The visual, musical, and performing arts are an integral part of every classroom. In addition, students receive more formalized instruction in the arts. 

Visual Arts 

  • Students study artists and develop art projects inspired by wide range of cultural experiences; for example, Faith Ringgold, Monet, Matisse and various Oaxacan artists.         
  • Students create and reflect upon their own art
  • Students learn to respond in a thoughtful manner to the art of others
  • Students learn to value the unique contribution of art to human experience
  • Students learn to relate art to its appropriate cultural, historical and time context.

Art Show

Each year the students mount an art exhibition at the Oliver Wolcott Library in Litchfield. The children’s work is showcased in a Gallery at the library our first week back from Winter Break. The art on exhibit revolves around a central theme which they learned and practiced during the previous semester.  

The 2024/25 Art Show:

Expressions of Art

Opening: January 7th, 2025 from 5pm-7pm

Exhibit Runs: January 7, 2025 - January 12, 2025

Litchfield Montessori Winter Art Show, Expressions of Art, features work from our talented, creative students. The exhibit offers a look into the power of creative expression! Through different artists and art mediums, the children bring forth their marvelous imagination. As a central focus of Montessori elementary education, the independence of the child is encouraged and, because of this, the child has the space to develop his/her unique and personal interpretations of life.

The exhibit opens with Henri Matisse, a French visual artist. He is best known for painting, sculpting, drawing, and collage. Matisse broke free from the classic art world and ushered in a time of intense color, bolder and simplified forms, and decorative patterns. The elementary students mimicked Matisse's collage process by painting pieces of paper and then designing a composition on canvas with cut paper.  From fun, colorful, whimsical forms to intricate patterns, the students created their own unique compositions!

From the world of collage we move into the three dimensional art form of mosaic work. 

The elementary students are introduced to creating an image made with small regular and irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic. The pieces are held in  place on a surface with a mortar and grout. 

In ancient times, mosaics were practical and not artistic. For example, a floor would be made from many different stones, but with no eye for beauty. Eventually the idea came to create aesthetically pleasing mosaics, such as murals, floors, pots, and plates. The ancient art form has lasted centuries and holds the history of many cultures within the images portrayed. As a class, we sourced our designs from the natural world and the divine nature of patterns. The children designed intricate pictures and carefully placed the pieces in the mortar to create their mosaic. The pieces are abstract, colorful, and a thing of beauty. 

Norman Rockwell, American painter and illustrator, embraced the happenings of everyday life. He is most famous for his illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post. He is the quintessential New England artist and portrays many scenes that pull at our heart strings or bring a smile to our faces.  The children were asked to sketch a moment from their life that embodies a time of love, joy, or gratitude. Once sketched, they drew the final piece on watercolor paper and then used mix media (colored pencil, crayon, watercolor, and black sharpie.) to bring their image to life. The drawings speak to what is truly important in this world!  

The children of Litchfield Montessori School are encouraged to be independent thinkers as well as good citizens of the world. As seen through their artwork, the children express their unique qualities as well as their love for the world around them.  

We look forward to your presence at our art show. 

Support the classroom:

Visual Arts Wish List

Musical and Performing Arts

Music is a global force that unites us all as humans. It has the power to make us dance, sing, jump for joy and weep, all while acting as a vehicle for communication between people throughout the world. Music in the life of a child can be as simple as the satisfaction that comes from singing a folk song in a circle; however, the magic lies in the multitude of lessons that one musical experience can bring.

As Montessorians, we know that young children learn best through experience and activation of their senses. We engage the ear, the eye, the voice, the hand, the body, and the soul of the child to create an experience that supports the whole child.  Music not only offers the learning of pitch, rhythm, beat, etc., but it supports all learning. We practice leadership and social skills, literacy, executive functioning, problem solving, and experience the gift of connectedness to cultures near and far.

Walking through the halls and classrooms at Litchfield Montessori it is not uncommon to hear children singing while they work. 

“We tend to think that the realm of music is the privileged area of some happy few. Experience has taught us, however, that if offered the right kind of education from a very early age onwards, anyone is capable of entering the realm of music. Not everyone has the talent to practice music at an artistic level, or create new work, but everyone can reach a stage where they can enjoy it.” - Maria Montessori

  • In their study of music, students develop an understanding of music’s strong link to history and culture.
  • In addition, students develop musical awareness and skills through singing, playing instruments, performing rhythms and moving and listening to music. 
  • Musical performance plays a central role in wonderful school traditions, from the Harvest Feast to the Season of Lights and Children's House Gathering holiday concerts and our Moving On ceremony, where we bid farewell to our graduates.

School Play

Each year the Elementary students perform a classic play. Working in the performing arts, students create an awareness and understanding of character development, as well as cultivate skills in storytelling, voice, movement, improvisation and how to perform in front of a live audience.