Youth Program
Art departments in schools nationwide are struggling. Faced with increasing pressure to boost scores on standardized tests, educators are compelled to focus more on so-called “core” subjects while art classes get pushed aside, their budgets slashed or cancelled altogether. But research shows how important art instruction can be to a vital and meaningful education. Students who take high quality art classes develop mental and physical skills that can apply to a broad array of life’s challenges. By becoming better artists young students can become better prepared for life.
At Vitruvian we believe we can make a valuable contribution to the education of young people. This is why we’re proud to announce this year a new program of study geared specifically toward younger students. Based on the same principles we teach in our adult classes, our Youth Program offers an opportunity for children and teens to grasp at an early age what many would-be artists don’t learn until later in life.
Our step-by-step method develops a tangible and useful skillbase that students will remember for life. They begin by learning simple concepts like shape and proportion while honing the manual skills necessary for proper handling of art materials. Then they move on to study more complex concepts such as structural form, light & shade, and perspective. This is a classical approach to teaching drawing that has proven effective for centuries in training both the eye and the hand. With time and practice students of this method will develop a repertoire of skills they can call upon to approach increasingly sophisticated subject matter and capture what they see with deftness and accuracy.
Vitruvian Student Michelangelo Colindres.