Second-grade students create papier-mâché animals during study of Charlotte’s Web
Success is a big word at ArtSpace Charter School, and the school is experiencing plenty of it: ArtSpace received the ESEA Distinguished Schools Award for the second year in a row; principal Dr. Sarena Fuller was named NC Charter School Principal of the Year; and ArtSpace is up for the national Impact Grant Award. The key to all of this success? Arts integration.
“The philosophy of the program is based on the belief that art is more than just a tool for education,” says Fuller. “In all its forms, art inspires individuals to think critically about their own culture and environment. It encourages the thoughtful expression of an individual’s principles and ideas. It is teaching division through the work of Gustav Klimt, states of matter through dance, single-celled organisms through linocut art, proportions with stringed instruments, abolitionist movement with historical protest music.”
Collaborative mural celebrating the opening of the new Fine Arts Building
ArtSpace is intentionally unique, creating an environment where learners discover something new and unexpected daily. “At ArtSpace, we teach through a projects-based approach, thinking about the whole child and how to help them learn about themselves by learning about the world around them,” says third-grade teacher Mary Wray. “Arts integration works because it presents the curriculum in a myriad of ways. Each child will get something different out of the lessons they are taught. Children get excited about learning when their curiosity is encouraged. They become engaged in learning in a way that is authentic and meaningful. It is truly a magical way to teach and to learn.”
The promise of this approach is evidenced in the school’s popularity. ArtSpace had a record high number of applications in 2023; chronic absenteeism at the school is less than six percent, compared to nearly 16 percent statewide; and student academic growth is in the top 10 percent of state public schools. Good teachers also flock to ArtSpace, which started the year with a full staff despite the national teacher shortage.
“Every student can find a way to be successful at ArtSpace,” says Fuller. “ArtSpace values each individual’s unique contributions to the learning community, leveraging the power of the arts to create authentic access points to the curriculum, develop a deeper understanding of our cultural assets, engage different parts of the brain and encourage student exploration. Art empowers us with the freedom to get messy, make mistakes, try new things and challenge the status quo.”
To learn more, visit ArtSpaceCharter.org.
