Art Program

“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.” – Pablo Picasso

Roosevelt’s Visual Arts Program

Roosevelt’s visual arts program combines discipline-based and studio art lessons to teach students to understand, appreciate and create art. Working with Artists in Residence, students learn about art history, art criticism, art genres, and famous artists, while gaining hands-on practice in the related styles. All grade levels enjoy ongoing specialized projects tailored to their grade level. In addition to the regular art program, Roosevelt provides outside exposure to the visual arts. For example, students regularly visit the Santa Barbara Art Museum and the 2nd grade classes traditionally explores dance and pottery with visiting artists.

Students work with the seven art elements: line, shape, color, value, texture, form, and space. Each grade level builds their skills as the year progresses through activities such as drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, sculpture, mixed-media, and cultural art and craft.

Sample Areas of Study Include:

  1. Self-Portraits: Students study the work of Frida Kahlo and Chuck Close and create their own self-portraits.
  2.  Positive and Negative Space: Students learn about line and space through the artwork of Frank Lloyd Wright and then create drawings in colored pencil.
  3. Still Life: Students view still life paintings by Paul Cezanne, paying special attention to value (light and dark), before painting their own still life pumpkins.
  4. Cultural Art: Dia de Los Muertos is used to teach students about cultural art traditions in Latin America. Students study anatomically correct skeletons to learn about the figure and then make “Catrina” masks and puppets to honor their ancestors.
  5. Cubism: Students learn about cubism through the work of Pablo Picasso and make their own cubist collages.
  6. Cartooning: The work of Charles Shultz, Japanese “manga” style cartoons, and street artists such as Keith Haring, show students how cartoons represent the intersection between art and story. Students create their own cartoon art and dialogue to tell a story, joke, and make a flip-book.
  7. Chinese Brush: Students practice Chinese “Sumi” brush technique in celebration of Chinese New Year to paint symbols, scrolls and collages.
  8. Mask-Making: Grades 3–6 learn about the cultural significance of masks and use a variety of materials to create their own animal, people, and character masks.
  9. Impressionism: Students study the work of Claude Monet and make their own chalk landscapes in the impressionistic style.
  10. Pop Art: Students study the work of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein and then create their own package design for a food item.

Special Projects Include:

  1. Santa Barbara Mission: The 4th grade studies mission artwork and takes a field trip to draw the building on-site.
  2. Tree Posters: The 5th grade creates graphic posters with environmental messages, slogans and artwork.
  3. Mural Painting: Students work on 8-foot x 5-foot wood panels to create murals for the annual Earl Warren Showgrounds Fair.
  4. I Madonnari Chalk Painting: Grades K-2 collaborate on chalk paintings for the annual festival.
  5. Rain Sticks: Kindergarten students study Native American rain sticks and rattles and make their own.
  6. Skateboard Art: Students are introduced to different types of “Hiroshi” art before creating skateboard designs and painting real skateboards.
  7. Santa Barbara Channel Islands Projects: Each grade picks a project related to the flora and fauna of the Channel Islands, such as 3-D sea urchins made from clay, toothpicks, and paint. The plants and creatures are used to create a life-like diorama in the art room.