Art // Celebrating Curiosity & Creativity in All That We Do!

Our tiny artists have worked so hard this school year! While I was only able to serve K-4 students with daily art instruction this year, I was lucky to be able to build stronger relationships with some of our smallest artists. I am also humbled and driven by their excitement and commitment to wake up and learn each and every day. Watching our youngest artists quickly adapt to the changing landscape of school this year was inspiring and shows so much perseverance. I am proud of the resilience they showed to set and achieve their creative goals despite the many challenging circumstances this year presented. K-4 artists showed up with endless curiosity & creativity and were able to adapt and be flexible between virtual, hybrid, in-person, and art on-a-cart instruction. Our crew is one of the most hardworking creative communities I have the pleasure of working with and it shows in their actions & their artwork.

I wish we could all be in person to celebrate, with student art lining our bright & beautiful halls, but I figure sharing their art virtually is fitting considering that most of this work was created by collaborating and planning together behind our screens. One of the things I have always admired about DAA artists is how excited they are to make connections between what they are learning about in their EL modules and with art. By making art that directly relates to the subjects they study with their classroom teachers, elementary artists are able to make cross-curricular connections that spark imagination & creativity across subjects. The works you will see below represents our deep commitment to weave in the EL Education curriculum with art and blend the concepts & standards for higher student success.

Kindergarten’s exploration of trees, where they learned about the life cycle of a tree and how to draw trees from observation. First Grade’s study of birds, and their amazing bodies & how to care for them. Second graders studied fossils through storytelling & illustration. Third Graders showed so much responsibility & compassion to learn about water and resources around the world and became advocates/artivists for a better earth. Lastly, check out the Fourth Graders latest drawing about animal defense mechanisms, where they use the art of comic book design to help share important scientific information about an animal they’ve chosen to become an expert on. Something that should also be evident in this work is the creativity and student choice regarding the variety of materials and application. Hybrid learning has forced students to adapt and find creative solutions to problems that arise… especially around access to materials & showing responsibility with tools for school at home & in person. We hope you enjoy our work & feel inspired!