The arts are central to education at Neskowin Valley School. One of the school's co-founders, Margot Voorhies Thompson, is a visual artist, says a comprehensive arts education, including music and drama, has always been fundamental to the school's mission. "The arts are vital in our goal to develop the whole child," says NVS Head of School Julie Fiedler, herself a ceramics artist and painter. "Research shows that arts education contributes to problem-solving, academic achievement, social and emotional development and community engagement."

NVS invites a series of artists to visit the school each year, bringing a variety of approaches and materials to the students -- paintings from fall classes with artist Linda Livingston will be at the show. Art projects are also integrated into daily classroom work, and much of the show's work comes from project units in science, math and history. Vegetable paintings, shadowboxes, cartoon books and collage salmon, along with text describing student projects, are on display starting January 11.

"Our teachers design art projects that are open-ended and invite exploration, decison-making, and self-expression," Fiedler explains. "It's not a cookie-cutter approach, and it requires students to take risks. That kind of challenge engages them and ultimately makes them care a lot about what they are doing."

Neskowin Valley School is a preschool through 8th grade independent school founded in South Tillamook County in 1972. To learn more, visit NeskownValleySchool.com