The MMS art program is set up as an “Art Studio” environment where students are creating works of art inspired by personal experience! The curriculum incorporates the essential Elements of Art and Principles of Design along with the Studio Habits of Mind. Art History will also be included throughout the course when learning about artists, styles and movements. Most importantly, each student will develop their own artistic style through creative thinking, problem solving and by making visual connections. Students will create their own sketchbook that will be used everyday in the classroom to document their learning.
Choice-Art Educators seek to develop the artistic thinking of their students, through centers and choices; encouraging them and teaching them to come up with their own ideas for art making. This approach facilitates differentiation, which easily meets the needs of a variety of types of learners.
The eight “Studio Habits of Mind” (Develop Craft, Engage & Persist, Envision, Express, Observe, Reflect, Stretch & Explore, Understand Art Worlds) describe the thinking that teachers intend for their students to learn during the process of creating.