The Graphic Arts at Bios

"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection." Michelangelo

"Many believe, and I believe, that I have been designated by this work by God. In spite of my old age, I do not want to give it up. I work out of love for God and put all my hope in him." Michelangelo

The Graphic Arts at Bios Christian Academy are treated the exact same way as all of our subjects - as a very important skill with life long application and enjoyment.

What that means in practice is that from kindergarten to our senior class, the curriculum and instructor are seeking to advance the student's skills in order to provide them the means to be creative.

In the grades, kindergarten and primary, three different lines of training are involved. First, a simple curriculum to provide an overall structure to the program using drawing and coloring is provided by Baby Lambs and I Can Do All Things. Additional hands-on art is provided over the years working with clay. Last, I want our student's skills to be appreciated by others outside the walls of Bios. So they enter two or three art contests each year.

Elementary, grades 4-6, enjoys similar expectations as K-3 with the addition of using an excellent art history/appreciation program named Creativity Express. Drawing and perspective is practiced about a quarter of the time. Technical drawing skills are expanded using the Technical Art series where students begin with drawing circles and finish with the skills to draw a train.  Origami is introduced with learning how to create animals like a dog to the more involved skills of creating a house.

In the senior academy, one year of graphic art is expected and two years are available. Students are taught drawing and perspective, living forms, painting with acrylics, and designing with clay. Two or three contests are entered by all the students as a way for others to recognize and appreciate their work.

Building Update

Another hurdle was cleared. If you had been in attendance at the Design and Review meeting Thursday night, it may have looked as if we quite easily cleared this latest and certainly not last hurdle in this first Bios building project. But the observation of ease was made possible by the hours of meetings and work provided by the Board, architects, the general contractor, and the town of Gilbert. Amy Temes with the town of Gilbert along with her boss, Greg Tilque, were instrumental in their support and comments providing helpful assistance to us arriving at the beautiful campus plans which now go into the construction drawing phase.

Sometime in the next two weeks the construction drawings are submitted to the Town for review. These include the framing, roofing, air conditioning, electrical, and plumbing plans. Within four weeks the Town will return the submitted drawings with pretty red lines The architects will either have to erase  the lines or preferably make the needed corrections so the Town will not continue to return the drawings with more pretty red lines. Then construction begins.

In the meantime, over Christmas break, the three primary classrooms will have new restrooms installed. The Middle Academy receives remodeled restrooms with access from the inside of the building. The first of three refrigerated drinking fountains to be placed around campus will be installed in the Middle Academy. It will be a double drinking fountain with a place to fill student water bottles. The best part of the restroom remodeling being begun and completed over Christmas is that the need for porta-potties has been eliminated.