Art

Lower School art incorporates several layers of useful knowledge, including cultural relevance, the creative process, interdisciplinary connections, social and emotional learning, cultural competency, art history, the elements and principles of art and design, and material craftsmanship.
 
Essential Questions:
Where is art in our everyday lives?
What does art DO?
Why do we make art?
Why is art important?
What is art?
Who makes art?
What is art about?
What is the creative process?

Skills and Enduring Understandings
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We encounter art every day, and many of us never even see it, let alone think critically about it and the meaning it shares with us. This curriculum is designed to encourage students to see "the art" in the everyday, as well as to understand and appreciate art in more formal settings like museums, and to think of creativity as a skill to practice for the rest of their lives, no matter their career choice.

The curriculum encourages students to master a variety of creative skills such as exploration, reflection, revision, and ultimately, creation. In addition to these skills, students are exposed to various functions of art as well as major concepts of art, the elements of art and the principles of design, as well as a wide variety of art from different time periods and cultures.

Sketchbooks are a major part of the curriculum and students in grades Kindergarten through 4 maintain sketchbooks throughout their years. Sketchbooks are used to practice observational drawing regularly, as well as places for questions, reflections, notes, exploration with new materials and techniques, as well as a place for free drawing.
 
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Berwick Academy

Berwick Academy, situated on an 80-acre campus just over one hour north of Boston, serves 550 students, Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 and Post-Graduates. Berwick students are from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and several countries. Deeply committed to its mission of promoting virtue and useful knowledge, Berwick Academy empowers students to be creative and bold. Berwick strives to graduate alumni who shape their own learning, take risks, ask thoughtful questions, and come to understand and celebrate their authentic selves.