Dear Parents & Guardians -
Davis Arts Center is proud to partner with Elk Grove Unified to pilot our Discover Your Inner Artist curriculum with your students. We've witnessed the magic of art creation across all ages in our classes, camps, and drop-in sessions. We believe everyone can be an artist, and our mission is to expand access to the arts so more people can enjoy its benefits. For the next 6 weeks, your child will be part of a class testing out this art curriculum to see if it's a fit for the district. Once the pilot is complete, educators will share their feedback with the board and a determination will be made about purchasing this curriculum for use in the classroom.
About Us, Our History and the Curriculum
For over 50 years, Davis Arts Center has provided arts education to children, teens, and adults in the Sacramento region. During the pandemic, we started sharing art kits for families and teachers, providing a creative outlet and much-needed social-emotional support. These kits were designed to be user-friendly for both children and adults, regardless of their arts background. The positive feedback we received showed us the value of guided and open-ended art experimentation in building artistic literacy.
From there, we expanded our kits into a fully standards-based curriculum aligned with our arts education philosophy. This curriculum is now being tested as a fit for the EGUSD community. Our guiding principles are:
- Art by and for All: Anyone can be an artist. Facilitating art creation doesn't require arts expertise.
- Art Is a Process: The goal is the process of creating art, not the final product. Experimentation and joy foster growth.
- Art Is Beneficial: Engaging in art supports academic achievement, cultural awareness, and social-emotional well-being.
Developed by Educators, for Educators
We believe every educator can teach art, regardless of their art expertise. In this curriculum, teachers are facilitators of the art-making process, not experts who need to know every technique. Students are the ultimate leads of their own artistic journey within a standards-based classroom model. Our curriculum is designed using the Understanding by Design framework, ensuring clarity in learning objectives, engagements, and assessments. We also incorporate Universal Design for Learning guidelines to support differentiation and inclusivity in every lesson.
The Importance of Spiralling
Our curriculum follows a spiral design, where fundamental ideas are revisited with increasing complexity for each age group. This approach reinforces learning and deepens practice, making it ideal for developing artistic skills and differentiating for students' needs.
Teachers have flexibility in how they deliver lessons, with options for scripting and customization. We provide resources from art museums worldwide to enhance cultural awareness and align with classroom themes. Our aim is for teachers to adapt the curriculum based on their students' needs, not follow a rigid implementation.
Art Is a Process
Our philosophy emphasizes process over product. Traditional art projects often focus on replicating a final piece, but our process-based approach encourages exploration and originality. This method produces varied final products and promotes creativity, viewing students as culture bearers and storytellers rather than aiming for perfection.
Art Is Beneficial
Artistic literacy, as defined by California's visual arts standards, encompasses communication, personal realization, cultural connection, well-being, community engagement, and professional development. Our curriculum aims to foster artistic literacy, helping students see the world as an artistic expression and enhancing their cultural awareness through diverse art forms.
Alignment with Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Principles
The Discover Your Inner Artist curriculum aligns with SEL principles, supporting self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Art helps students reflect on their emotions, understand diverse perspectives, communicate effectively, and make safe choices. Art therapy is known to help with trauma, but daily art practice can also benefit mental health. Engaging in art can calm the brain, making it more receptive to learning.
Our Goal
We aim to guide teachers in unlocking their students' inner artists through process-based lessons integrated into their classroom curricula. Our curriculum nurtures children's curiosity and creativity, providing them with fulfilling pathways for expression.
The Discover Your Inner Artist curriculum supports the development of artistic skills and social-emotional well-being. We hope to see your students' unique creations and hear about the positive outcomes across all academic subjects.
We look forward to your feedback and the creative journey ahead!
Sincerely,
The DYIA Curriculum Team