FIS Upper School Visual Arts Department

Here you can acquaint yourself with the art department of the Upper School, grades 6 to 12. You can link to other sites from this page to discover how art is taught, what facilities we enjoy using and what different types of art-learning are happening outside the studios at FIS. You can also get to know our visual arts faculty, see examples of what some of our students have created and view images from past exhibitions.

Artist's Workshop at ISW has young artists reaching for the sky!

Susanne Wadle returned to the Wiesbaden campus this Spring to lead the student there in a sensational installation workshop that featured 6 large-scale constructions made of bamboo. For two days, over 150 young artists from Grades 2 to 6 contributed to the huge effort, and the results were more spectacular than anyone had hoped!

Click here for a slide show of images from the May 2008 workshop with local artists Susanne Wadle.

For more on this event and others like it at FIS and ISW see Special Events.

Diploma Level Art Exhibition 2008 Opens!

The IB Diploma Level Visual Arts Exhibition 2008 will opened on Friday, 14 March at 17:00 in the Atrium of the Arts, Sciences & Technology building on the FIS Main Campus. For a slide show of the vernissage celebration click here.

The IB Exhibition marks the beginning of exam season at FIS. For a look at samples of the Diploma candidates' work, check out Student Art Work page. For a glimpse of their actual art exams with our regular Visiting Exmainer, Ron Kim, go to Special Events.

IB Students' Group Portrait Mural ("We all know art is not truth..."), 2.2 x 11 meters, acrylic on wooden panels, 2005.

Visual Arts at FIS: A Tradition and a Philosophy

FIS has always had a very strong and well-supported program in Visual Arts. The level of sophistication and maturity with which our students approach their education in art has always set FIS apart as a leader in International education and as the first choice for Internationally-minded families in the Frankfurt area who recognize the growing role of the visual arts and creativity in a high quality, well-rounded education.

We believe it is important that students develop the creative, intellectual and practical skills necessary to express themselves visually, to understand the visual world in which they live and to appreciate the cultural diversity of humankind.   The knowledge gained by participation in art requires a unique awareness developed by study and activity, which enables a student to perceive aesthetically with discrimination and intuition.

To achieve this, the students at FIS learn about art through the examination of artistic production from various cultures and periods of history, by visiting different cultural centers and by meeting artists.   They learn by creating art by experiencing the creative process in all its many forms of planning and execution.    Finally, they learn through art by cooperative learning, interdisciplinary themes, class room discussion and by presenting their work before others.

It is essential, in a well-rounded approach to art education, to provide opportunities for students at this advanced stage of development to experience as many areas of traditional visual expression as possible.   Therefore, we include Drawing, Printing, Sculpture, Printmaking, Textiles, Ceramics, Photography, Digital Film and Video and Technology-aided Design in a program that provides a comprehensive range of experiences throughout the Upper School years. A more detailed look at our curriculum in the Visual Arts by clicking on Curriculum Overview.

Finally, we pride ourselves on the success of our graduating art students, many of whom go on to some of the highest ranked art schools in the world. The 2004 and 2005 graduating classes alone included art students who were accepted for study at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Rhode Island School of Design, Parsons School of Design (New York City), Surrey Institute of Art and Design, the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London and the Hong-Ik School of Art in Korea. These, like many before them, carry the long FIS legacy of rigorous art-related training with them as they enter the upper echelon of sophisticated, successful artists and designers worldwide. We wish them, and all of our students (young and old) success.

We sincerely hope that you enjoy this opportunity to get to know us here in the Upper School Art Department at FIS. The site is maintained directly by the Head of the Visual Arts Department and is updated regularly. Your e-mails (links to art@fis on every page) are likewise sent directly to the Head of Visual Arts. So go ahead and click the different links at the top or bottom of these pages for a full tour of the Visual Arts Department, including many Flash slide shows and other surprises!

Video as an Art Form at FIS

More and more students enrolled in the IB Diploma Level Visual Arts program at FIS are choosing digital video as a medium of artistic expression - and meeting with success. The class of 2007 featured one caqndidate who made video her exclusive medium of choice and scored well on her final High Level exam. More information on the burgeoning video art program and a sample of one of our IB studentss video artwork at FIS on the Student Art Work page.

FIS IB students go to the Staedel!

The annual outing of the IB students (grades 11 and 12) to visit the great art museums of Frankfurt continued with the 2006 IB field trip to the Staedel Museum on 20 October 2006. The IB art classes led by Mr. Trebel, Ms. Murray and Mr. Sinclair, enjoyed a fine day of intensive contextual and critical research in one of Europe's leading museums. For the full story and slide show, go to Special Events.

FIS IB2 Art students working in their Research Workbooks during a visit to the Old Master galleries in the Staedel.

Next Stop: MMK!

2008-2009 will see the FIS IB Art Students making a return visit to the Museum fur Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt. Look for pictures and individual student reactions in October!

For information on the MMK Frankfurt, click the link below.

mmk.frankfurt.de