Artists in their Studio

Creativity matters because creativity fuels our society, empowering us to imagine, innovate, and shape the world we inhabit.

During Class, artists will explore a variety of mediums, techniques, and artistic skills that expand their artist toolbox:

• Projects (teacher guided projects that build upon a specific artistic skill or concept that incorporates student-led decision making)
• Centers & Skill Builder Exploration (Structured play and guided activities that allow students to experience, explore, and practice with a variety of art materials)
  
  
• W.O.W. Projects (An original work of art that takes multiple weeks to complete and shows growth as an artist)
  

Artists Use: Studio Habits of Mind

Envision

Learning to picture mentally what cannot be directly observed and imagine possible next steps in making a piece.

Engage & Persist

Learning to embrace problems of relevance within the art world and/or of personal importance, to develop focus and other mental states conducive to working and persevering at art tasks.

Express

Learning to create works that convey an idea, a feeling, or a personal meaning.

Observe

Learning to attend to visual contexts more closely than ordinary “looking” requires, and thereby to see things that otherwise might not be seen.

Reflect

Question and Explain: Learning to think and talk with others about an aspect of one’s work or working process.

Evaluate: Learning to judge one’s own work and working process, and the work of others in relation to standards of the field.

Develop Craft

Technique: Learning to use tools (e.g., viewfinders, brushes), materials (e.g., charcoal, paint), learning artistic conventions (e.g., perspective, color mixing);

Studio Practice: Learning to care for tools, materials, and space

Stretch & Explore

Learning to reach beyond one’s capacities, to explore playfully without a preconceived plan, and to embrace the opportunity to learn from mistakes and accidents.

Understand Art Worlds

Classroom: Learning about art history and current practice.

Communities: Learning to interact as an artist with other artists (i.e., in classrooms, in local arts organizations, and across the art field) and within the broader society