Visual Arts

List of 3 items.

• Lower School

  The Lower School Visual Arts Program focuses on developing a love of art in each student. Every child is an artist and harnessing this natural creativity is the goal of The Out­-of-Door Academy Arts program. Designed to promote and develop creativity and artistic literacy, the visual arts help students appreciate their own abilities as well as those around them. Texture, form, and design elements are introduced to Lower School students as they develop the ability to create their own “masterpieces.” A variety of media are introduced from glass art to fashion design. As part of the school’s commitment to sustainability, students work to “upcycle” used products into works of art. Student work is displayed around campus with formal shows three times each school year, as well as throughout the community in art shows, displays, and contests.

• Middle School

  ODA’s Middle School visual arts curriculum provides students opportunities to master a wide variety of approaches to personal expression through the use of various artistic media. Students use traditional and emerging technologies to learn and apply more complex technical skills to manipulate the elements of art and principles of design.

  Through discussions and group critiques, students learn to appreciate each individual voice and the great range and diversity that art provides. The acquisition of these skills enables students to develop a worldview, by placing the discipline of art within a broader context and relating it to other fields of knowledge.

• Upper School

  Visual arts offer Upper School student-artists numerous opportunities for meaningful self-expression, creative exploration, and collaboration. Students may choose from a number of course offerings, including studio art, sculpture, 3D, film studies, graphic design, and photography. Students participate in group critiques to offer new perspectives on each other’s work as they hone their skills and learn how meaningful dialogue is incorporated in the artistic process. These skills assist students in developing skills that will transfer to other disciplines and life situations. At this advanced level, student-artist work overlaps with the many other school disciplines as their creative outlets incorporate knowledge learned through history, literature, science, and philosophy.