Through the OASIS Arts Project, OASIS provides students with instruction in a variety of modalities, including tap dance, cartooning, creative art journaling, and architectural design. In an effort to further encourage kids to embrace the arts, we invite mentoring from local professional artists, who commit to working with our students to help them discover their own amazing potential. As of 2018, OASIS will have impacted nearly 10,000 students in Orange County, California. The OASIS Arts Project engages professional artists to provide instruction to students.

Tap Dance program teaches students the basic fundamentals of tap dance. The class focuses on developing rhythm, proper technique, style and fun, by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion.

Hip-Hop teaches students an upbeat and high-energy urban style of dance. This high energy class focuses on musicality and rhythm. Along with creative dance routines, the cultural significance and history of hip hop is taught to give more context behind the art form.

Jazz Dance is a style of dance that combines moves such as leaps, kicks and jumps and other techniques inspired by classical ballet and other dance styles. During the class, students learn how to express themselves and synthesize a variety of jazz dance moves from an accomplished performer.

Modern Dance is a program in which students learn the freeform art of modern dance, a style that combines other dance forms to create unique moves and routines. This broad genre of dance allows students to improvise and express their feelings through movement in a contemporary context.

Cartooning teaches students learn the art of storytelling through comic strips. They learn how to tell their unique stories by creating simple characters and applying sequential narrative principles, such as titles, dialogue, beginnings and conclusions. The goal is to build their self-confidence through imagination and creativity.

Creative Art Journaling is a program where students will take a visual and creative journey of self-discovery as they explore the beauty in everyday life, family traditions and favorite memories. They will learn techniques for creative lettering, design, page lay-out, and subject matter. Students will use different art mediums; watercolors, colored pencils, permanent pens, and a mixed media journal will be provided with extra pages to continue their new skills. This is a class that can foster life-time enjoyment.

Watercolor has students learn the art of watercolor painting starting with knowledge about their materials and basic watercolor techniques to create paintings under the guidance of a professional artist as their instructor. This course also introduces other art foundations such as drawing and color theory and the creative process involved in painting an original piece. Students will have the opportunity to paint along with the instructor’s live demo and have instant feedback during the studio process.

Digital Arts class introduces students to graphic drawing tablets and the industry-standard graphic design software, Adobe Photoshop. OASIS’s unique approach helps students to experience an online classroom environment taught by a professional artist, learn how to create a print-on-demand product, hear a college professor teach on basics of product marketing, and a hands-on experience in participating in the internet economy.

Built Environment Education Program + Sustainability (BEEP+S)/Architectural Design challenges students with a series of hands-on projects wherein students discover the possibilities for landscape design work with natural elements.  BEEP+S offers opportunities to build systems and architectural models to minimize the overall environmental impact by designing around the collection of water and natural light (Smart Buildings) to benefit the climate by conserving and treating water (‘Green’ Landscapes). The program also integrates education on innovative technology to reduce the demands on our ecosystem by utilizing clean or renewable energy and conserving power (Sustainable Systems).

Photography is a program in which a professional photographer teaches and mentors students in the world of photography. Students will be able to enhance their observation skills and take their photographic vision to the next level utilizing their personal phones or an iPad mini to their fullest potential. During the class, students will learn about portrait versus landscape photography, the types of subjects they can take photos of (people, landscapes, objects), and how to edit photos to add special effects to enhance their imagery.