To master every facet of art, in the Visual Art subject taught at The Dewey Schools, students are guided to ‘walk the path that the artists have walked’. They are enabled to experience the vibes that great artists have experienced, and then express their feelings in their own works using a variety of materials according to personal emotion and interest. This, eventually, helps students to answer ‘Why is art able to deliver messages without using language?’.
- The Wheel of emotions: Students get to learn and practice with the wheel of emotions. They first have to choose 8 words in the wheel that represent distinct feelings, then describe the feelings using their own colors, lines and art language. Each part of the wheel illustrates an emotion and feeling.
- Neurographic Art: Students are offered chances to work with their subconscious mind through drawing. This creative method was developed by the Russian psychologist, businessman and architect Pavel Piskarev in 2014 as a stimulator to new neural pathways through combining art and psychology.
- The Zentangle Method: Students of Grade 9 & 10 are entitled to creative art practice with the Zentangle method, which engages drawing with a combination of shapes and curves. The method aims at enhancing relaxation and focus by allowing students to create beautiful drawings with structured patterns. Accordingly, the method is commonly used in education and therapy to relieve stress and tension.
- See, Think & Wonder: This visual thinking strategy is designed and developed by Harvard University as a way to encourage children’s curiosity. The strategy causes students to think critically, explore ‘the new’ and figure out solutions themselves rather than imposing ‘stereotype’ upon them, which merely establishes short-term retention later on. TDSers practice the ‘See, Think & Wonder’ strategy when learning about the ‘Symphony of Colors’ by Wassily Kandinsky and the ‘Mona Lisa’ by Leonardo da Vinci.
- After completing a ‘Neurographic Art’ work in her Visual Art lesson, student Ha Anh from Class 10 Budapest, shared: ‘I felt both relaxed and focused. I agree that emotion and art always work together. I think art comes from our own emotion, artists usually express their thoughts and observations through their artworks. It’s amazing when they could transfer their feelings to something visible.’
- Visual Art is a newly introduced subject at The Dewey Schools that is partnered with the curriculum of Mount Vernon School, top 10 most innovative schools in the US. With a systematic curriculum from Elementary to High School level, Dewey students are entitled to the knowledge content that is also offered to students in the USA. They get to learn about multiple facets of arts through famous artists’ works, then practice using various materials and techniques and explore multimedia art.
