Art is universal and diverse. It's present in the design of a chair, on a movie screen, in town squares and in city museums. It can be functional, spiritual, beautiful, and expressive at the same time. Visual imagery is one of the most basic forms of communication, a universal language that can be understood across cultures and generations. Long before the written word, there was the created image. Art is a record of our culture, and a bridge between the past and present. It gives us a handle on who we are right now, and on what we might become. As well, it helps us to recognize and appreciate the content and beauty of the world around us, and, in so doing, art strengthens the bond between the self and the world.

Art-making addresses the need to create which is part of the human experience. It engages higher levels of learning through decision-making, aesthetic and emotional response, and through investigation, interpretation, imagination and problem-solving. Art is a means of self-expression, and one which the individual may find more accessible and friendlier than other avenues. It may be used in combination with these other avenues to clarify, elaborate on, and strengthen the communication of a position or feeling.

The school art room is a forum for testing new ideas, and an environment in which the student has much control over his/her learning experience. Art gives the student limitless opportunities to challenge oneself, and encourages constant self-evaluation. This kind of learning is integral to true self-awareness, to understanding ourselves and to discovering our potential.

​With this philosophy in mind, it is our aim to foster the intellectual, emotional, and social growth of our students through continuous, structured, and sequential learning in the visual arts, connecting a study of art history with studio work to enhance the understanding of both. Our teaching methods involve presentation and discussion on relevant artists, art periods and styles. After tackling similar problems in their own classwork, the students participate in a class evaluation of student work, reinforcing the connection between aesthetics, art criticism, art history, and the students' own art production.

Background painting above by Sophia Lupo, BHS Class of 2019