Visual Arts

The goal of the Visual Arts department is to develop students’ perception, building an awareness of media, design, critical thinking, creativity and craftsmanship within the context of a formal background in the elements and principles of art. We cultivate a strong understanding of visual arts across cultural and disciplinary boundaries.

Our belief in the importance of children’s art is shown by the display of their artwork. The exhibits in the hallways and in the George R. A. Johnson ’59 Gallery contribute to a stimulating, child-centered school atmosphere, reinforcing the students’ motivation and interest in the arts.

Art Can Really Tell a Story

by Tait, Thomas, Ingrid, Ellie and Cecily (class of 2016)

To look at art is like reading a book.  Self-portraits . . . they have the power to tell all about the artist.  The purpose of a self-portrait is to tell about things that the artist likes, dislikes, and things that happened in the artist’s life.  In a self-portrait, the artist can make the painting however he/she wants.  If an artist had a happy life, the artists might paint themselves laughing.  If an artist had a sad life, the artists might draw themselves crying.  If an artist feels like he/she has an attitude like an animal, the artists might draw themselves with an animal’s head.

Frida Kahlo was a very famous Mexican artist who painted many self-portraits.  Frida grew up in Mexico and stayed there for the majority of her (very sad) life.  She developed polio at the age of six.  Then, there was the bus accident that injured her spine.  As a result, Frida was in a body cast for the most part, only rarely out of one.  To pass the time, she painted.  Self-portraits were in abundance since she was the person she knew the best.  Frida always painted herself in traditional Mexican clothing and her work was clearly influenced by the Mexican culture.  Eventuallly, she married Diego Rivera, an already famous Mexican painter who painted many murals.  Diego helped her and she grew as an artist under his shadow.

Our visit to the Frida Kahlo exhibit was actually very touching.  Frida Kahlo was quite an amazing person.  She had one of the most painful, frustrating lives.  And still, she painted with the emotional power and beauty in her paintings.  In all of her paintings, you can see the stages and emotions in her life.  "I feel Frida is inspirational," says Ms. Dicker, Lower and Middle School visual arts teacher.  As we neared the end of the exhibition of her paintings, there were actual photographs of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

The fourth grade’s self-portrait doll project was inspired by the work of Frida Kahlo and the crafts of Mexico.  Plaster bodies and clay faces were used in the fourth grade project.  First, the faces were constructed with clay, fired in the kiln, and painted.  Then, bodies were constructed from plaster.   The fourth graders designed clothing they wanted and painted it on their bodies with acrylic paints.  Finally, pieces of fabric, buttons, and other materials are added to create their own self-portrait.

In an interview with Ms. Dicker, we discovered that the project was adapted from a previous class project of making cornhusk dolls.  The inspiration for the self-portrait doll comes from the art of Frida Kahlo, whose art reflects the power of telling one’s own story through their art.  The project is part of a multicultural lesson and gives students the opportunity to explore the history and culture of Mexican art.  The students have been excited about the project, studying Frida Kahlo, seeing her work, and the actual process of making their self-portrait doll.  The end results were awesome!