In the K-5 Art Studio at TBS, students receive dedicated time for art instruction and art making. They are introduced to art-making processes in two-dimensional and three-dimensional areas that includes painting, drawing, photography, digital technology in art, sculpture, textiles, clay, and mixed media practices. We also use technology in service of viewing images of art and to take virtual visits to see how artists work in their studios. The TBS Art Studio experience offers students time to explore and deepen their skills of understanding materials in a given area. They learn how to “think like an artist”, developing 8 studio habits of mind, developed by Harvard’s Project Zero. By teaching thinking protocols in addition to the process of art making, we believe students learn how to transfer these ways of working and thinking to other areas of inquiry.

The MS visual arts program provides a process-based studio experience that supports students in exploring a variety of artistic materials and concepts. Students will investigate a variety of mediums, including: drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, sculpture, textiles and digital media. By engaging in processes such as planned sketches, brainstorming routines and self/peer reflection, students have a space where they are able to strengthen their creative language. This creative language includes skills such as: viewing and discussing artwork, developing an artistic vocabulary, reading and writing about artists/processes and creative problem solving. As students understand the connection between art practices and global societies, they have the opportunity to integrate their artwork with other disciplines. Past projects have included animated shorts and working lamps at the 6th Grade level, fused glass at the 7th grade level, and a repurposed fashion show at the 8th grade level.