A comprehensive art curriculum includes art making, aesthetics, art history, and art career education. Art education is an integral part of the learning process in District 97. Art balances the curriculum, helping to develop the whole intellect. The teaching of art expands the students’ appreciation and creativity in all academic areas. It helps develop an awareness of the history of many cultures, promotes communication skills and encourages experiences in understanding one’s self. Our curriculum is experiential; students learn best by doing. It is sequential; each year develops learning from that which was previously taught. It is flexible; it is based on the interests and needs of the students, often intertwining thematic units from their core class studies. Not all students mature to be artists. Their ability to understand and appreciate what is seen in nature, various cultures, the media, museums, and to be able to think critically on these impacts them for their entire life.