Art at Birchwood is instructional learning, based on the Curriculum for the Arts and is comprehensive as well as enjoyable. Students are encouraged to use a sketchbook to put creative thoughts and ideas on paper and later, expand on those drawings. While developing fine motor skills, grades K-3 work on basic skills: cutting, pasting, painting, and coloring. Grades 4-8 learn the elements of design: line, shape, direction, texture, size, color, and value. As students advance through Birchwood they build upon the basic skills by creating projects that focus on the principles of design: balance, graduation, repetition, contrast, harmony, and unity. At Birchwood, students also learn Art History and Art Criticism while experiencing different techniques using Medias such as printmaking, painting, drawing, and sculpture.