Visual and Performing Arts are an essential part of education and have numerous social, emotional, and academic benefits. However, the arts are often underfunded and undervalued resulting in students not receiving meaningful and engaging arts education. This is especially true for Deaf students because even when schools do have arts programs, they are often not fully accessible to Deaf students. They also do not include the contributions of Deaf artists, Deaf artwork, and the Deaf community. My goal is to go beyond accessible arts education and create an arts curriculum that is Deaf-centered, fosters Deaf identity, pulls from the Deaf community, and reflects both Deaf culture and experience.

This curriculum highlights various Deaf artists of different backgrounds and is rooted in Deaf culture. Students are empowered to engage in the artistic processes and learn about artists from within the Deaf community. The curriculum is designed to focus on the artistic disciplines of Visual Arts, Media Arts, and Theater. Across all three disciplines, students learn about various Deaf artists/actors, discuss the artwork they see, create their own artwork, and present their artwork. This curriculum incorporates Social and Emotional Learning practices by allowing students to express themselves and their identity through artwork. American Sign Language (ASL) and English bilingual strategies are used to teach this curriculum to foster strong language skills in both languages. This curriculum was successfully implemented at a residential school for the Deaf.