Art

Clark-Wilkins Art Program

Art programming at Wilkins and Clark teaches and reviews basic art elements and principals of design. During each year the students are challenged to use these basic art concepts with a variety of materials. Grade 1-4 lessons differ and are designed for the developmental competency of elementary children and increase with complexity for older students. Art skills are measured by individual application of lesson concepts, use of technical options, practical and cognitive choices.

There are porject review statements on each report card. No Art grades are given at the elementary level.

The rules of using the Art room are established to govern the art space as a productive art studio.

Good participation will mean children are:

  • Using assigned seats to maintain individual work space
  • Listening to directions as a whole body skill
  • Following directions as a memory skill
  • Limiting conversations to talk about art lessons
  • Safely using all tools
  • Sharing materials to enhance group skills
  • Effectively managing time to complete art assignments
  • Keeping art space organized and clean
  • Creating a personal portfolio and labeling each piece with identification

Most projects accumulate in personal portfolios to be sent home at the end of the year. As much as possible the projects do link to hallmarks of visual aesthetics and history and sciences. This promotes an understanding for values of beauty past present and future. We look at Folk Art from local artists and around the world. Learning about famous artists do inspire divergent thinking and connect us to humanity as a very large family.

It is a custom to digitize student work for annual art show using monitors in the hallways at Wilkins to exhibit work. The best 150 pieces from all grades at Clark /Wilkins combined has been featured in the Amherst Town Library Art Show in May. Also The PTA has used student work to do fundraising that comes back to the students as special programming and funds for classroom special equipment.

To summarize the elementary art experience the following thoughts do set guidelines for young student art learning.

  • The road to great art begins with making it then asking "what is art?"
  • Orientation to the art facility sets the tone for work habits and all future art projects.
  • The artist within everyone develops better with taught guidelines and inspiration from other artists, history and life experiences.
  • Student's art work for display in school wide and district art shows begins with the collection held by individual art portfolios. Community connections gives pride and citizenship.
  • Art kept and valued in a collection enhances self-esteem and learner self-expectations elevate promoting life skill of productivity.

Art program at Wilkins is taught by Jessica Anderson. [email protected]

Art Program at Clark School is taught by Amy Parker, M.Ed. [email protected]