The Arts provide a way for students to understand and appreciate differences and similarities between themselves, their familial cultures, and diverse cultures from around the world. The Arts also provide a path by which we can better understand our dreams and ourselves and communicate that understanding to others. At VIA, students will have many opportunities to develop their artistic talents in fun and creative ways as part of their regular coursework and school wide activities.
Arts appreciation adds a rich background and context to the period during which the art was created. A primary goal of studying the arts is to learn to balance the logical and intellectual with the intuitive and emotional. Ideally, this combination activates our right brain while keeping our left brain engaged, helping us reach our fullest potential in many areas of study and life, and enhancing our self-worth and self-expression.
Through the study of art history, students will examine the motivations and imperatives of the artists. They will compare and contrast the artists' themes and approaches with those of their colleagues, and consider symbolism and iconography to better understand the meaning of art. Students will also take advantage of the Bay Area's wide variety of artistic venues for comparison and analysis, and hopefully become inspired to produce their own master works. Through these and numerous other strategies, VIA's students will develop a deeper and more sophisticated appreciation for the arts, while they stretch as artists themselves.
Ideas and meaning are central to artistic expression. To facilitate the development of young artists, it is important to introduce them to artistic mediums and techniques on how to use them. My goals in teaching and art appreciation are for students to develop as artists as well as begin to understand the historical context for much of contemporary visual culture of today, from films and television to photography.
