Art
The Art program strives to ignite creativity in each child through age-appropriate experiences using a variety of mediums and materials.
Throughout their years at Lamplighter, students learn and apply the Elements of Art—color, shape, form, value, texture, space, and line—as well as the Principles of Design, including balance, unity, variety, emphasis, movement, pattern, and proportion.
These concepts are woven into each lesson, often alongside the study of an artist or theme. Creativity is nurtured in a safe, warm, and inclusive environment that encourages students to explore new ideas and develop confidence through self-discovery.
At Lamplighter, students explore a wide range of artistic media throughout the year, recognizing that each child gains confidence through different forms of creative expression. While one student may thrive working with clay, another may feel more confident exploring textiles or other materials.
Lizzie Bumpas, Art Teacher
Early Childhood
The Early Childhood Art curriculum focuses on foundational concepts such as color, line, shape, texture, and pattern. Classes emphasize building children’s confidence in both fine motor and creative skills. These abilities are developed through step-by-step instruction, art centers connected to a task, theme, or artist, and collaborative, community-based projects.
Examples of Early Childhood Art experiences include exploring texture through clay and creating leaf prints, studying the paintings, large installations, and interactive displays of pumpkin art by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, as well as learning the basic elements of art through the study of artists such as Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Mary Blair, and Henri Rousseau.
Lower School
The Lower School Art curriculum builds on concepts introduced in Early Childhood while expanding instruction to include space, value, and the full range of principles of design. Students also study artists from diverse cultures and time periods, gaining a broader understanding of artistic expression around the world. Projects emphasize both the creative process and the joy of making art, not solely the final product.
Examples of Lower School Art instruction include studying the ethereal floral paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe, exploring the work of Henri Matisse to learn about collage and positive and negative space, and creating biographical portraits connected to social studies projects on notable individuals.
Weaving
Weaving has been a cherished tradition at Lamplighter since the School’s earliest days and remains an important part of the Art curriculum today. Instruction begins in Pre-K and builds each year, culminating in fourth grade when Lamplighter Seniors work on floor looms as the capstone of their weaving experience.
Students gradually build the skills and responsibility needed to earn the privilege of working on the floor looms, completing their projects during dedicated time at the end of the school day outside of regular Art class. Each student develops a unique design by creating a numerical pattern sequence and producing a linoleum block print that explores positive and negative space.
Art Displays
Art installations are an important part of Lamplighter’s campus and learning environment. These displays are enjoyed by the entire community while also giving students a sense of pride, belonging, and joy when they see their work showcased. Installations are thoughtfully curated so that individual pieces work together to form cohesive, visually engaging displays rather than being viewed in isolation. The Art Teacher collaborates with the Art Installer to organize and execute each installation.
Student artwork is displayed anonymously to minimize competition and encourage appreciation of art for its own sake rather than comparison among peers. Installations are refreshed throughout the year, allowing the community to enjoy a wide variety of student creations as new projects emerge from the art classroom.
