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Art Matters in the 21st Century

Art education has changed dramatically over the last 50 years. Looking back on my childhood experience (which was a while ago, as my students readily point out) the purpose, method, and focus of elementary art education have been transformed.  In years past, students were encouraged to make art that copied the teacher's example; most art history was concentrated on the study of a small, select group of artists from a very limited cultural tradition; and art was thought to be a kind of enrichment—nice, but not necessary.

In today's world, however, building cultural and visual literacy is not a luxury, but a necessity.  We are surrounded by images that compete for our attention.  And understanding how those images work becomes an important part of understanding—and responding to—our changing world.

This broad cultural shift is reflected in the District 203 mission statement, which states that the district strives to "produce a graduate who is a self directed learner, a collaborative worker, a complex thinker, a quality producer and a community contributor."

In the visual arts program here at Scott School, we put into practice the District 203 learning goals by engaging our students in a constantly evolving art curriculum that prepares students to be more skilled creators, consumers, and navigators of the visual world that surrounds them.

I look forward to exploring that world with your children.

Simone Gaiownik

Visual Arts Teacher