The art program at Unquowa is something truly special. Art has always been a very high priority at Unquowa. One of the main objects of the program is to allow the child to put away the tired symbols from babyhood, like the quartered sun with 5 or 6 sticks coming out of it, up in the corner of the paper. We teach children to indicate sunlight by conceptualizing and using shadows, or lighter colors, or shafts of light emerging from behind a cloud.

The child comes to see that the human hand is not a circle with 5 sticks. It is, rather, a basic rectangle with one stick at the bottom, and 4 uneven sticks on its top. 

Art is coordinated inter-disciplinarily with the children's other academic subjects.

A science study of insects could be repeat patterns in art. Kachina dancers can enhance and add clarity to the study of Native Americans.

We acquaint the children with the masters at the earliest grades. Pre-K 3 classes study Pollack, Monet and Van Gogh. Second graders interpret Mondrian, Braque and David Smith; fourth grade does Nevelson and Matisse, etc., etc. Some areas are developed as the children progress in age and dexterity. In grades 2 and 3 they learn printing with styrofoam meat trays; 4th and 5th advance to linoleum blocks; 6th, 7th, and 8th improve their skills learning the silk screen process.

The Unquowa experience includes many media throughout the year, culminating in the widely attended, all-school spring Art Show in May.

Please click here to see examples of student art work.