“It’s ok , mistakes are good. There is no wrong way to do art”. Hearing growth mindset praise isn’t unusual at the Village School. It is especially effective when it comes from a peer, a fellow five year old using a booming confident voice as he leans across the large charcoal dust strewn table. As heroes explore the question of how they can use their voice, guides offer up different mediums, hero stories of artists and opportunities for creativity.
Art takes place formally once a week. A launch is given on a materials and heroes are able to explore. Sessions have featured drawing with charcoal, diving into color with pastels and this session heroes have filled paper with bold strokes of watercolor. These topics are also broken down further by discussing things like mark making techniques and the way you can use erasers as a tool. The artwork here is more about the process than the resulting piece of art. Heroes are encouraged to experiment and then reflect on what materials worked in unexpected ways.
In addition to these once a week dedicated sessions for art, heroes have access to creative materials during all work times in our studio.One child may choose to paint first thing in the morning as a way to ease into the day, while another may use the opportunity for self-expression to harness their creative energy for the day. Heroes learn about art and the art world by assuming the role of artist. They practice coming up with art problems to solve, asking questions and seeing possibilities in the world around them. Heroes learn to persevere through difficulties as well as to trust themselves and their own judgment while simultaneously becoming self-directed, and organized.
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