Visual Arts

At St. Anne’s, self-expression is a vital and central component to each student’s experience and development. Art class serves as a safe space for students to express themselves, experiment, and discover their creative voice. This joy of artmaking is shared with and celebrated by the whole community, whether it be through school-wide displays or the annual art show.

At each grade level, students are exposed to a wide range of artists, mediums, and techniques. For example, sixth graders investigate Renaissance artists in the fall and develop perspective drawing techniques used by the masters. In the spring, they explore the Pop-Art movement, and create their own modern painting inspired by this style.

Standard-based projects nurture background knowledge and target the development of new skills. Students from first to eighth grade create unique elements of art projects early in the year, then expand on this core knowledge through a diverse grade-specific curriculum incorporating these elements.

Student engagement is essential, therefore, projects target student interests. First graders design their own cartoon characters, while eighth graders explore social issues through graffiti art. Through established units, student voice is invariably considered, and personal interpretations of projects are encouraged.

Throughout their artistic journeys, students engage in conceptual learning and develop technical skills, but most importantly develop a love and appreciation for art. Through hands-on experiences, students learn mindfulness: how to connect with both themselves and others through the magic of creation.