Black History Month Artists

Every February at Meramec we celebrate Black History Month.  In the art room, in addition to the artists we learn about throughout the year, each grade level will become familiar with a specific African American Artist or an African Art form.

*we will take a short break from TAB art to create special projects for Black History Month.

Kindergarten--Alma Thomas  Alma Thomas was an African-American Expressionist painter and art educator.   In Washington D.C. where she worked and lived, she would view her colorful garden through the windowpanes.  Her colorful paintings evoke the happiness she felt painting.  Her work hangs in museums and Michele Obama selected one to hang in the dining room of the White house.

First grade--Clementine Hunter

Clementine Hunter was a self-taught African-American folk artist from Louisiana, who lived and worked on Melrose Plantation.  She did not always have canvas so she used found materials like cardboard, paper bags and bottles to create her over 4000 works of art.  Her work told the stories of life on the plantation.  

Second Grade--Faith Ringgold

Faith Ringgold is an African-American artist, best known for her story quilts. While growing up, Faith was sick with Asthma and spent a lot of time at home; her mother, a fashion designer, taught her to sew.  Faith loved to write and sew and creating story quilts was a way for her to tell her story.

Third Grade --Kente Cloth

Kente ("KEN-tay") is one of the most famous cloths from Africa.

Kente (kenten means “basket”) is a hand-woven cloth originally from the Ashanti Kingdom, in Ghana, West Africa.The popularity of the colors and patterns of the kente make it one of the most recognizable textiles in Africa. Worn by royalty, the wealthy, or other highly respected people, now it is used by everyone, especially for special occasions such as festivals, ceremonies, and holidays.  each color has significance or meaning.  Here are some examples.

• blue—love, fortune, peacefulness, harmony
• green—plants, harvesting, growth, good health
• gold—royalty, wealth, high status, purity

Fourth Grade--Tyree Guyton, The Heidelberg Project

The Heidelberg Project is an outdoor art project in Detroit, Michigan. It was created in 1986 by artist Tyree Guyton and his grandfather Sam Mackey ("Grandpa Sam") as an outdoor art environment.

 Tyree Guyton's childhood neighborhood began to deteriorate.  At first, the project consisted of his painting a series of houses on Detroit's Heidelberg Street with bright dots of many colors and attaching salvaged items to the houses. It was a constantly evolving work that transformed a city neighborhood where people were afraid to walk, even in daytime, into one in which neighbors took pride and where visitors were many and welcomed.

 Tyree Guyton worked on the Heidelberg Project daily with the children on the block.

5th grade--African Indigo

Indigo is a blue dye made from plants.  Indigo cloth signified wealth.

For centuries, Indigo was the foundation of numerous textile traditions throughout West Africa. 

transforming materials

You are familiar with TRANSFORMERS, yes!

We do the same thing in TAB art, we transform or change materials. 

TAB Artists transform materials.  

Transform- make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character 

Let's look at how artists transform everyday materials.  

 New York artist Paul Villinski creates whimsical installations from found and modified objects. 

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See if you can tell what everyday materials this artist uses

Tara Donovan-creates large-scale installations and sculptures made from everyday objects.

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Since his childhood, Paris artist Junior Jacquet (pronounced --jack-wet) has been fascinated with paper.  each of these faces was made by crumpling an empty toilet paper roll with his hands.

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Anastassia Elias creates paper sculptures inside toilet paper rolls. Using paper of the same color as the roll, she cuts different shapes that are then glued against the inside surface, creating the illusion of paper figures being part of the roll. Using tweezers, she carefully arranges each paper shape in a way to create a variation in depth and make the best use of light and shadows.

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Look how these students transformed a simple cardboard tube.

*If we can tell it was a cereal box--It has not been transformed.
*If we can see writing on a cork--It has not been transformed.
*If we can tell it's a toilet paper roll--It has not been transformed.
*If we can see masking tape--it has not been transformed.
*If we can tell it's a yogurt cup--it has not been transformed.

--If it has not been transformed, IT IS NOT DONE!--

What are some ways to transform everyday art materials?  Let's see what creative ideas you have for these materials and tools. 

*cut slits or fringe, cut apart, cut and weave, cut away pieces and parts, __________.

*paint a solid layer, paint a pattern, _____________________________.

*draw a pattern, color the object, write words, __________________.

*layer on fabric, cut fabric into strips and attach, add fringe, _________________.

 *cover with paper, tear paper and attach, crumple the paper for texture and cover, ____________.

*wrap in yarn, weave pieces together with yarn, sew, braid, ________________.

TAB Artists Transform Materials!