Wellan’s Art program seeks to help children expand the ways in which they can express themselves—their unique feelings, ideas, and perspectives. When students are young, Art helps them refine their fine motor skills, develop their abilities to observe small variations in the visual and tactile properties of things; and is a vehicle for expanding their focus and concentration. As students grow and explore more mediums and techniques, they develop a visual art toolbox that opens up new ways of seeing and communicating. Through discussions and “workshopping,” students hone their ability to look at art, talk about art, and ask throughout questions about artist intent and impact. Eventually, they event understand art as a vehicle for social and community change, and they try their own artistic voices in more public spaces. At all levels, art teachers strike a balance between guided instruction on the use and care of materials and giving young artists space to deviate creatively from examples and/or prior projects. This challenge parallels the school’s overall commitment to providing a high-quality Montessori Progressive education wherein students develop fundamental skills and then build on them to clarify their own viewpoints and passions.