The creative works that are produced by In Progress artists, represent our collective history as an organization.  They are also a key source for understanding how our artists develop over time.  The resulting products often mark historic moments within the communities we work with and provide valuable insights into how artists develop their skill and vision.  Below are the key areas we examine when we begin to work with developing artists.   It is the unique way in which individuals draw on the areas below that make them artists and storytellers and take us as their audience to an elevated state of understanding.

technique

When looking at an artist's development, In Progress focuses on vocabulary development and technical application as a first step in an artist's training.  Whether it is learning how to turn on a camera, or record clear crisp sound, or even capture an image in sharp focus - these details are a foundational requirement before artistic expression can find a place.

aesthetics

The subjective process of blending images, sounds and words to create insight and understanding, takes time to develop.  

Learning how formal elements and principals work within the storytelling process is  key to artistic development and is important to identify early in the learning process.

content

How content is developed, contextualized and delivered varies dramatically from artist to artist, and community to community.  We believe that in this area, that the maker must pull from what they know - from their core life experiences, to understand the power of good storytelling.  In this area - writing, discussion and revision are key elements to making content viable to audiences and true to the producer's core perspective.

creativity

Creativity is where technique, aesthetics and content come together to create an original work.  It is where expression becomes unique to the maker and where audiences are first able to identify with the art presented.  Often we see key markers of an artist's signature from the very first piece they produce and we take note on how the artist's creative will masters the artform over time.

context

The perspective that culture, time, and landscape contribute to the telling of a story is immense.  At In Progress, we have become keenly aware of the fact that too many cultural views go unseen within our U.S. society.  Because of this we pay special attention to encouraging that newly developing artists to understand their own world views and to build their creative minds in a way that honors their unique world values.

critique

Critique is an important and ongoing process in building understanding between artists and their audience.  

At In Progress we talk about the art of story and creation.  We use it as a tool for understanding each others work and for identifying ways in which we can build understanding across cultures.  

Standards:

Over the years, In Progress has developed a series of assessments to gage the growth of our developing artists.  They are centered in the state and federal standards developed for media arts education and are adapted to work specifically to for the varying learning environments we work in.  For further detail please click on any of the links below:

National Visual Arts Standards - provides a general set of standards applied by teaching artists from In Progress.  These standards provide a foundation for arts learning and creation K-12 and are the basis for most arts education in the nation.

Video Storytelling Curriculum, Instructional Resources & Assessments

Photography Assessments Curriculum, Instructional Resources & Assessments

Music Assessments Curriculum, Instructional Resources & Assessments