Art Academy is our after-school arts program designed for students who are interested in exploring and developing their artistic aptitude. They can expect to work in multiple mediums, both 2D and 3D, including painting, drawing, sculpture, collage, photography, printmaking, and mixed media. Art Academy helps students develop strong visual literacy and critical thinking skills. It also supports social and emotional development, increases manual dexterity, broadens understanding and appreciation of other cultures and histories, and gives students the opportunity to problem solve and make mistakes in a low stakes environment. For the 6-10 year old cohort, each session has a guiding theme and each class yields a "final" work or project that is shared and discussed. For the 11-14 year old students, the focus shifts to project based instruction with and emphasis on skill building and there is often a collaborative element that requires students to ideate and create together.