Mission and Goals of the Mesa Art Program

By the time Mesa students graduate to middle school they will:

* Be familiar with many art materials and art processes in different areas.
* Recognize famous artwork and artists.
* Be able to evaluate their own art work.
* Be able to evaluate other's art work.
* Be a creative "idea" person / know the process of coming up with great ideas.
* Recognize the value of their own individual art and take pride in it.

Key Elements of the Mesa Art Program

Sketchbooks:

These are used in all grade levels as an important tool for learning that will transfer to all curriculum areas.

1. Students go through the process of gathering ideas and images by studying past artists, cultural groups, historical events, etc.

2. Students then translate multiple ideas into drawings in their sketchbooks.

3. Student and teacher choose the best design idea to complete for his/her final project.

Sketchbooks are a tool for creatively developing ideas into reality. Using sketchbooks shows students how artists think and work. They help train the visual part of the brain to look for those crucial details in the environment around us.

Facts and Quotes:

In art class we study artists using the time period and culture in which they lived and created their art. We also look at many visual examples and discuss the possible multiple influences on their art. In our study, facts and quotes give meaning and life to the visual curriculum. Students develop a sense of how integral art is in our past and future history.

Annual All-School Art Show/Gallery Night:

All students participate in our gallery night, with each student displaying three to four pieces of art.

Annual 4^th Grade Field Trip to Denver Art Museum:

All 4^th grade students participate in an all day trip to the Denver Art Museum. We see paintings by famous artists we have studied. Students do activities planned by Mrs. Christenson, our visual art teacher. These activities reflect subject matter in the visual curriculum and integrate with other subjects that students have been studying. Students learn how to visit an art museum and discuss their importance in our culture.

Art History and Culture Curriculum

Artist's Name	Gender	Ethnicity	Nationality	Interdisciplinary
Kindergarten : Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) Mary Cassat (1844-1926) Paul Klee (1879-1940)	M F M	French American Swiss-German	France United States Switzerland	Continent Study: Africa Points of View & beyond me Points of View & beyond me
First Grade : Winslow Homer (1836-1910) Henri Matisse (1869-1954) Faith Ringgold (1930- )	M M F	American French American	United States France United States	Traditions/Seasons Geographic Inquiry Traditions/Seasons Families
Second Grade : Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) Diego Rivera (1886-1957) Louise Nevelson (1899-1988)	M M F	Dutch Mexican American	Holland Mexico United States	Geographic Inquiry Traditions/Seasons Geographic Inquiry Traditions/Community Traditions/Community
Third Grade : Frederick Remmington (1891-1909) Alexander Calder (1896-1976) Maria Martinez (1885?-1980)	M M F	American American American- Indian	United States United States United States	Colorado History Traditions/Seasons Native Americana
Fourth Grade : Pablo Picasso (1881-1972) Romare Bearden (1914-1988) I.M. Pei (1917- )	M M M	Spanish African- American Chinese- American	Spain United States United States	Development of point of view Development of point of view/Traditions Development of point of view
Fifth Grade : Hokusai (1760-1894) Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) Marc Chagall (1887-1985) Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986)	M M M F	Japanese American Russian-Jewish American	Japan United States Russia United States	Geographic Inquiry Industrialization/Current Events Traditions/Continent Study: Europe Geographic Inquiry/Traditions/Current Events