Visual Arts

Our art curriculum combines the rich hands-on experience of creating artwork and the essential skill of developing knowledge and awareness of the creative process. From kindergarten through eighth grade, students use a wide range of art materials, and they engage in frequent discussions of artwork, both their own and that of famous artists. Through this thoughtful, deep approach, students are engaged, inspired, and challenged to create their own works of art.

Reflecting the Massachusetts curriculum standards and stages of artistic development, the art curriculum grows and changes with each successive grade. Students begin with a tactile, process-oriented approach and progress toward a more self-reflective way of creating art, learning about elements of design and engaging in sophisticated visual observation and analysis.

Students think creatively and solve problems as they explore the process and the products of artistic expression.

Rashi students bring a sophisticated knowledge and experience of Jewish customs and spirituality into the art room. Students create works of art to enhance holiday celebrations both at school and in their homes. For example, fifth graders create sculptures of Maccabees from wire, clay, cloth, and other mixed media.

Through interdisciplinary collaborations with classroom teachers, students learn that their background knowledge can inform their experience of creating visual art, and that the visual arts can enhance their learning experience. The For example, third graders use research from their endangered animals project to create an illustrated “Guess Who?” poster of their animal in art class.

Middle School electives give students a choice to explore more specifically focused themes and materials, often drawing on their interests and hobbies. Past electives have included Stop-motion animation, fashion design, “Art From the Hardware Store,” and “Inspired by Wire.”

Fifth graders create Maccabee sculptures during their first semester. The unit begins with figure drawing, focusing on proportion, angle, and shape. Students use wire, plaster, cloth, a carved apple, and other mixed media.
Second graders learn about American artist Georgia O’Keeffe and create their own super-size drawings with pastels. They focus on color mixing and blending to create incredibly realistic and detailed drawings.
Kindergarteners learn about French Impressionist Claude Monet. They create several of their own individual versions of his Japanese bridge over waterlilies, including a self-portrait using pastels and photography.
Each year, eight graders create a collaborative graduation gift for the Rashi School. The gift is comprised of a series of self-portraits. The portraits are framed together and hang in the middle school Materials have included pastel, stained glass, Sharpie, and watercolor. In 2015, they created “mini-me” sculptures from polymer clay.
Second graders use watercolors and masking tape resist to create beautiful paintings of birches. They visit birch trees on the Rashi campus and they make observations about color, form, and shape that carry through to their work.
Kindergarteners learn about Chinese New Year and the significance of dragons in Chinese culture. They draw Chinese dragons step by step, focusing on how to combine shapes and lines to create their drawings.
Eighth graders learn about Zentangles, which are repetitive geometric doodle patterns. They create intricate designs by combining and creating Zentangles.
Seventh graders learned about African –American artist Romare Bearden, who created collages and paintings that shed light on the arts and culture of Harlem during the Civil Rights movement. Students created collages based on social justice issues they felt passionate about, including environmentalism, equal rights, and hunger.
Seventh graders learn the ancient and timeless art of Chinese brushpainting. They use traditional materials to create the ink, and the paint with bamboo brushes on rice paper.
Fifth graders get online using their iPads to research African animals on the National Museum of African Art in Washington DC website. They learn about an animal's significance and its role in African art and culture and then create an artist’s statement to accompany their work that included their personal connection to the animal and its importance.