Artistic Expression at Gateway

The Gateway Kindergarten class has been studying a new artist each week in order to explore different medias, forms/styles of art, and challenging themselves to try something new! Many believe there are numerous benefits associated with children learning art at a young age.  Here are 20 reasons to support artistic expression in your child (taken from http://www.artsz.org/20-reasons-why-art-is-important-for-children/). 

1. Art stimulates both sides of the brain.
2. 33% of kids are visual learners.
3. There are studies that show that kids, who make art, read better and get better grades in science and mathematics.
4. The kids learn by using their senses and art is ideal in this process
5. The kids need a place to express themselves at school.
6. Art promotes self esteem
7. Art encourages kids to give more attention to the physical space that surround them.
8. Art develops hand and eye coordination.
9. Art stimulates perception.
10. Art teaches them to think openly. It represents a culture of questioners more than a culture of responders.
11. Art teaches that there is more than one solution for a problem.
12. Art teaches kids to think creatively to solve problems.
13. Kids can share and reflect on their work of art and learn something about the world they live in.
14. When art is integrated with the other subjects in the curriculum, kids commit more to the learning process.
15. In the process of doing art, the child is exposed to different possibilities, to discover and to freedom, this way they avoid falling into the control and the predictability of the conventional education in the United States of today.
16. Art nourishes the human soul. One feels good doing it.
17. Art brings the cultural resources of the community into the class.
18. Art involves parents and tutors in the school, inviting them to participate as volunteers in diverse activities.
19. Art provides a common ground across racial stereotypes, barriers and prejudices.
20. Art is valuable all by itself.

Art inspired by Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" painting.  van Gogh dreamt many of his paintings before they were put onto paper. After the Kindergarteners had some 'dream time' we worked on drawing horizon lines and painting images of our own sunflowers.  

The next week we studied Joan Miro, a Spanish surrealist painter.  We focused on Miro's thick black outlines and overlapping shapes that could be viewed as many different objects, animals, or figures. 

Last week we looked at artwork from Georgia O'Keeffe who was known for her beautiful landscape paintings and larger than life flower portraits.  We took the time to "zoom in" on the real flowers with magnifying glasses so that we could see the many details of one flower.  The kiddos did a great job filling their papers with bright, beautiful, and realistic flowers! 

We will be continuing our artist study for the next few weeks as the children are learning a lot about different artforms, ways to express themselves artistically, feeling proud of their work, and really loving it!