BMS: ART in the MIDDLE [school] AGES

THE BEDFORD COMMUNITY OF

LINE, SHAPE, DIRECTION SIZE, TEXTURE, COLOR, VALUE, BALANCE, GRADATION, REPETITION, CONTRAST, HARMONY, DOMINANCE, UNITY, PERSPECTIVE, ABSTRACT, SCULPTURE, CUBIST, SURREALISTIC, CARTOON, MODERN, COLLAGE, MOSAIC, MULTI-MEDIA, PHOTOGRAPHY, CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING are some of the concepts and skills that students worked with in the creation of the hundreds of art projects on display on two floors in Bedford Middle School.

Of course art is important in its own right, and many students will become "real" artists. But producing and appreciating art plays a role in all of our lives.

Dan Pink says that design is an essential 21st Century Skill. Strong art and design skills when combined with content in other areas (history, psychology, law, engineering, catering, health care, etc.) create new job descriptions and new ways of relating and collaborating. These skills help individuals differentiate their skill sets and special abilities from the skill sets of others. These skills are regularly applied in all subject areas at school (as evidenced by some previous blog posts) when students are asked to synthesize and present their thoughts, research and writing. Tonight's student ART display at BMS is an indication that all students are learning many principles of art and design.


Art and design are essential ingredients in the information literacy problem solving process. Decisions need to be made at all steps in the process which may be impacted by design questions, but especially must be considered in the synthesis/presentation stages of the process.


There was also a multi-media gallery and a video installation called Project Run Away, an animated mannequin fashion video projected on a white abstract human body.

Music was also an important part of the Art Show with two student string groups performing -- one in the library media center and the other in the cafeteria, with plenty of food for the crowd of parents, teachers, administrators and students.


Congratulations to the three Art teachers -- Lynne Karmen, Peter DiFranco and Cecily Cowburn.