The world around us abounds with visual images.  Everything in our environment that is man made has been designed by a person; some with more regard for aesthetics than others.  Preparing students as both consumers and creators in our visual world is essential.

The Bellevue K-8 visual art program builds on a foundation of “hands-on” art making in diverse media: drawing, painting, two and three dimensional design.  Art studio practices include learning safety and conscientious use of materials and supplies.  Students view and discuss a world of art from Lascaux Black Cow Cave Painting in Kindergarten, to Picasso’s Guernica in the middle school Visual Art I class.  The elements and principles of design provide a language to describe, compare and reflect on what students make and see.  Students develop their own individual aesthetic of what good art is, based on experiencing the art of many cultures and time periods. 

Visual art choices in high school provide art making skills for recreation and expression in a variety of venues: drawing, painting, glass, sculpture, photography, computer art, and more.  Challenges in advanced classes include building both technical skills (how art is made) and conceptual ideas (why art is made).  Students who want to focus on art are challenged in the Advanced Placement Portfolio classes that provide excellent preparation for post high school study, admission to art schools and art scholarships.