Art at Explorer West – Fostering the Creative Process

Explorer West’s art program emphasizes “process over product’ where the joy of the creative process is the focus instead of creating a “perfect picture”. The idea is to stimulate imagination and recognize each student’s genuine efforts, so they will continue to take pleasure in the arts; continuing their art education outside of school, visiting museums, and looking at and discussing art with interest, knowledge and understanding.

Equally important to the creative process are evidence of quality time spent on projects, willingness to learn new skills, finishing assignments in a timely manner, attention to craftsmanship, contributing to a positive learning environment, and using unique solutions to think “outside the box”.

The art department collaborates with other subject areas to maximize learning opportunities. History and social studies are natural companions to art, but other projects also align with the world music, science and math curricula. Some integrated topic areas include:

· 6^th grade - ancient cultures: Egyptian, Aztec, Mayan, Greek and Chinese

· 7^th grade - historical focus on the United States, Pacific Northwest Coast Native American cultures, and Washington State

· 8^th grade – global studies cultural inspirations

With the new expansive, dedicated art studio, the art program can now focus on larger projects and will have the space to store more artwork (such as ceramics which are fired in an on-site kiln). Explorer West student art is profiled throughout the halls of the school and are also regularly showcased in public exhibitions throughout Seattle.

Not all Explorer West students are going to become the next Georgia O’Keefe or Frank Lloyd Wright. But with an average of three art classes per week, they are exposed to the work of some famous creative minds and stimulated to use new tools and methods in the creation of their own art.

Please visit our faculty page learn more about, Sarah Robertson Palmer, our lead art teacher, or contact the school to learn more about our art program.

Annual Fund Kick Off Party and Multi-Cultural Feast

Our gym was transformed into a global restaurant for an evening of socializing and fund raising amongst our Explorer West parents.

Guests were dazzled by masks hanging along the wall. Musical instruments from all around the world were displayed between tables topped with food from Mexico, Norway, India Czechoslovakia, Finland, Great Britain and Japan to just name a few.

A media presentation of Explorer West students in action energized the crowd as over laden plates were eaten with great gusto.

Parents were dazzled by our two Alumni student speakers; Will Sears and Kale Reb. They both spoke with great poise and eloquence. Will, is currently an Alumni EW Board member and Kale Reb is in the full IB program at Chief Sealth High School. It was heartwarming to know Explorer West had made such an impact on these two dynamic people.

The Annual Fund Campaign will be running through the whole month of October. Our goal is to have 100% participation by all our families, so please get those pledge forms turned back in. Our school needs your financial or talent pledge in order to make this year successful for all our kids.

We Live in Backpacking

After returning from their fall backpacking adventures in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, each 7th grader wrote lines for a group poem based on the form of "We Live in Music" by Ntozake Shange. They performed (read) their poems for the entire school. Bold lines were read in unison. This is 7A's poem, with photos from a variety of fall trips.

WE LIVE IN BACKPACKING

IS THIS WHERE YOU LIVE?

Delaney:

We live on gear list street

Our friends live on stuff sack avenue

Isak:

We live on Waterproofing Boulevard

Our friends live on Hassel Packing Hiway

Francesca:

The bus heaters warm our faces,

Faces cold as the snow on Mt. Rainier

Danny:

Some of us are chilled, the rest of us are steaming

The sound, the words, not good or bad, just bus babble

DO YOU LIVE HERE IN BACKPACKING?

Jared:

We live here on Hiking Street, our friends live on Trail Avenue

With boots for both sides of our hearts

Anna:

Rain falls around us like electric lighting on other folks,

Then hot sun on switchbacks and mountain blueberries for dimples

Tug:

We’ve got bruises where other people got toes and hips

Chipmunks chatter loud as downtown Seattle, run as fast as a shooting star

Alexa:

We limp up a mountain like toddlers be running from their mothers,

Friendly cheers swarm round us like flies on pigs.

DO YOU LIVE HERE IN BACKPACKING?

Alec:

We walk round in our campsite like somebody else be walkin round their livingroom

We live on Soggy Tent Street, but our lucky friend lives on Dry Tent Avenue

Casey:

We walk round in a bagel like somebody else be walking on the earth.

We wear iodine on our fingers

Bug bites wet our face

Pearl:

We’ve got hard wet sleeping pads where others got warm cushy beds

Two full water bottles for both sides of our hearts

Sophie:

We’ve got shimmering Lake Melakwa where others got mirrors

Rocks where others got tables

Matias:

Nature falls so fulla beauty

We got three big mountains where others have ‘lil hills

Avery:

We live on beauty street

From a single tree to a whole forest

We have branches where other people have arms

Oona:

We’ve got deep blue lakes where others got pale puddles

We live under the nature’s trees, wash in its lakes.

Johnston:

We got 15 laughs for each day of camping

And Smartwool socks on each side of our hearts.

DO YOU LIVE HERE IN BACKPACKING?

WE LIVE IN IT, WASH IN IT,

WE CAN EVEN SMELL IT, TASTE IT, WEAR IT LIKE A WELL

WORN T-SHIRT

HOLD YOURSELF, HOLD YOURSELF IN BACKPACKING

Advisory Groups Take on Campus Care

Explorer West advisory groups complete many tasks essential to the life of the school. We are proud to have a school where students are at the heart of lots of important work, whether it's inside or outside of class.

From student-led conference prep to maintaining our outdoor ed gear, recycling and caring for the campus, students do much of the critical work at Explorer West. This teaches them responsibility for their environment and it builds camaraderie in the way that only hands-on work can.

Now in it's 3rd year and boasting many fine native flowers and shrubs, the student-designed and student-built Native Plants Garden thrives due to regular youthful maintenance.

Garden care is the perfect chance for an advisory group to get outside, get their hands dirty and enjoy a spirited weeding session. The kids also come to recognize native plants in different seasons. Mulching comes next to ready the plants for winter and suppress some of the eager new weeds.