Understanding the Arts, a Multi-Cultural Program

Understanding the Arts Multicultural Program provides the opportunity for students to learn and appreciate art worldwide from the past to the present. It aims to develop the artistic talents and creativity of children in a variety of mediums and multicultural styles. The program broadens the students’ understanding and knowledge of art in all forms, exposing them to well-known work and to obscure, rare or unusual art that would ordinarily be overlooked. Numerous pieces will be featured at our annual student art show, where parents and teachers may also submit original work. Each child will receive one award for one of their projects.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO Sam Bigham and Michael Chandler - Finalists in the Helix Water District 2010 Poster Contest.

Students also prepare artwork for submission to The San Diego Museum of Arts Young Art Exhibition (bi-annual). Accepted artwork will be displayed at the museum, or local libraries. Once artwork is accepted, students, parents and teachers will be invited to the opening reception as well as complimentary tickets for admission to the museum after the show officially opens.

The students also participate in community, city and county sponsored art contests such as the Helix Water District Poster Contest, Law Week Poster and Essay Contest and the San Diego Museum of Art bi-annual Young Art Show..

study  -  exploration  -  artmaking  -  studio  -  praxis (art in context)  -  presentation  -  critique  -  award

Art in Motion - Students will use various tools, substrates, materials and medium when creating art in motion projects. These projects will include 3-dimensional and 2 dimensional art created with watercolor, tempera and markers. Projects will include: Surfboard, Skateboard, Boomerang, Sailboat, Parachute/Hot Air Balloon, Pinwheels, Train, Bottle & Shell Chimes, Tie Dye, Festival Posters, Spray Art, Megaphones, Snowflakes, Rain Sticks, Haiku, Airbrush and Maracas 

Homage to Great Artists - Students will explore, study and interpret techniques of famous international artists from the past and present in studio sessions using pencil, charcoal, chalk, watercolor, tempera, color pencil, markers. Projects include studies of: Andy Warhol – Pop Art, Vincent Van Gogh – Post Impressionism, Henri Matisse – Fauve, Jacob Lawrence – Dynamic Cubism,  Georgia O’Keefe – Nature Artist, Man Ray – Modernist, Mary Cassatt – American Impressionism, Johannes Vermeer – Dutch Baroque, Diego Rivera – Muralist, Rene Magritte – Surrealist, Paul Klee – German Expressionism, Eugene J. Martin – visual artist, Kameda Bosai – Japanese Literati painter, Pierre Bonnard – Nabis,  Henry Ossawa Tanner – Realism, Gabriela Aberastury – Argentina, and Daniel Kinyanjui Amos – Kenya

Medieval Times - Students will analyze and interpret Medieval Art using markers, scrapbook paper, gold foil, watercolor, color pencil, tempera, etc. Students will study and learn to understand the historical significance of the Medieval Art period. Projects include: Triptichs, Illuminated texts (Book of Kells), Castles, China Ming Cloisonne/carved red lacquer box, S. American artifacts-Chimu mantles, India-Mughal Dynasty, Africa - Malian Empire, Scandanavian - Viking Age, S. Pacific Maori Polynesian – paddles, tiki's, Native American arrowheads, Harlequin, Kievan Rus – miniature portraits 40mmx30mm, Khatam-kari – Persia, Wax Seals, Heraldry, Crown & Sceptor, Beowulf, Bayeux Tapestry.

Home is Where the Art is - The study of art in relation to interior design and home decor. Students will use their imaginations to create new designs for items found in the home using watercolor, color pencil, tempera, crayon, charcoal, styrofoam, hollowed eggs, tissue, beads, yarn, thread and markers. Projects include: Citiscapes, Vase, Umbrella, Lamp, Rug, Tapa, Mailbox, Needlepoint, Ponchos, Decorative Orbs, Welcome Placque, Indian Beading, Painted Eggs, Leather Tooling, Found Art, Aborigine Bracelets, and Recipe Cards

Artful Games - Student projects will connect art and design with ancient and modern games from around the world. Projects include: Shadow Puppets, Beach Ball, Beach Towel, Card Designs Fish/Old Maid etc., Board Game, Ship in a Bottle, Circus with Clowns, Caricatures, Yoyo, Tibetan sand art, Safari, Magician Hats, Animation, Photoshop Applications, Powerpoint Presentation, Website and Mahjongg Tiles

The March Art Show will showcase students' work from these 5 categories. Each classroom will be devoted to one of the categories with background music appropriate to each theme. Each themed room will display artwork from all grades. All of our students are amazing artistic talents. Each child receives an award for one of their projects, although it has proven to be extremely difficult to choose one from each students' portfolio of extraordinary work. Art is subjective. There are no harsh critiques of any student work. Each student has developed their own style and all of the work is important and frame-worthy. The students take great pride each year in their displayed work, so it is important that parents, family members and friends support our show with attendance. If you would like to volunteer to set up or clean up please contact the office or the art instructor, Deneen Underwood.

  Pre-Kindergarten - Miss Chandima

CONGRATULATIONS TO 2009 WATER POSTER CONTEST FINALIST SAM BIGHAM, Grade 1

CONGRATULATIONS TO K-5 STUDENTS!
All 4 art projects submitted to the SDMA Young Art Show "Expressing Literature" have been accepted.
Kindergarten & Third Grade Projects were displayed at the San Diego Museum of Art April 18 - May 31, 2009.

Tonga the African Elephant Story by: Debbie Buttar Artwork: Haley Banks, Aaryan Booter, Seth Borrayo, Lucy Conroy, Isaac Cota, Jeremy Gulley, Benjamin Lewis, Amelia Norkowski, Andie Ramos, Nicholas Stilwell, Amberly Tran & LeDamion Willis Kindergarten

Rikki Tikki Tavi, the Jungle Book by: Rudyard Kipling Artwork: Jackie Bonner, Michael Chandler, Sydney Hendricks-Tricks 3rd Grade

First/Second & Fifth Grade Projects were displayed at Joan Kroc Community Library April 18 - May 31, 2009.

The Road Not Taken by: Robert Frost Artwork: Gabe Argimon & Sam Bigham 2nd Grade and 1st Grade

Charles Dickens Victorian House Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, The Pickwick Papers & Nicholas Nickelby Artwork: Will Bigham, Veronica Chandler & Paola Espinal 5th Grade