The goal of the Art Program at McDowell Elementary is to introduce techniques, history and methods of Fine Arts to our students and open their eyes to a variety of styles, and ideas of Art and artists, past and present.  We want our students to develop an awareness of Art and to be able to form an opinion of what they like and don’t like and why.  Our goal is to have students gain experience in working with a variety of materials in order to develop an understanding of different media and to thereby have an appreciation of what it takes to create a work of beauty.  Students will learn the concepts and terms of Art such as positive and negative space, composition, balance, harmony, rhythm, and unity so they have the vocabulary to discuss art knowledgeably.

McDowell believes that the  more people experience creating Art, the more apt students are to appreciate it.  When one is aware of different artists and different styles, methods and motives for self-expression the greater the chance of encouraging appreciation and tolerance of the differences between people and cultures.  Enjoying the creation of or being able to appreciate the Arts, in all forms, leads to a more meaningful, broader, and more pleasurable quality of life.

Some of the Media Taught in Art Class
Pencil sketching, colored pencil, watercolor pencil, marker
Oil pastel, chalk pastel
Tempera and watercolor paint
Collage: tissue paper and construction paper
Wax resist techniques
Printmaking: nonprinting, glue prints, scratch foam prints and vegetable stamp       
Prints, linoleum prints for the older students
Paper-mache for the older students

Some of the Techniques and Concepts Taught
Sketching
Color blending and mixing
Representation of textures
Abstract images and realistic images
Positive and negative space
Color theory
Perspective drawing
Patterning)  Geometric and natural shapes
Geometric and natural shapes
Explore various line qualities
Symmetrical designs
Stylization
Showing emotion through color