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BJHS Visual Arts Courses

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Visual Arts
The visual arts are taught with a comprehensive approach based on the State of Illinois Goals for Learning in the Fine Arts.  Course work includes aesthetics, art criticism, art history, and art production.  Visual arts course work is required of all sixth and seventh grade students, and is a part of the arts for life rotation.  At the eighth grade level, students have the opportunity to choose to participate in the arts for life rotation or to take a foreign language.  Study in the visual arts classroom supports learning in mathematics, reading, writing and social studies.

In the Art Department, students develop their analytical skills by interpreting and judging artworks by master artists for content, style, relevance to culture, and as a source of historic information.  In the art production part of the art curriculum, students work in a studio setting in order to experiment, manipulate and practice making art with a variety of 2-dimensional and 3‑dimensional materials.  These experiences include cooperative learning, planning, analysis, synthesis, research, and presentation.

Learning is extended beyond the classroom by inviting visiting artists to share their work and processes with students.  In addition, the Open Studio and Honors Studio programs offer students after school opportunities to further explore art concepts, techniques, and materials not available during the regular school day.  Honors Studio and Open Studio students visit the Art Institute of Chicago every other year and local artist’s studios.

Sixth grade students explore color theory, basic drawing and painting skills. The study of clay provides students opportunities to work with 3-dimensional art forms.  Students develop their critical thinking skills by analyzing and studying famous works of art.  The interrelated and interdisciplinary approaches to making art are a part of our curriculum.

Seventh grade students continue to develop their basic drawing and painting skills.The ceramics and wood sculpture projects provide students the additional opportunity to build on their 3‑dimensional concepts and techniques, while work in drawing focuses on the laws of perspective and line quality. In painting, students explore the world of color theory.  These experiences along with study of multi-cultural arts and historic art styles equip students to visually interpret their world.

Eighth grade students explore more advanced 2-dimensional drawing and 3-dimensional studio techniques.  Students analyze Renaissance artists and art works for symbols and metaphors. After completing historical research students create images in Adobe Photoshop. The introduction of technology offers another vehicle for expression and helps prepare students for the 21st century.