Visual Arts

At the early childhood campus, preschool classes explore color and various media as art is integrated into daily activities. Through instructional activities and independent exploration, children develop an awareness of space and form. The Early Childhood Campus is transformed into an art gallery for the ECC Art Show that is held one evening in April. 

One 60-minute class each week

The curriculum emphasizes the process of creation, as well as the created product. The goals for students in visual art include enjoyment of the creative process, use of media for self expression, use of media as a means of communication, and an appreciation of fine art. In the spring, each student selects pieces of his or her work to display at the annual art show.

Middle School Art: A core subject take at least one semester in grades 6 - 8

Student gain an understanding of themselves and how they can reveal their personal insights and feelings through their artwork. The will be able to express themselves, who they are, and how they feel, through their artwork. The middle school art curriculum incorporates:

• Art history (incorporating other cultures and time periods)
• Art appreciation
• The impact art has on daily life

Students will explore the relationship between a work of art and the attitudes and values, the quality of life, and the spiritual beliefs held by the culture that produced it. Traditions, histories, and beliefs that have influenced art will be discussed, as will the ways works of art have been valued in society and different cultures. Through the study of art history, students will gain an understanding and appreciation of where they come from, as well as discover how their own beliefs shape their creativity.

Upper School Art: A selection of fine arts courses are offered as electives.

Upper school students can elect to participate in the visual arts program. Eleventh and twelfth grade students participating in the IB Diploma Programme can elect to take IB DP Visual Arts SL or HL. The students' work is entered in community-wide art shows and is displayed in International Square during the MS/US Symphony of the Arts event. 

The Visual Arts program at CDS not only provides students with a studio experience in painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, printmaking, and mixed media, but it also focuses on developing their problem solving and critical thinking skills, while engaging them in art history, current events, and contemporary artistic trends.

For those students who are passionate about the visual arts, CDS offers a two year IB Diploma Programme course. This course is a synthesis of both teacher-directed and student-initiated assignments designed to encourage the student's development of ideas and inquiry, as well as allow each student to progress through their own exploration and experimentation of concepts and mediums. The IB Diploma Programme course stresses the acquisition and development of techniques and skills; the sophisticated evolution of ideas and concepts; and the understanding of art in its different social, cultural, and historical contexts.

CDS prides itself on the excellence of its IB DP Visual Arts program. Our results are consistently above the world average and our graduates have obtained acceptances and scholarships to some of the world's best art schools.