Visual Arts

The Visual Arts Department's primary focus is to enable student experience of the artistic process: design, produce, evaluate. Students experience the following components of an Arts Education.*

• Artistic Perception – recognize structures and their functions, vocabulary and grammar, elements and principles – Language Skills
• Creative Expression – create, produce, make work by applying tools, techniques, and processes with an emphasis on technical proficiency and literacy – Communication
• Historical and Cultural Context – understand and appreciate art from other times and places around the world and make connections between art and other disciplines – Breadth of Artistic Experience
• Aesthetic Valuing – analyze and evaluate, theorize and interpret, their own work and that of others with an emphasis on a range of subject matter, symbols and ideas – Critique

Art as Communication is a secondary focus and is articulated with use of class critique, public space exhibits and gallery installations that promote student achievement and support authentic assessment of both the work and the student.

Art is an integral part of human endeavor and is essential for the growth of civilization. This requires that the work be seen, perceived, and experienced. Just as the definition of a sound requires an ear, art requires an audience. This fulfillment of the artistic process makes the cycle complete.