Montecito Union
ART PROGRAM
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Allison Atwill |
Jacci
Trandal |
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The brush stroke at the moment of contact caries inevitably
the exact state of being of the artist at that exact
moment into the work, and there it is, to be seen
and read by those who can read by such signs, and
to be read later by the artist himself, with perhaps
some surprise, as a revelation of himself."~ Robert Henri
" Every tremor in the brush is the universe speaking." ~ John Tarrant |
Art is
concerned with meaning, the transformational power
of beauty, and the expression of personal experience.
It is the repository of culture and it is the most
ancient form of communication. For forty thousand
years or more, human beings have expressed through
visual images what cannot be expressed in spoken or
written language. A child who graduates without an
arts education is a semi-literate human being. The study
of art teaches essential skills and knowledge. Students
learn the joy and discipline of craftsmanship, the
use of visual symbols to express meaning, and the
rich artistic treasure of 40,000 years of art history.
Art teaches the understanding of subtle connections,
similarities and differences, skills of observation,
discernment, critical thinking, and learning to see
what is. The art
program at Montecito Union is based on a philosophy
of art education developed by the Getty Foundation
called Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE). It incorporates
art history, art production, art criticism and aesthetics.
Our program is sequential in design and is integrated
into the classroom curriculum. Students gain an understanding
of art as symbolic language and of its historical
and cultural context. They develop skills and knowledge
of a variety of techniques of art production including
sculpture, printmaking, painting, drawing and ceramics.
During this process students develop their own personal
aesthetic and learn to understand and express their
response to specific artworks. The art classes are 45 minutes once a week for K-1, and 90 minutes every other week for grades 2-6. Students view slides, prints and original art, hear lectures about artists lives and the culture in which the art was created (art history), discuss their responses to the art (art criticism), watch demonstrations of various techniques and make art (art production), and discuss personal choices and vision in their own work (aesthetics). The art program at MUS is unique among elementary schools in California in its scope and depth. In 1999 we were awarded the Exemplary Visual Arts Program Award by the California Art Education Association.
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