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Visual Arts: What you need to know

 

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The Bedford Central School District believes that Art education is an essential component of human development. Through Visual Art, students are empowered to be creative, “out of the box” thinkers and conscious designers; they are able to discover and express who they are, communicate their ideas, understand the visual, cultural, and virtual world, take risks, work collaboratively, make connections in their learning, innovate, develop an increasing sense of their own aesthetic, and authentically engage in their education. We have an exceptional K-12 team of certified art educators who have worked together to develop a progressive, student-centered approach to art education designed to enable every single student to grow and succeed.

 

The Visual Arts Department grounds instruction in the TAB (Teaching Artistic Behavior) model where students have choice and are treated as true artists. Art Studios are organized into “centers” where students can access different media appropriate to developing their ideas and meeting their personal goals. We focus on five domains (the five “C’s”)of artistic growth: Creativity/Risk-taking (innovative thinking), Creative Process (brainstorming, researching, practicing and planning, implementing, problem-solving, reflection, and revising), Craftsmanship (skill and knowledge development), Composition (design and aesthetics), and Communication (Critiquing and communication through and about their work).

Students have access to art education K-12. The elementary art program is designed to support students’ creative process through the “Studio Habits of Mind” where students become increasingly more conscious and intentional in their process and thinking as they create. At the middle school level, students have both the choice-based approach and Applied Design. In Applied Design, students have the opportunity to experience the real design world as entrepreneurs, graphic designers, and industrial designers. At the high school level there are a wide range of multi-year art sequences beginning with Studio Art or Studio in Crafts, moving into intermediate and advanced courses in Drawing & Painting, Digital Art and Photography, Photography, Ceramics, Advanced Studio Art, Mixed Media, Public Art, Advanced Placement Art (Drawing, 2D Design, and 3D Design). We have a chapter of the National Art Honor Society, Art Club, Clay Club, Photo Club at the high school level, and Art Club, Honors Art Club, and Clay Club at the middle school level. In addition, our art students regularly participate in and receive honors for the NYSATA Portfolio Project, the Katonah Museum Young Artists Exhibit and the Bruce Museum’s iCreate exhibit.

We receive tremendous support from Bedford FAME (Friends of Art, Music and Education), a parent/community support group for enrichment in our schools. For more information, to make a donation, or to join the organization, please see their website.

Heather Kranz
hkranz0584@bcsdny.org
(914) 241-6189

http://bedfordfame.org/home/