Lower School: Foundation and Exploration

Students are encouraged to explore, experiment, and take risks. Our curriculum follows Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE), integrating production, history, criticism, and aesthetics. Student artwork is celebrated throughout the year, with opportunities for displays.

• Kindergarten & Grade 1: Young artists focus on hands-on exploration of materials while learning to recognize basic shapes, lines, textures and color theory.
• Grades 2 & 3: Students develop control and intentionality, learning contour, negative space, color temperature, and foreground and background.
• Grades 4 & 5: Students take on more complex challenges, such as one-point linear perspective, metal tooling, and batik design, relying less on symbolism and more on observation and skill.
   

Middle School: Proficiency and Studio Habits

Middle School marks an important transition in students’ artistic development as they move from play to proficiency.

• Studio habits: Students strengthen essential practices such as perseverance, reflection, craftsmanship, and problem-solving.
• Multimedia: Artists explore drawing, painting, jewelry, ceramics, sculpture, and printmaking, while developing an understanding of historical and cultural contexts.
• Digital art: Specialized courses that focus on graphics, photo manipulation, animation, and 3D modeling.
• Woodworking: Emphasizes design thinking, careful planning, problem solving, and safety.
   

Upper School: Depth and Mastery

Students take ownership of their work, develop their artistic voice, and engage thoughtfully with both contemporary and historical art practices in focused courses and portfolio classes, including advanced placement. 

Celebrating Student Art

Highlights of the year are the Annual Lower School and Grades 6–12 Art Shows. These highly anticipated evenings showcases student work from across the visual arts program and brings families together to celebrate creativity and achievement. Grade-level honorees have their artwork displayed for years to come—a lasting tribute to their talent and growth.
 

Creativity on Display, Skills for a Lifetime

Walk into any building on campus and you’ll see it immediately: art is alive at Dawson. Student work fills our hallways and studios, reflecting a visual arts program that values creativity, craftsmanship, and thoughtful expression. From the earliest grades through graduation, students are challenged to develop their individual artistic voice while building the discipline, technique, and confidence needed to work across a wide range of media.