"People need some things in order to mature. A nation that does not paint, a nation that does not sculpt, a nation that does not do what science requires must accept that it is a nation that has no place in the path of progress."

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

Art emerges with the impulse to express ourselves and to communicate with and influence the environment. Art is both individual and social. However, it also has national and emotional aspects. People with an art education have different perspectives on the world they live in. They notice objects around them and can observe them with a critical eye. The basic principle of art education is creativity, and for the development of creativity it  should begin at a young age.

Creativity exists in the individual and shows itself in different fields of art; in the creation of a new form, and in its production. Creativity is an innate ability which exists in every individual, waiting to be developed and supported.

Creativity is both emotional and intellectual. It is the ability to look at problems in a variety of ways and try to find different solutions to them. The benefits of creative power are countless as creativity develops human consciousness. Creative individuals are ready to learn, use their imagination, are curious and interested because they have different perspectives, and produce new ideas. In other words they are productive. Therefore, it is important to support and encourage creativity. Art and creativity are two superpowers that an individual has to make them stand out.

Our Visual Arts Program, which includes two- and three-dimensional works, aims that students acquire the following knowledge and skills:

• Developing their perception, thinking and creative powers,

• Reinforcing their interests and abilities,

• Expressing their feelings and thoughts through art,

• Increasing awareness of the visual elements of life,

• Sensing the originality of a work of art,

• Learning by experiencing the relationship of art with life,

• Developing manual skills, with the tools and techniques of art,

• Gaining the habit of collaborating with group work.

ACTIVITIES

Topics covered in the Visual Arts program are supported by extracurricular activities and club work:

• Our students participate in national and international painting competitions.

• Students are taken to exhibitions and museums (according to grade levels).

• Art tours are organized in Turkey and abroad.

• Artists are invited to the school and art talks are organized.

• Activities are organized with companies that produce and sell art materials.

• Art activities related to social responsibility projects are held in our school.

• Our Visual Arts Exhibition is held at the end of each year.

• Social responsibility projects are run throughout the year.

• Art from different cultures is examined in the study of art history.

• The works and lives of the artists belonging to our culture are investigated.

ART CLUBS

In these clubs our students exhibit their work in order to develop their imagination and to reveal their skills and talents. In our art clubs, where social responsibility projects are also included, activities are carried out to improve students' art awareness and critical perspectives. Encouraged to be sensitive individuals to art and artists, our students examine the lives and works of different artists throughout the year.

INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

International projects are organized every year in order to establish intercultural connections and communicate in a foreign language with peers living abroad, on matters related to their fields of interest. Students take an active part as a team to design websites, create ebooks and produce many other digital products on their way to becoming world citizens.