PYP Exhibition: Artist Showcase

This photo is one of my favorites from my whole teaching career. I learned that there is no limit on students' creativity. They are capable of so much if you let them spread their wings.

As I became more experienced in PYP I realized the need to offer more choice-based options in the art room. Choice on a large scale came to fruition during preparations for the 5th grade PYP Exhibition, which is the final display of learning for the year and is a very self-directed process for the students.

With one month to go before Fine Arts Night, students were tasked with choosing an artist, creating a work inspired by that artist's style, and then, for a little fun, presenting their artwork as if they were their chosen artist. More than an art project and dressing up, students had to research their artist, influences, and the background of the pieces they wanted to focus on. Each student struck out in their own direction and my role was to facilitate. Help them choose materials, point them in the direction of helpful resources, and most of all to have faith in their project.

Since this was my first time completely relinquishing control of a project's outcome I admit there were some jitters on my part. Some of my most promising students struggled to pick just one artist and their challenge was focus and actually completing their work on time. Others had to pick an artist that captured their interest but whose work could also be created with our materials and in our timeframe. Then there were students who just needed to work. Not occupying the peanut gallery for everyone else's project.

Ah! Deep breath. They can do it! Right??

Heck yes, they did! I was so proud of how each student embraced their artist in dress and mannerisms. How they thoughtfully answered people's questions about their work during Fine Arts Night. Not to mention the beautiful artworks that were the highlight of the show and really did their easels proud. 

Art History Alive

This project will test your organizational skills and patience because it's a rather large-scale work but the end product is exceptional and students will learn so much art history!

Art History Alive is a project I inherited so the credit for this idea goes to those who came before me. The concept is simple - students re-create a famous portrait in life size and they are challenged to paint and pose as close to the original as possible. Students also create a presentation about their chosen artist describe the artist's life, style, and significance.

Here is the process that students went through to create their final compositions. I've also included some words of warning to help you and your students avoid potential pitfalls.

1. Students form groups of no more than four people. Work must be divided between all members for both the painting, research, and presentation portions of the project.
2. Students select a famous portrait and its artist as the focus of their project. Make sure it is the original painting and hasn't been copied or photo edited by anyone else. Click here for reputable sources to find an artwork.
3. Students paint the portrait's background approximately 2-3 yards long on bulletin board or heavy duty paper. Any details that cannot be re-created physically should also be painted into the background. Remind your students to mix paint on their palette rather than the paper because too much paint/too many layers on such a large work can lead to rips and holes.
4. Students will gather objects, furniture, and accessories to complete the portrait and pose for a photo reproduction.
5. Students will research their chosen artist and create a presentation to be shared with the class including the following information:
1. Biographic information (birth and death, nationality and residence, relevant spouses, etc)
2. Art style - DESCRIBE this style and what makes it unique.
3. Influences - other artists that worked at the same time or came before this artist that helped them develop.
4. Major artworks - which ones are in museums or important for people to know about?
5. Interesting facts - did they accomplish something important or do anything crazy during their life (most famous artists have at least one skeleton in their closet).
6. Not-so-gentle reminder: plagiarism is a crime and indicates that you don't understand what you've been learning because you can't put it in your own words. If something sounds good but doesn't make sense keep looking for a resource that explains it in a way that you understand. You should be able to define every word you use to describe your artist. Also, CITE YOUR SOURCES.

Animal Textile Mixed Media Compositions

Animal Textile Mixed Media Composition - I really need to find a more succinct name for this awesome project. Students study Islamic art and design principles, connect their learning to a habitat, and then put it all together with an array of materials. Students love all of the choice in this project and the results are stunning.

 

Accessed at www.patterninislamicart.com

As a starting point, students learn the different motifs that make up traditional Islamic design. These are easy to distinguish but it's important vocabulary for students to develop so they are accurately able to describe what they see. We also discuss some of the religious implications that set Islamic designs apart from other artistic traditions - namely, that humans and animals are very rare except in stylized forms. 

Depending on the amount of time we have for this unit, I like to discuss how ideas migrate to influence artists and their products. This is a great time to make a connection between art and world history by examining the Silk Road. Here is a video from Crash Course World History, hosted by the John Green of Paper Towns fame, that gives students a brief intro to this complex system of trade and the spread of ideas.

Then students "migrate" a piece of A4 paper around their table after first folding it into quarters and creating a design of their choosing in the first box. The second student who gets the paper will take design ideas they like from the first design but reimagine it a bit in the next box on the paper. This continues until all of the boxes have a design in them. If students finish their designs before it's time to pass then they can add color and more detail. 

But let's get back to the main project of this unit - the mixed media compositions. These are the steps students go through to create their final artwork:

1. Choose a traditional Islamic design for your background. Which motif does it show? Calligraphy, geometric, or arabesque?
2. Sketch your design on an A3 background paper in pencil. Your design may be simplified to allow better color application later.
3. Add color to your background with acrylic paint. Are all of your pencil lines covered up?
4. Research and select an animal from the desert habitat to feature as your subject.
5. Practice and then sketch your animal using either charcoal, ink, or colored pencils.* Did you add details that give the animal form and texture?
6. Cut out and attach your animal to the background. Take care if you used charcoal that your sketch didn't smudge.

Here are two student examples.

Are your students struggling with realism in their drawing? Students usually work from reference photos and I show them the video "Austin's Butterfly" as a reminder to use careful observation when developing realism. Students also benefit from the act of critique during this project to practice looking carefully at others' work and reflecting on their own drawings.

Where Do Artists Get Their Ideas? Part 3: Surrealism

I found this in a Google image search for "exquisite corpse". Please comment if you can provide source info!

Exquisite Corpse: if you've done some reading about Salvador Dalí and his Surrealist pals you have probably come across references to this game they used to play. "Corpse" doesn't conjure up the most delightful visuals but most Surreal art isn't really granny-approved, which is exactly why kids love it. Like many examples in art history, there are images from Dali that aren't suitable for school - so curate carefully - but Surreal art is too fun not to share and sparks such great conversations about imagination, dreams, and artists' inspiration.

Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, FL. Source: phaidon.com.

If you ever find yourself in Florida, specifically in the St. Petersburg area, you MUST visit the Salvador Dali Museum. The whole experience is exquisite from the art to the architecture and the gift shop has great materials for teachers. When I visited, a few years ago, they were even distributing free (!) packets to teachers with a picture book, DVD, and other resources.

Image source: mentalfloss.com

Dalí's work is filled with color and imagination. They are so stimulating to look at that I structure discussions around absorbing the details and composition to reveal surprising narratives that students might miss without close observation. For younger students, I start with Persistence of Memory and  ask students to identify objects and areas that remind them of real life and then find objects that came from Dalí's imagination.

Source: artanthologyinc.com.

Other examples of Dalí's work make excellent provocations for the "See, Think, Wonder" exercise. I have students to sit quietly and just observe the painting for about 30 seconds to absorb all of the interesting details. Then ask students the following questions:

• What do you see?
• What do you think is going on?
• What does it make you wonder?

These higher order questions require students to identify objects, analyze their significance based on background knowledge, and form judgments about what they are seeing - or at least identify gaps in their understanding for which they need more information. If you'd like to extend this looking exercise into a formal writing assignment it would be fascinating for students to write the story behind the painting. How did all of these creatures and objects come to be in this place?

What questions or thinking exercises do you do with your students to encourage close looking at artworks?

Artfully,
Catherine