Visual & Performing Arts

Because we fundamentally believe every student at Brookwood is a musician and an artist, not only do they master content, they also hone creative perspectives, develop perseverance and deepen capacity for collaboration.

Visual Arts

The primary goal of our visual arts program is to create an atmosphere in which each child feels encouraged and supported in their creative endeavors. Brookwood students are exposed to a wide variety of two and three-dimensional art forms, such as drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, bookmaking, fabric art, mixed-media, graphic design and ceramics. Our program is sequential in both theory and practice, starting with basic art concepts for our youngest PreK learners and culminating with a more open studio art experience for our 8th grade students.

Formal instruction is given when a new concept or technique is introduced, yet students are also encouraged to explore and experiment with materials and individual ideas in one of our three art classroom studios, as well in our ceramics and woodworking places. Throughout all of our grade levels, Brookwood students are introduced to the artwork of various world cultures, past and present, working collaboratively with other disciplines to make curricular connections and broaden understanding of given topics. Field trips to various museums and places of interest as well as working with visiting artists deepen students’ experiences. In addition to an all-school Community Art Day exhibit that takes place each April to honor and celebrate the creative efforts our students, we treat our walls and halls as a curated gallery space on a daily basis, filling them with student creations throughout the year.

Music & Performing Arts

Brookwood students have an enormous range of opportunities to express themselves musically. At designated and developmentally-appropriate grade levels, children learn to play Orff instruments, recorders, steel drums, guitars and handbells, as well as perform with a vocal ensemble. Our comprehensive performing arts curriculum enables students to develop an ability to read complex rhythms, apply thorough music theory knowledge, appreciate the fundamentals of Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop and World Music, understand the expectations of an audience in different performance settings, and experience and understand cultures through music. And of course, for every musician at Brookwood, there’s an equally talented orator or thespian.

Performance is a Brookwood tradition, fueled by more than a half-century of unforgettable moments on stage. Students participate in plays and musical revues throughout the year at all grade levels, with the 8th Grade Play positioned as the grand finale. Using many different professional digital recording options, budding singers of all ages record their own songs. And many students opt for after-school individual and group lessons in an even wider range of instruments and genres, including acapella, jazz band, multiple rock/pop combos, band and classical ensembles.