Art-Based Musical Chairs at the Library

At the library program, the theme of the week was music. We wanted to really make this a fun, collaborative project, as music should be for kids, but we also needed something connected to art. So we decided to play a game kind of like musical chairs, where the kids (and volunteers) walked around the paper-covered table while it was silent, and as soon as the music started they had to stop and draw with whatever art material was closest. We left out markers, crayons, colored pencils, oil pastels, and chalk pastels. The result was a collaborative conglomeration, with all different kinds of drawings meeting one another on the page. We had a blast :)

Space Oddities @ the Library

This past week at the Library Program, we explored space! The students looked through books with photos of galaxies, black holes, planets, stars, and more to find images of things you cannot see by simply staring up at the night sky. These were images you can only see through powerful telescopes. Students used the pictures to inspire their own artwork, using chalk pastels and black construction paper to create their illu-space-tions. (See what we did there? HA!)

Stained Glass Windows

At the after-school program, we looked at the artwork of famous stained glass artists Louis Tiffany and Frank Lloyd Wright. Students discussed the differences between the artists' styles, particularly geometric versus organic designs. They collaborated to create their own designs inside 5 panels of wax paper. By using Sharpies on the wax paper and working within pre-divided spaces, they created their own stained glass window designs. The papers will be hung in the windows so passers-by can check out the students' work.

A Tragic Day in the Life of Pie Girl

One of our students decided to continue on with the character she created last week, and made a comic book page illustrating the adventures of Pie Girl. The following is her story:

More Food Art

Since the students at the Library Program had so much success with this project, we brought the love of all things food to the after-school program. Students talked about their favorite kinds of food, and looked through foodie-type magazines to find images they liked. They used pencil to begin, and added color using oil pastels. 

Art with Augustina: Monochromatic Grid Paintings

As part of a workshop with mural artist Augustina Droze, students at a local high school discussed  important aspects of their lives now and from their past. Many of the students are immigrants to the area, and miss certain parts of their former homes. For the project, they were asked to pick an important person, place, or thing from their past (or present) to paint as part of a large-scale mural. The students' paintings were divided into five colors. At the end of the project, there will be a total of 60 paintings that will be hung together to create the mural.