Art
Utilizing art as a powerful tool for social change, Amherst Montessori School’s art program focuses on providing your child with a broad scope of artistic knowledge from which they can draw from in order to make larger connections between themself and the world.
Cultural connections - What is “art,” and who gets to make it?
With a curriculum designed around seasons and holidays such as Hanukkah, Chinese New Year, Black History Month, Holi, and Japanese’s Children’s Day, your child will engage in experiential, hands-on art projects while learning about different cultures and customs from around the world. Focusing on modern, ancient, Indigenous American art and folk art, the Art program at AMS fosters a deeper understanding for significant artists outside of the Western/European scope.
Mastering mediums of creative expression
Art at the Elementary level challenges students to work outside of their normal comfort zone on large-scale, collaborative projects. From a developmental standpoint, your child is ready to tackle long-term, complex assignments, as well as recieve more agency over what direction and form these projects may take. In the past, Elementary art students have written, directed, designed, and performed an entire play, and made housing structures out of natural materials for Children's House friends to enjoy on the playground, among other community-oriented undertakings.
Additionally, your child will hone in on their technical art skills using more sophisticated mediums such as charcoal, printmaking, high quality paint, canvas, sewing materials, and spray paint. Engaging with peers through meaningful critiques as well as articulating their artistic vision through writing are a few other applicable skills your child will aqcuire over the span of their time at Amherst Montessori. For art critiques, we use the TAG method - Tell something you like about the piece, Ask a question, and Give a positive suggestion. Pushing your child to think critically about art as well as build confidence in their abilities is truly at the heart of our program.
Field Trips
For the past three years, art classes have taken educational field trips to the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Art in Springfield, MA. Additionally, guest artists from the community have graciously come to our school to share their expertise in various art mediums with our students during class time.