Art at FGCS - The Studio
Here is an overview of the FGCS art program from our art teacher Nate Marcel, a working artist and illustrator with more than 20 years teaching experience:
I’m excited to share how our art classroom (I call it our studio) works and how your kids will engage with art at FGCS.
How the studio works: I’m using a nationally recognized, research-based approach called Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB). It resonates with the way I grew to love art, school, and my own experiences as a stubborn learner who thrived on choice, exploration, and making connections independently.
TAB began in the 1970s with elementary art teachers Katherine Douglas and John Crowe, who wanted an alternative to the traditional “do as I show” model where students reproduce the teacher’s example. Instead, TAB places choice and independence at the center of learning.
TAB builds the art curriculum around 3 simple sentences:
Research and experience shows that when children’s choices matter to them, they engage more deeply, take ownership of their work, and develop stronger skills. By contrast, traditional “copy and repeat” models may produce polished results but often leave students resentful and less invested in their learning. TAB nurtures confidence, curiosity, and lifelong creative habits.
I know change can feel challenging for students and families alike. There are two main reasons some learners may feel frustration at first: materials are introduced gradually, and students are expected to take responsibility for the studio. Both of these elements are key to building independence.
What’s important to know: TAB feels like it should be synonymous with “free choice,” but it is not - just ask the kids! Instead, TAB emphasizes interest and responsibility. I have sometimes used the language of students “earning” materials. What I mean is this: As students grow in responsibility, safety, and skill, the studio expands with them. Once a material or process is introduced, it stays available unless a safety issue arises. The goal isn’t to be punitive, but to give each new tool a sense of weight and importance, so students treat it with respect.
Step-by-step introduction of materials: Students won’t have every tool or medium available at once. We’re beginning with a traditional sequence: Drawing, painting, collage, papercrafting and 3D work. This sequence helps students learn safety, respect for tools, and studio routines.
Centers for exploration: The room is divided into studio “centers.” Students choose where to work and explore their own ideas within the structures and materials available.
Process over product: Students may not always bring home polished “pretty pictures.” Instead, they bring home something more valuable—experiments, discoveries, and evidence of growth. Their work often shows literal thought processes, risks taken, and connections made. Watching them explore and invent is deeply inspiring, and I hope you’ll see those sparks when they share their experiences with you.
As parents and teachers ,the best thing we can do is ask these simple questions, avoiding any good/bad judgment language:
Things we are building on/Closing thoughts
Not all students have the same attention levels or the same readiness for the less glamorous parts of art-making - mostly cleaning up the studio! However, with TAB, I see more growth and joy than frustration, and far deeper engagement across the board. TAB differs from traditional, product-focused approaches, but it rests on the same belief in children’s ability to learn, grow, and flourish.
With nearly 200 kids sharing the same space and supplies, my role is to introduce resources with care, mentor students as they make choices and changes, and encourage responsibility for themselves, one another, and the studio. The result is a space where children grow not only as artists, but as thinkers. And, believe it or not, during the quiet moments you can almost hear the static electrical crackle of synapses firing and new neural pathways fusing.
Thanks so much for your support!
Nate Marcel, [email protected]
I’m excited to share how our art classroom (I call it our studio) works and how your kids will engage with art at FGCS.
How the studio works: I’m using a nationally recognized, research-based approach called Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB). It resonates with the way I grew to love art, school, and my own experiences as a stubborn learner who thrived on choice, exploration, and making connections independently.
TAB began in the 1970s with elementary art teachers Katherine Douglas and John Crowe, who wanted an alternative to the traditional “do as I show” model where students reproduce the teacher’s example. Instead, TAB places choice and independence at the center of learning.
TAB builds the art curriculum around 3 simple sentences:
- What do artists do?
- The child is the artist
- The classroom is their studio.
Research and experience shows that when children’s choices matter to them, they engage more deeply, take ownership of their work, and develop stronger skills. By contrast, traditional “copy and repeat” models may produce polished results but often leave students resentful and less invested in their learning. TAB nurtures confidence, curiosity, and lifelong creative habits.
I know change can feel challenging for students and families alike. There are two main reasons some learners may feel frustration at first: materials are introduced gradually, and students are expected to take responsibility for the studio. Both of these elements are key to building independence.
What’s important to know: TAB feels like it should be synonymous with “free choice,” but it is not - just ask the kids! Instead, TAB emphasizes interest and responsibility. I have sometimes used the language of students “earning” materials. What I mean is this: As students grow in responsibility, safety, and skill, the studio expands with them. Once a material or process is introduced, it stays available unless a safety issue arises. The goal isn’t to be punitive, but to give each new tool a sense of weight and importance, so students treat it with respect.
Step-by-step introduction of materials: Students won’t have every tool or medium available at once. We’re beginning with a traditional sequence: Drawing, painting, collage, papercrafting and 3D work. This sequence helps students learn safety, respect for tools, and studio routines.
Centers for exploration: The room is divided into studio “centers.” Students choose where to work and explore their own ideas within the structures and materials available.
Process over product: Students may not always bring home polished “pretty pictures.” Instead, they bring home something more valuable—experiments, discoveries, and evidence of growth. Their work often shows literal thought processes, risks taken, and connections made. Watching them explore and invent is deeply inspiring, and I hope you’ll see those sparks when they share their experiences with you.
As parents and teachers ,the best thing we can do is ask these simple questions, avoiding any good/bad judgment language:
- “Tell me about this, what is going on here?”
- “ How did this challenge you?”
- “What will you try next time?”
- “ Have you seen this _____( style, artist, medium) ?...”
- “ Have you tried this color scheme?...”
- “Did you want the work to have this effect?..”
Things we are building on/Closing thoughts
Not all students have the same attention levels or the same readiness for the less glamorous parts of art-making - mostly cleaning up the studio! However, with TAB, I see more growth and joy than frustration, and far deeper engagement across the board. TAB differs from traditional, product-focused approaches, but it rests on the same belief in children’s ability to learn, grow, and flourish.
With nearly 200 kids sharing the same space and supplies, my role is to introduce resources with care, mentor students as they make choices and changes, and encourage responsibility for themselves, one another, and the studio. The result is a space where children grow not only as artists, but as thinkers. And, believe it or not, during the quiet moments you can almost hear the static electrical crackle of synapses firing and new neural pathways fusing.
Thanks so much for your support!
Nate Marcel, [email protected]