The foundation for the visual arts journey that students embark upon is built in Preschool and Kindergarten. Our young students are encouraged to express themselves through a range of hands-on learning activities that help them begin to acquire skills in sensory observation they will use and expand throughout their years at Dwight.
Kindergarteners study color and line, and begin working in their own sketchbooks and with different media. With inquiry as a guiding principle of the IB, the visual arts curriculum connects with, and extends, the transdisciplinary themes and topics that students continue exploring in Lower School. As they learn more about themselves and the world around them, students are encouraged to remain curious and to ask questions about art and its affective power as a means of both personal and cultural expression. Through the exploration of works by significant artists across different times and cultures, students sharpen their observation skills and learn how to understand and interpret the language of art through the analysis of subject matter and visual characteristics.
In both Middle and Upper Schools, learning continues to be inquiry-driven, encouraging students to question how they, as consumers and makers of art, can better understand the complexities of the world in which they live. Through deeper critical and historical studies of the art world, students investigate the relationships among artists, their artworks, and audiences from varying cultural, political, historical, and social perspectives. With some of the richest artistic resources available anywhere, New York City offers our students an amazing array of museums and galleries in which to study and experience art.
The Dwight Visual Arts Department is proud to share virtual galleries, to showcase and celebrate the artistic sparks of genius of our students in grades 1 through 12. We hope you enjoy viewing the works of our talented young artists!