The Garrison K-2 Art program is designed to cultivate within the student an appreciation of art, an active experience in creative development, a means of self expression and appreciation of art of other cultures. The students will start off with the basics in art like line, shape and color and build upon their skills through hands-on projects. The students will be exposed to different artistic mediums like drawing, painting and sculpture.

Art Forms in the Local Environment - The Forest Floor
This kindergarten project encourages students to become aware of their environment by creating artwork using locally found objects. The children are taken on a guided exploration of the school grounds and surrounding forest in order to find forms, patterns and textures that are then used to make impressions in clay. The visiting artist discusses composition and contrast with the group before the impressions are made. Plaster is poured into the formed clay molds. When the plaster is dry the students color the work.

Book Arts - Metamorphosis of the Butterfly
This project combines illustration, collaging, bookmaking and creative writing. Students will learn about the different stages of a butterfly’s life and create a short story based on a nature walk where they will collect specimens and draw observations. The book will be mostly visual and have 3-dimensional challenges as well as 2-D illustration and incorporate collage.\

Animal Tracks
Students base this project on their studies and observations of animal habitats in the local environment. The first step is to draw and write field journal notes of the different identifying characteristics of various animals. They proceed to make rubber and or Styrofoam hand stamps of different animal tracks. The printing process involves an exchange of stamps so that each student can print a visual “field journal” with different animal tracks on a piece of fabric.

The Garrison 3-5 art program builds upon the skills learned in the K-2 years. The 7 elements of art play an important role in developing the students' knowledge of the arts for example; line, shape, form, value, space, color, texture. Students will work on projects and make direct connections to the 7 elements of art while working on hands-on projects.

Sculpture inspired by Butterflies
Students are learning about butterflies for the semester. This year’s project involves a trip to Constitution Marsh to observe butterflies and their habitats. Students learn from a resident naturalist and combine this with other studies to write about butterflies and create their own butterflies using a wire armature and paper mache. The sculptures become part of a larger display as part of their semester work.

Traditional Iroquois Clay Bowls and Designs
The 4th grade will make a school sponsored trip to the Iroquois Museum. Prior to this trip the students will participate in a two-day workshop at The Garrison Art Center where on the first day they will look at reproductions of pottery from Native American Traditions. Students will then learn how to “hand build” traditional pots using “pinch”, “slab” and “coil” methods. On the second day, students will decorate these pots using traditional designs from Native traditions. These bowls will be fired in kilns at GAC and returned to the students. In the museum, students will be asked to look at the pottery of the Iroquois where they will observe, and recognize the forms and designs.

Monoprint with Gyotaku
This project complements the interdisciplinary study of the Hudson River the 5th graders are involved in, culminating in a sail aboard the Clearwater Sloop. Gyotaku is a traditional 17th century Japanese technique that involves the creation of a nature print from a fish. Students will work with a printmaker to create their own art prints inspired by this historical process and the ecology of the estuary we live near.