The Arts

Visual Arts 

Instruction in Three Distinct Ways

At Baltimore Lab School, discrete training in the arts, both visual and performing, is integral to Sally Smith's vision and philosophy of capitalizing on our students' creative strengths. The arts faculty is first-rate and is committed to the ideal of allowing every student to shine.

1. Art as Curriculum: Our discreet arts courses help students explore art history, media and artistic processes while drawing on annual school wide themes, multiculturalism and topics of study in the academic subject areas.  
2. Arts-Enhanced Curriculum: Our drama, music, creative movement and visual arts teachers work with classroom teachers to develop songs, movement techniques and visual art experiences that help reinforce academic skills and enhance student acquisition of vocabulary and key concepts.
3. Arts-Integrated Curriculum: Our arts teachers also collaborate with classroom teachers to provide an arts-integrated curriculum in which an art form is used as an approach to teaching and a vehicle for meeting learning objectives in an academic subject area and an art form.  For example, a middle school language arts class is taught by an English teacher and a drama teacher so that students are meeting written language objectives as they learn to play write.   (Arts as Curriculum, Arts-Enhanced Curriculum, and Arts-Integrated Curriculum from Kennedy Center Terminology)

Performing Arts

"At Baltimore Lab School, discrete training in the arts, both visual and performing, is integral to Sally Smith's vision and philosophy of capitalizing on our students' creative strengths. The arts faculty is first-rate and is committed to the ideal of allowing every student to shine."

The Performing Arts department focuses on several goals.  We strive to access reluctant readers, teach social skills in a creative setting, give students specific focusing skills, and realize body/voice/emotional awareness.  We teach the students the specific skills and techniques involved in dance, drama, and vocal and instrumental music to students in the Lower School, Middle School, and High School.  

In particular, in the Lower School, there is a focus on a multi-cultural approach in all arts areas, providing an inter-disciplinary cohesiveness that aids in the students' acquisition and retention of knowledge. There has been much research done in the use of the arts in assisting with academics and life-skills. This is particularly true with the population we serve: the objectives of focus, memory, and ensemble work are the underpinnings of the work we do in the studios on a daily basis.

Our performance calendar is rigorous. Students in all three divisions are involved in a first-quarter inter-disciplinary thematic celebration, a Hispanic Heritage as well as an African Heritage Festival and an end-of-the-year musical.   Additionally, in April, Grandparents and Special Friends Day affords our students the opportunity to showcase their new skills for their extended families.

The Rehearsal and Performance Ensemble has two to three fully mounted productions every year.  Recent past seasons have included Chekhov one acts, Wilder one acts, original plays and musicals, collaborations with the Lab School of Washington, and an original Staff/Student Production.

Baltimore Lab School strives to be an important cultural asset to the Station North Arts District.  To that end, Rehearsal and Performance Ensemble has performed at the Load of Fun performance space on North Avenue and University of Baltimore’s Lillian and Vernon Wright Theater. Baltimore Lab School strives to be an important cultural asset to the Station North Arts District.

We also believe firmly that access and exposure to professional arts experiences is invaluable.  The students attend a variety of performances outside of school and Baltimore Lab School hosts many visiting performing artists, including Grammy award winning musicians, international story tellers, mimes, and more.

• Lower School Drama
• Audio-Visual Production
• Instrumental and Vocal Music
• Music Elements
• Composition and Technique
• Creative Movement
• Movement Challenge
• Focused Creative Movement
• Creative Acting
• Theatrical Rehearsal and Performance