Lower School

Visual and expressive arts at IDEAL foster creativity and self-expression through the fine arts and media. The art curriculum is interdisciplinary, culturally expansive, art historical, and based in a variety of media and techniques to enrich artist’s learning and growth.

Students explore a variety of techniques and disciplines while also learning about major artists, art movements, and multi-cultural expressions in art. The art studio uses a hands-on approach to promote exploration, imagination, and problem solving skills. Every student is encouraged to develop their own unique creative voice and to value the creative expressions of others. Through school-wide assemblies, service-learning activities, and cross-curricular studies, students learn practical applications of creativity.

Lesson planning and curriculum implementation focuses on the students as unique individuals, encouraging creative freedom, self-expression, and experimentation. Students experience many varieties of art media, use the arts to express and create, enhance interdisciplinary learning, and identify ways to show how art is reflected multiculturally. Projects and units of study are reflected in seasonal events, assemblies, and evident throughout the halls of the school. Our annual ArtBeat show is a schoolwide celebration of student creative endeavors in the art studio for that year. Students create portfolios of their work that deepen their school experience and enrich learning throughout their time at  IIDEAL.