producing original artworks
· Utilizing a wide variety of mediums and tools
· Identifying and employing the Elements of Art and Design: value, color, texture, shape, form, space
· Exploring and challenging individual expression

All art projects are aligned with the Open Window School’s Adopted Standards and are taught to reach the benchmarks for each grade level.

2.10.2010

2nd Grade Flowers

Open Window School Art

The Philosophy

Weblinks

Open Window School Student Gallery

Open Window School Art