The Philosophy behind Visual Art at Decatur Classical

Decatur students develop three major themes: experimentation with materials, contemporary artistic practices, and discovery of self-expression through evolving personal style.

Each grade level works with a variety of materials to discover what they can and can’t do.  Their work models practicing artists who seek advantages from their materials and evaluate which tools best resolve the studio problem they encounter.   Students learn how to build concepts and presentation in layers, thinking through transparent, translucent and opaque approaches as they create works of art.  

Upper-grade students tour Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art and Intuit: the Center for Outsider Art.  Field experience encourages students to analyze artworks and develop the vocabulary to discuss who makes art and why students would want to make art.   As students view, discuss and write about contemporary artists, students fill their memory banks with images of art that proposes the question “What If?”

Students are constantly encouraged to develop their voice through discussion, writing, and art-making.  The art room builds student courage by explicitly valuing creative style and imagination.  Students realize that seeing the world from different perspectives helps us all become more tolerant and open-minded.  Together, students learn to exchange ideas and experiment with solutions to difficult problems.