VISUAL ARTS


Mrs. Behrends
Mrs. Gardner

The visual arts are basic to the general education of the children and have a profound value in shaping their lives. A quality art program fosters creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving.

The visual art curriculum at Midway Elementary School includes four components as outlined by the South Carolina Department of Education.

The components are:

• aesthetic perception - awareness of the aesthetic qualities of works of art, manmade and in the environment, and involving the sensory and intellectual analysis of these perceptions.
• creative expression - the making of art through production; acquiring artistic knowledge and skills to express and communicate through art.
• cultural heritage - knowledge about the historical and cultural background concerning works of art.
• aesthetic valuing - making informed judgments concerning artworks involving critical thinking skills·

Within these components, the student will involve skills across the disciplines· Verbal and written communication, social studies, math, science, and manipulative skills will be an integral part of the art curriculum.

A variety of art processes and media will be employed including drawing, painting, sculpting, printmaking, textiles, etching, collage, as well as others· The student will experience art as a cohesive component of their total education. Various subject areas of the primary curriculum will be integrated throughout the daily art activities to reinforce learning.