Education and Early Childhood Learning

8-VA-M1: The learner demonstrates an understanding of the elements and principles of artistic design in a variety of contexts.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Use art media, tools, and processes to explore and demonstrate an understanding of the elements and principles of artistic design.
• Describe, in detail, the characteristics of art elements observed in artworks and in the natural and constructed environment.
• Demonstrate an integrated understanding of the elements and principles of artistic design in analyzing visual components in artworks and in the natural and constructed environment.
• Use appropriate art vocabulary to explain the use of art elements and principles in own compositions.

8-VA-M2: The learner demonstrates an understanding of and a facility with visual arts media, tools, and processes.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Demonstrate safe and appropriate use and maintenance of a wide range of art media, tools, and processes.
• Demonstrate facility with a variety of techniques for using art media (e.g., blending chalk pastels, painting wet on wet, hand-building with clay).
• Integrate knowledge of different art media to create multimedia* or mixed-media** images and/or objects.
• Extend and refine artmaking skills independently in personally selected media (e.g., practising techniques, exploring graphics software potential, conducting research about particular art media, tools, and processes).

*Multimedia Artworks: a wide range of visual and non-visual media are combined in works such as installation art, performance art, kinetic sculpture, and works using technology.
**Mixed-Media Artworks: more than one art medium is used in a finished artwork, such as a work that combines painting and sculpture.

8-VA-M3: The learner develops skills in observation and depiction.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Observe and depict variations within the art elements in a wide range of subjects (e.g., depict the effects of light and shadow with tonal charcoal drawing; mix a range of observed natural colours with tempera paint; use a horizon line, converging lines, and linear perspective to create the illusion of depth in a landscape; apply a range of textures to a clay sculpture).
• Make appropriate choices of observational drawing strategies for own artmaking.
• Demonstrate an understanding of how to achieve accuracy in representing a wide range of observations (e.g., proportion in drawing or modelling the human figure and face; overlapping forms in a still life; depth in a landscape; scale and perspective in representing structures).
• Demonstrate an understanding of how to modify representation in two- and three-dimensional artworks (e.g., caricatured or exaggerated figures or faces; abstracted images or forms; X-ray views; impressionistic, expressionistic, or cubist interpretations of subject matter).

8-VA-CR1: The learner generates ideas for creating art using a variety of sources.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Draw inspiration from personal experiences and relevant sources (e.g., feelings; memories; imagination; themes; observations; visual stimuli; learning in other subject areas; cultural traditions; personal responses to current events, social and environmental issues, media and technology) to ignite ideas and questions for art creation.
• Consider other arts disciplines (dance, dramatic arts, media arts, music) and other subject areas to inspire and trigger ideas for art creation.
• Generate multiple ideas for artmaking through exploration and observation of others’ (peers’ and artists’) use of art elements, principles, and media.
• Engage in collaborative idea generation/brainstorming as inspiration for art creation.
• Collect and explore a wide range of visual and other resources for use in stimulating and developing own ideas for artmaking.

8-VA-CR2: The learner develops original artworks, integrating ideas and art elements, principles, and media.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Experiment with art elements, principles, and media to test and elaborate ideas.
• Use design strategies to visualize artmaking solutions and plan related processes (e.g., drawing storyboards, planning diagrams, creating preparatory images or objects, manipulating digital images).
• Select and use art elements, principles, and media creatively to solve a range of artmaking problems (e.g., to represent the texture of dragon skin, explore and choose effective media and techniques).
• Recognize serendipitous discoveries and incorporate them into own creative work, as appropriate.
• Develop and extend artmaking ideas individually and in collaboration with others.

8-VA-CR3: The learner revises, refines, and shares ideas and original artworks.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Select and share artworks in progress to inform revisions.
• Revise, refine, and finalize own artworks on the basis of appropriate criteria.
• Contribute to the curatorial process, collaborating with others to select and share individual and group artworks.
• Create appropriate “artist statements” to display with own artworks in a variety of contexts.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and select appropriate settings and/or contexts (e.g., publication, community exhibition, school website, public installation) in which to present own artworks and “artist statements.”

8-VA-C1: The learner experiences and develops an awareness of artists and artworks from various times, places, social groups, and cultures.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Engage thoughtfully with artworks from various times, places, and peoples.
• Identify, describe, and compare works of art and design from various times, places, social groups, and cultures (include art and design from past and present and from global, Canadian, and Manitoban cultures, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit).
• identify, share, and discuss examples of art and design experienced first-hand in own community and the places and venues (e.g., galleries, places of worship, public buildings, parks) where these experiences occurred.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the contributions of a variety of visual artists from own community, Manitoba, Canada, and various global contexts.

8-VA-C2: The learner experiences and develops an awareness of a variety of art forms, styles, and traditions.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Identify and characterize a variety of visual art forms (e.g., painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, installation art, applied arts and design, performance art).
• Demonstrate an awareness of general characteristics of art within groups (e.g., cultural, social, historical, art movements).
• Describe and compare qualities of different art forms (e.g., dance, drama, literary arts, music, visual arts) within similar social, cultural, or historical groups.

8-VA-C3: The learner demonstrates an understanding of the roles, purposes, and meanings of the visual arts in the lives of individuals and in communities.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the multiple roles and purposes of art and design in society (e.g., personal fulfillment, social commentary, religious expression, commercial persuasion, status).
• Examine and explain own purposes for making art.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the intended meanings and/or purposes of artworks encountered in own viewing and artmaking experiences.
• Demonstrate an appreciation of art as a means of experiencing the world and understanding the perspectives of others.
• Demonstrate an understanding of ways in which visual arts reflect, influence, and shape issues and events, as well as traditions, values, beliefs, and identities of individuals and groups.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the impact of context on artists and their art (e.g., consider personal, social, cultural, geographical/ environmental, historical contexts).
• Engage and/or interact appropriately with artworks in a variety of settings.
• Describe a variety of careers in art and design.

8-VA-R1: The learner generates initial reactions to visual art experiences.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Take time to perceive visual arts experiences before sharing opinions and making judgments.
• Make personal connections to previous experiences with visual art and other art forms.
• Express first impression of own and others’ artworks (e.g., thoughts, feelings, intuition, associations, questions, experiences, memories, stories, connections to other disciplines).

8-VA-R2: The learner observes and describes art experiences.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Discern details about art elements, principles, techniques, and media.
• Use appropriate visual art vocabulary to observe and describe visual arts experiences.
• Recognize different noticings and build common understanding about visual arts.
• Demonstrate the understanding that detailed observation and reflection inform artistic thinking, appreciation, and production (e.g., use detailed observations of others’ art to develop and design own creative work).

8-VA-R3: The learner analyzes and interprets art experiences.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Analyze how art elements are related, organized, and used to communicate meaning.
• Share and justify interpretations of own and others’ artworks.
• Examine others’ interpretations to understand diverse perspectives and inform new thinking about art.
• Co-construct criteria to critically analyze and evaluate artworks and experiences.

8-VA-R4: The learner constructs meaning and applies new understandings from art experiences.

The learner is able to do the following:

• Justify own preferences, ideas, decisions, and evaluations about art.
• Recognize and respect that individuals and groups may have different preferences, ideas, interpretations, opinions, and evaluations about art.
• Make informed judgments and choices for decision-making and evaluation.
• Identify ways that art contributes to personal, social, cultural, and artistic identity.