In Mark Sunderwirth’s Fourth Grade pottery class the boys create pottery Egyptian gods.
questioning leads them into comparing and contrasting the technical aspects of their own work with those of their peers. The student has come full circle and can now apply the same comparison skills that he used with the Greeks and Egyptians to his own work and that of others. This is one of the phases most relished by artists, as it celebrates the triumphs of their creativity and fosters appreciation of the subtler spiritual/emotional benefits of making something with their own hands. Having rigorously pursued their art, students feel a sense of accomplishment and empowerment when they finish their work. These powerful feelings are amplified when their work is proudly displayed in the halls and cabinets of the school during the spring and winter art shows. In the Saint David’s art department, this process of inquiry is repeated countless times throughout the curriculum, and over the years. It teaches the boys not only how to use their curiosity to discover deeper truths and dream up richer ideas, but how to trust those skills to produce art that is truly expressive.? M Maria Katzman teaches Upper and Lower School art; Mark Sunderwirth teaches Upper School art/pottery.
26? •? Saint David’s Magazine