Teaching Art in the Classroom at Taylor Elementary school is probably one of my favorite and most challenging volunteer commitments.  Having tried a variety of volunteer opportunities most do not combine skill, need, and logistics as well as Art in the Classroom. It is impactful for the kids and teachers, meaningful for my two oldest kids, and rewarding for me. Despite my deep discomfort with public speaking, watching a child awed by a painting, connect to a story about an artist, and activate their creativity through a hands-on art project makes all the butterflies I have speaking in front of over a hundred kids, teachers, and parent volunteers worth it.

I present art content through a lecture and discussion of art history followed by a hands-on art project for each classroom in the grade. This past year I lead eight programs and worked with Kindergarten and 1stgrade.  I teach the grade levels of my two oldest children so next year I will lead eight programs for 1stand 2nd grade. 

2018-2019 Kindergarten programs: 

• Ancient and Contemporary Masks 

We discussed the role of masking making in culture and art in communities around the world. Afterwards the kids made their own masks. Applying what they learned, most kids incorporated animal characteristics or exaggerated human facial features from the masks highlighted in the presentation. 

• Chinese New Year and Calligraphy

This program combined geography, astronomy, and the art of calligraphy. We discussed the celebration of the Chinese New Year, the difference between lunar and solar calendars as well as the origin of calligraphy as both a means of communication and an art form. The kids used brushes and ink to write the Chinese character for their zodiac sign.

• Subject, Medium, Composition, Color

To explain these core art concepts, I used the theme of plants to examine a variety of artists and we compared and contrasted the choices each made in subject, medium, and composition. The kids used watercolors to create their own plant themed painting while considering the concepts we discussed.

• Collage and Assemblage: Recycled Materials as Art

We explored how a variety of artists transform recycled materials in unexpected ways to create interesting art as well as communicate a message of environmental stewardship to an audience. The kids used recycled paper and scraps to create recycled paper collages.

2018-2019 1stGrade programs:

• Examining How Three Artist See the Night Sky

We discussed how Vincent Van Gogh, Joan Miro and Arthur Dove chose to show the night sky through their art. Afterwards the kids used black and yellow construction paper and aluminum foil to create their own interpretation of the night sky. 

·      Horace Pippin’s Folk Art

We focused on the art of Horace Pippin for this program and discussed his struggles and perseverance as an artist, WWII veteran, and a black man experiencing segregation. We discussed how he communicated using different techniques and chose social and cultural topics as his subject. Horace Pippin incorporated symbolism and hidden numbers in some of his paintings. The kids enjoyed being detectives looking for clues in the scenes he painted. Using oil pastels, the kids created their own interior room scene with hidden numbers.

• Winslow Homer: American Realist

We discussed Winslow Homer’s journey as an artist and his use of color to convey feelings, mood, and light. We talked about his techniques of painting details to create a realistic but not photorealistic artwork. The kids the experimented with a variety of watercolor techniques to create a story through a landscapes watercolor painting.

•  Three-Dimensional Art of Fernando Botero and Alexander Calder 

We examined the sculptures of both Botero and Calder comparing and contrasting the material choices and process. We discussed volume, mass, scale, negative space, movement and balance. Afterwards the kids used pipe cleaners, Styrofoam balls, and foam cut out shapes to make (mini) stabiles, mobiles, or wire sculptures. This project seemed to be one of their favorites.