Detroit Country Day preschoolers paint Picassos - Fox 2 News Headlines

Preschoolers at Detroit Country Day School are learning about world-renowned artwork through an innovative early childhood education art program. Students have learned about Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet and famous artists.  

"It's a great way for children to learn about great artists, to learn about what they do, and their inspiration, and then to find their own inspiration in their own art," said Jennifer Bullock, Detroit Country Day.

The program is for preschool students 4 and 5 years old. They are studying master artists during their month-long great artist unit. Children build a portfolio with their own replicas of famous artwork that they can take home at the end of the unit.

"They learn to appreciate art in a different way. They learn pieces by specific artists. For example when we studied Pablo Picasso, we learned about the blue period when he was feeling sad," said Marnie Duross, Pre K-4 teacher. The children create art in his style. Then we learned about the rose period where he was feeling happy, and when we go to the DIA they'll be able to recognize those pieces and feel a part of our community."

This program gives students the opportunity to not only discover the artists, but become an artist as well. Presented at the Association for Independent Michigan Schools' annual conference, the curriculum is gaining notable attention for introducing the concepts and history of art at such a young age.