“Art changed my life. I believe you start understanding art when you share it with others. That’s why I teach.”
—Claudio Orso, Artist in Residence
Arts in the city
Luther Memorial takes advantage of the vibrant Arts scene in Cleveland with visits to such places as Gordon Square Arts District, Severance Hall and the Cleveland Museum of Art.
At Luther Memorial, the Arts are an integral part of our curriculum.
We believe the Arts—visual arts, music, and drama —teach students to think more creatively and make for more inquisitive, imaginative, and engaged learners. Our focus on the Arts helps our students find joy in learning and cultivates their natural talent and gift of self-expression.
Visual Art
Luther Memorial collaborates with Art House, a nonprofit based arts center in Brooklyn Center, to provide high quality art instruction in our building from working professional artists. Artists provide 10-11 week residencies, creating one-of-a-kind projects with our students. At each grade level, students are taught new techniques as they refine their artistic abilities and explore the spectrum of artistic expression. They draw, paint, sculpt, make collages, and experiment with 3-D mixed media. Each class has an art class once a week.
Drama
For Drama programming, Luther Memorial partners with Talespinner Children’s Theatre of Cleveland for a 12-week residency. In classes during the school day, students learn to use body, mind and voice to perform for an audience. Lessons in drama teach teamwork, communication and problem solving skills, poise, confidence and creative expression. Each class writes its own play, rehearses it and performs for fellow students and parents on Theater Day at the school. At the end of the residency, classes take a field trip to TCT’s stage in the Gordon Square Arts District to watch their instructors perform.
Music
Martin Luther says about music, “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through Music.”
Music is a universal language. It evokes emotion, connects cultures, creates community, and honors our Creator. At Luther Memorial, we believe music is central to a life of worship and is a gift we both give to, and receive from, our loving God.
Grades preschool through Grade 5 have a General Music class once a week during the school day. Middle school students take a classical guitar class, taught by an instructor from the Classical Guitar Society of Cleveland, also during the school day.