VHHS Art Department Philosophy Statement

We believe the visual arts are an essential component of all learning, as the process of creating and displaying one’s artistic vision is an inherently DARING endeavor. Art teaches students to be Inquisitive, to be curious about the world, and express this curiosity creatively. Furthermore, the customs, beliefs and social, economic, and aesthetic growth of past cultures have always been, and always will be recorded through visual symbols. Studying Art inherently encourages students to be more Global in their understanding of the interconnectedness of the world. The process of creating art also encourages big picture thinking, by asking students Dream and Do, to perceive the ideal finished product, and then work steadily towards creating their ideal. The creative process further asks students to be Aware, to reflect frequently and know what drives them, moving Nimbly through the process of creating art, building Resilience by failing multiple times and then succeeding. Artists are DARING.