Finding our voices: art and advocacy

Youth Art Month is a fantastic opportunity to get art out in front of the community. It is these stakeholders who make decisions throughout the year for the best for our students. However, it isn't the only time to showcase our students' exceptional work, and thus our art education programs. It is a springboard to creating partnerships for special displays and exhibits. We are fortunate to have established a wonderful rapport with our local hospital. Last spring, we exhibited a huge collection of 4th grade watercolor "Wildflowers" which were invited for an extended stay at Seton. Our newest exhibit, all still-life paintings by our newest artists, our 3rd grade, are up and already getting attention.

The works represent my philosophy of their process--no works are the same. Each artist's voice is clearly apparent, and their individual choices in regards to the still-life view and the painting style are celebrated. The still-life of 3 vases full of flowers was set up on a round wooden table in the middle of the room, with the students' art tables arranged in a circle around it. Students were instructed to sit in one seat and draw the view of the still-life in front of them. However--we added a little pizzazz: imagine the concept of musical chairs... When the music starts, students stand up, and move around. As soon as the music stops they find a seat, and draw the view from there. They aren't supposed to sit in the same seat twice, thus providing them with a collection of views from which to choose for their final piece. The next time they come to art, the display is exactly the same. They are instructed to look through their studies and determine which one they like the best. They will redraw that view with more attention to detail. Some students work faster than others, so the next step would be to provide them with the drawing/painting paper (we used 12" x 18") on which they will draw their still-life again. This time, they draw it bigger: we use the word, magnified.
Students then trace over the pencil lines with permanent ink pens, select the color of tempera for their backgrounds, and start painting. The process took several weeks. After the pieces dried, students did use permanent marker to define the still-life paintings. For many, this was the first painting experience! They were so excited at the variety of styles and color, as well.

Here, we present our Youth Art Month Celebration, brought to you by some of our 3rd graders!

Reading, Writing and Art! The 3 R's...

March is Youth Art Month!

We launch this month's post with the celebration of reading through Dr. Seuss--with his birthday today, the nation is also celebrating Read across America, a push for reading experiences for every child. This great poem says it best:

You're never too old, too wacky, too wild,
To pick up a book and read with a child.
You're never too busy, too cool, or too hot,
To pick up a book and share what you've got.

In schools and communities,
Let's gather around,
Let's pick up a book,
Let's pass it around.

There are kids all around you,
Kids who will need
Someone to hug,
Someone to read.

Come join us March 3rd
Your own special way
And make this America's
Read to Kids Day.
Source: http://www.nea.org/grants/read-across-america-poem.html

In the Fine Arts Studio, we make the connection to reading every day, when we look at a work of art. We are essentially "reading" the work as text, making observations and deriving meaning from the artist's intent. As we share our observations, make connections to the ways of creating art to the ways of thinking, we can determine how different artists create artworks and in turn, learn about the ways we can create work too. The works of art tell stories, make connections to history, and develop an appreciation for different cultures and ideas. If you are a RJR parent, please ask your children which works of art they looked at over the course of the last few weeks, they are sharing their learning with others through the use of Venn Diagrams.
As we look at and discuss art, reading and writing, we see how important all of these activities are for the education of the whole child. What are some ways you tie in reading and writing in your art classroom?

Here it is: my Indie project!

There is nothing better than the feeling of "fait accompli!" I completed my final project for my first semester course--the independent project for my Curriculum course at the University of Florida, MAAE. I can't wait to teach this unit. In fact, we are jumping into it this fall with our 5th graders at RJR!

Let me know what you think!

Taking Chances

“Only those who risk going too far know how far they can go.” - T.S. Eliot

Our conversations in the art classroom involve students in exploring those chances we take throughout our lifetimes. We strive to take those kinds of chances where we will grow and discover what we are truly capable of being.

Thanks, Jason, for sharing that wonderful quote.

Critical-Making in the Studio

In the spring, several of us here at RJR got together to research and write a grant application to Crayola and the NAESP (the National Association of Elementary School Principals). Our school was a recipient of this grant in 2010. Not only did we receive art supplies from Crayola, which we used enthusiastically, we also received $2,500 to put toward materials for the Studio which connected the learning with several disciplines, especially Science. In addition to other supplies, we invested in LCD Microscopes (the kind they use at our high school) which allowed us to make observational and technical drawings which we applied to our art-making. Our project was shared in the supplement to Principal magazine, published by the NAESP in Sept./Oct. 2011 and distributed nation-wide. I am sharing this as I came across this wonderful quote from John Maeda, current president of the Rhode Island School of Design, which celebrates the cross-disciplinary thinking and "critical thinking-critical making" that occurs in an art classroom:

Creativity and ingenuity have always been central to the American story of progress. After two decades as a student and faculty member at MIT, my experience as the President of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has reawakened me to the world of physical creation. RISD is the ultimate culture of makers. There is no greater integrity, no greater goal achieved, than an idea articulately expressed through something made with your hands. We call this constant dialogue between eye, mind, and hand "critical thinking -- critical making." It's an education in getting your hands dirty, in understanding why you made what you made, and owning the impact of that work in the world. It's what artists and designers do.

And that is what we do as thinkers and makers, too!
I am looking forward to hearing from Crayola and the NAESP to cement our plans for this awesome school year ahead. Regardless of the outcome of the grant process, we are "getting our hands dirty" and celebrating the multiple possibilities that occur through art!

To read more of the article: STEM to STEAM: Art in K12 Education

Found Drawings

It is amazing how something so simple can be so enthralling. Found Drawings are compositions that one captures with a cell phone camera, moments in time that speak like mini-paintings. Now I see them everywhere. 

It was my first week of graduate school. A semester's worth condensed to one very intense week of art making, discussion and just plain, hard work. It was fabulous. Today I start Week 2: Printmaking. 

I can't wait.

Take a look around you. What can you find?

Lots of Excitement in One Day!

It's a big day. I am ready to go on a big road trip, the car is packed. I have snacks and art supplies. I am driving to Florida for the start of graduate school at the University of Florida. I am excited! I will be participating in the Summer Studio sessions for my Master's of Arts in Art Education. I am a little nervous, but the thought of focusing fully on creating work in the next two weeks, of being an art student in an art studio soothes the anxiety. Now I just have to get there.
Meanwhile, I got news this morning, that a video I remixed while on the road with my son in Salt Lake City and submitted to Education Closet's STEAMed Innovation Awards, was selected as a semi-finalist! Thank you, Animoto, (http://animoto.com) for enabling remixing as I had the material just not the laptop!

Now we need your votes! There are ten awesome semi-finalists. Three of them can be Finalists. In order for RJR to be finalist, we need you to vote for "Crank It up a Notch!" You can vote early and often up until July 19th. Vote here:

http://educationcloset.com/2013/07/13/voting-now-open-for-steamed-awards/

Here is our video submission. Many thanks to Crayola and the NAESP for the Champion Creatively Alive Children grant that funded this project for the Fine Arts Studio in 2010.

STEAMed Innovation from the Fine Arts Studio @ RJR from Samantha Melvin on Vimeo.