OVERVIEW OF THE WALDEN ARTS
Arts education is an integral component of academic achievement and of Walden’s curriculum. Walden School recognizes the potential for each student to excel in the fine arts: visual arts, music, and drama. The developmentally-appropriate curriculum is designed to provide students with the fundamental skills, techniques, and knowledge to participate in the arts. Our K-12 program encourages creativity as well as aesthetic appreciation.
School-Wide Participation
School-wide activities that feature the arts include rotating artwork displays, two Lower School musical performances a year, at least three Middle School drama productions a year, two High School theatre productions a year, and the ultimate, culminating drama production: the annual K-12 musical.
Family members are involved in these events as audience members and by assisting with props and costumes. Although a number of Walden graduates have gone on to college to pursue advanced art education, the overarching goal of Walden’s art program is to educate each student to be a lifelong participant in and supporter of the arts.
DRAMATIC ARTS
Every year, Walden assembles an extracurricular K-12 drama cast that culminates in a grand spring production: the annual K-12 musical. The all-school musical is an outstanding identity of our school culture, embodying the celebration of community and the fine arts.
The dramatic arts are also offered in the curriculum to students in Middle and High School. Middle School drama is a required semester course for students in Grades 6-8. The Middle School drama program seeks to advance the student from the basics of acting (6th Grade) to an intermediate performance level with a small-scale production (7th Grade), to a full-scale performance preparation (8th Grade). High School drama is offered as an elective for credit. High school drama tailors productions to complement the abilities of the students enrolled in the class. (Lower School students are occasionally recruited for both middle and high school productions).
VISUAL ARTS
LOWER SCHOOL
The Lower School visual arts program focuses on exploration and fosters enthusiasm for creative thinking. Walden community spaces are utilized to demonstrate and celebrate student work. Lower school students take art twice weekly.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Middle School visual arts program offers instruction in both 2-D and 3-D formats. Projects include design elements such as color, line, shape, value, texture, and form, as well as design principles such as repetition, contrast, balance, and proportion. Individuality and creativity are valued. Art history is incorporated into the project presentation. The art classroom allows students to work in different media at the same time in a studio setting. Fifth Grade students take art twice weekly. Students in Grades 6-8 take art daily for one semester each year.
HIGH SCHOOL
The High School program furthers the study of the elements and principles of design, with a push toward students’ production of conceptual work. The art history component in the high school includes weekly art journal reflections. Students study artists or art genres, and then respond to their chosen works in written or drawn format. Advanced Placement classes are offered in both Drawing and 2-D Design. The average AP score in art over the past five years is 4.5. High school students take art classes as an elective.
High school artwork from Walden is entered each year into the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Competition, the oldest and most prestigious art competition in the United States. With over 2,000 entries per year, Walden students steadfastly perform well both regionally and nationally.
High School
Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
2017 HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS
One Silver Key Medal Award - National
One Gold Key - Regional
Two Silver Keys - Regional
Two Honorable Mentions - Regional
2018 HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS
One Gold Key - Regional
Two Silver Keys - Regional
Nine Honorable Mentions - Regional
2019 HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS
One Gold Key Medal Award - National
One Gold Key - Regional
One Silver Key - Regional
One Honorable Mention - Regional
2020 HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS
One Gold Key Medal Award - National
One Gold Key Portfolio - Regional
One Gold Key - Regional
One Silver Key Portfolio - Regional
Three Silver Keys - Regional
Three Honorable Mentions - Regional
2021 HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS
One Gold Key - Regional
One Silver Key - Regional
Three Honorable Mentions - Regional
2022 HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS
Two Gold Keys (Art) - Regional
Three Gold Keys (Writing) - Regional
One Gold Key Portfolio (Art) - Regional
Two Silver Keys (Art) - Regional
One Silver Key (Writing) - Regional
One Honorable Mention Portfolio (Art) - Regional
Three Honorable Mentions (Art) - Regional
One Honorable Mention (Writing) - Regional
2023 HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS
One Honorable Mention (Art) - Regional
One Silver Key (Writing) - Regional
MUSICAL ARTS
Lower School students have music class twice a week, focusing on participating in activities like moving creatively, listening to various music genres, playing different percussion instruments, the recorder, improvising, and composing melodies and rhythms. They have two main music/drama shows, plus smaller seasonal performances. Students also learn about music's connection to history and culture and do projects linking music to other art forms and subjects.
Band and Choir
Music is required for Middle School students and optional for high schoolers. Middle Schoolers must take music and can choose band or choir. The program aims to improve skills and love of music through performances. Band students learn music theory and history, practice reading and playing music, assess performances, and work towards common goals. They perform in large and small groups at school and in Louisville, including two concerts and assessments.