Art in the Classroom, in Exhibit, and on Stage!

SELAH is currently in their 4th semester of offering art classes to homeschool students.  In the fall semester of 2012, SELAH added a teen art class which brought great excitement from parents as well as students.  The focus last semester was on the elements of art. These building blocks of art include: color, value, texture, shape, line, and form. As the semester progressed, teacher Barb Czaja, built upon these elements by applying them to the principles of design: composition, balance, emphasis, unity, repetition, etc. Each class included a project of various media to develop and creatively apply the art skills being taught and demonstrated.

Examples from art history were shown to further the student's knowledge of art and visual understanding.  One very ambitious project involved the study of the art movement, Regionalism, that embraced rural America during the Great Depression era.

"In a time of despair across our nation, Regionalism took on an American spirit that helped pioneer a can-do attitude of pride and inspired optimism during the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Regionalism, or the American Scene, focused on rural values, enshrining the Midwest values of the farmer, small-town America, and the working class folk. This art movement encompassed only a handful of artists and was clearly just an American art movement with its attention on the heartland of America. It promoted rural values as the essence of America, and was often seen as a rebellion against art from the East coast, which focused on the people of urban America and city life. Regionalism’s most prominent artists were Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood and John Steuart Curry." 

Students were instructed to create their own murals in the style of Thomas Hart Benton, 1889-1975, who is known for his strong, colorful, larger-than-life paintings of landscapes, farmlands and people hard at work. The students paired up to create life-size murals by tracing themselves and painting their own interpretation of an heroic-type figure(s).  These "epic" size murals were used to grace the stage and performance hall at SELAH's Fall Variety show,

SELAH offers an exhibit of the students projects at least twice a year.  This is a great opportunity not only for parents to enjoy the work done in class beautifully displayed, but for the community at large to enjoy. Eagle Rock Community Church, (currently SELAH's meeting place) has even asked that the art be left on display for the weekend following our programs for their church members to enjoy!

Here at SELAH we feel that the study and display of art is an important element in the development of language arts.  We recognize that great art not only employs the visual senses, but creates inspiration, discussion, and possibly even debate!  In the following video montage, students are pictured creating their murals while utilizing the skills of communication and teamwork, other elements important to the SELAH mission.

Photo's by SELAH student Micah Romanek

As we continue our studies this semester, we are encouraged by the fresh new students enrolled in our program.  As it is one of SELAH's goals to "support the family unit through the direct involvement of each family member’s talents, interests and abilities" we are excited to see them already helping out in theater and art classes!  One student recently offered this testimony of her experience in art class:

"This is my first time being enrolled at SELAH, and as I am a lover of creativity, I decided to join art. In art we come across the very important things a person must know. From the elements of art: mixing colors, understanding colors, learning about how complementary colors work, to learning how to use a paint brush. It's been fun painting on acrylic boards, using different ideas to demonstrate a color wheel, and last week we even got to paint using complementary colors. It's really fun and relaxing. I can't wait for what's next."  Dominique Davie