Meramec Choice Art

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Black History Artists 2017

Click the link for our Black History Month Artist Focus:

Black History Artists

Sunday, January 22, 2017

This year we have been looking at the big question, What Do Artists Care About and Think About When They Make Art.

Artists care about people. Artists can paint, draw, or sculpt their feelings. They express the emotions of others in their art. When we think about the feelings of others and try to put ourselves in their situation, we are being empathetic. What must it feel like to be in their place at that moment?

Empathy- the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

One of the first steps of Empathy is to pay attention to a person's facial expressions, body language and the feelings one is expressing. Once we have determined the feeling of our friend, we have the chance to connect with our friends, classmates, teachers, brothers and sisters and parents in an empathetic response.

Let's look at a few works of art. What do you feel or what emotions are these artworks suggesting?

Alice Neel

Mark Rothko

Kerry James Marshall

Wassily Kandinsky

Kathe Kollwitz

When we look at art, without realizing it, our brain is responding with empathy to the subject in a work of art. We almost simulate (pretend to feel) in our mind what we are seeing in the work of art.

(bigthink.com)

Pablo Picasso

Kehinde (Ka-hin-day) Wiley

Ann Hamilton

Today Mr. Henderson and I want to talk with you about Empathy. There is a good chance you are already familiar with the book, Stand in My Shoes by Bob Sornson.

When we refer to Empathy, we might say, "stand in my shoes".

*What does the expression, Stand in My Shoes mean to you?

*What are some situations where you need or would like your friends and family to have empathy?

*When is a time you displayed empathy?

You will design a shoe with the concept of Empathy in mind. While you are designing your shoe and writing a statement about empathy, I will have you come up to make a clay empathy pendant.

We will make your shoe print into a pendant. The pendant will serve as a reminder to put yourself in someone's shoes.

Monday, January 16, 2017

Conferring Artist - to - Artist

In the art room this year we have been conferring, just like you do in Reader and Writer's Workshop. We talk artist to artist about your work, your ideas, your skills.

Your book will be out on the place mat and open for me to read your plan sheet.

(Photo Credit Tony Hill)

1. When we have a conference, I will ask you some questions to find out information about your art.

*How is it going?
*What is your plan for studio time today?
*What are you working on today?
*What do you know so far about________?
*What would you say is the best think about you as an artist?
*Last time we met, you were _________. How is that going?
*Take me through your plan sheet.
*How do you feel it's coming along?

2. I will give you a compliment about your work. I may point out something I notice about our your skills or a strategy I observe that we have learned in the art studio.

3. As we talk about your work, I will give you a teaching point or a skill or technique to try in your work.

4. As we wrap up our talk, I will ask you to tell me your goal for your project. Something you will remember to do in your work or think about in future art projects.

There will be days when I am able to confer with you artist to artist and there will be times when you confer with your artist peers.

Think about share time. When we share, we give feedback to our classmates. We will do the same thing when we confer with our classmates.

As you confer, you will answer, discuss, and fill in the conferring sheet.
Be Kind.

Be Specific.

Be Helpful.

Once you have finished filling out this conferring sheet, staple it into the BACK of your book.

TAB artists think about their learning.

TAB artists reflect.

TAB artists discuss their work.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

The Event of the Thread

We viewed this ART21 clip, The Event of the Thread by artist Ann Hamilton.

Students were asked:
*Which studios would be important to this work?

*You will notice people laying down. I want you to try and figure out why the viewers were laying on the floor.

*Do you think the audience was integral (necessary) for this work? Do you think Ann Hamilton considered the audience when she designed this work?

Was the space, The Park Avenue Armory, a consideration for this art piece?

Transforming Materials

TAB artists work to TRANSFORM materials. This lesson is always relevant to work in the TAB studio.

click here:

TRANSFORMING ART MATERIALS

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Painting for Peace

We have examined how artists express what they think and care about when they make art.

Have you ever made a picture for someone who was sick or feeling sad? Why did you make them a picture? How does that make them feel? The book, Painting for Peace, is a story where people drew pictures to make a whole community feel better.

In late 2014, the St. Louis Area, was feeling a lot of Tensions (People were stressed, upset, angry, sad, about events where people were not treated fairly or equally). A chain of events would lead to protests and property destruction as well as multiple discussions, forums, lawsuits and investigations, putting a spotlight on our city and our country’s continued struggle with racial inequality.

Friday, Author and Meramec mom (her kids went to Meramec), Carol Swartout Klein, will visit our school. She is going to share her book, Painting for Peace in Ferguson. She was inspired by the artists and community that came out to send messages of HOPE after events took place in Ferguson, Missouri.

“Our whole city was hurting, and the whole world was looking at us. And sometimes, when you don’t know what else to do, creating something beautiful in the face of so much ugliness is the only thing you can do.” —Andy Cross

Artists, residents and families from our community saw this as an opportunity to communicate their HOPE and came out and painted beside one another.

How do you think the artists knew what to paint? How did they decide what image they wanted to portray? Did they all paint the same way?

Some shops and restaurants simply needed messages to show they were open for business.

Some artists used quotes to send a message. This quote is by Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr.
What does this quote mean to you? (Think about a ripple effect)

Many messages were illustrated. The picture helped to further send the message. The painting of the Earth shows we are citizens of the world and we are all in this together.

Some mural messages were simple. LOVE

The image of a bird showed up a lot! A bird can represent PEACE.

A Facebook message was a call to action for for many. People bought paint and supplies or donated leftover house paint they may have had in their basement or garage.

Participants felt like they were helping to build back the community, while others felt they were helping the city to heal.

Creating murals was a way for people to be express their feelings without anger or destruction. The people that chose to paint were upset and so were the people that broke windows. Both groups chose to respond. One group responded with art!

In the book, Painting for Peace, The author quoted Fred Rogers. He once said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things on the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

What do you think this means? In "Painting for Peace in Ferguson," lots of people came together to help create these images. Who are the helpers in a community? Who helped in this story?

It doesn't have to be a big work of art to send a message of hope- but it can turn into a grand project.

Subway Therapy: New Yorkers sending out messages of kindness, courage, unity, togetherness, courage...all of this started with a single post it note.