Visual Arts

In art, students benefit from a balanced and comprehensive program that focuses on developing the aesthetic abilities of students in two fundamental ways: practical (or production-oriented) creative abilities and speculative (or appreciative) aesthetic abilities. Every student is encouraged and given the opportunity to develop both kinds of skills with regard to the visual arts. By focusing on students' practical and speculative aesthetic abilities, the art curriculum encourages students not only to develop the required motor skills for producing works of art, but also to develop habits of observation and critical thinking that are required if students are to appreciate beautiful art work. As a whole, the art curriculum offers an interweaving of the following components: fundamentals of drawing, art appreciation, and production. The visual arts course includes art appreciation and production.