All School Information:
Welcome to CHS and another year of exciting art experiences! We started off the year with Self-Portraits and learning to really LOOK into the mirror and draw what we see (as opposed to what we imagine in our minds). One student observed, "My eyes are really much bigger than I usually draw them; I usually make dots!"
In the ARTNOTES @ CHS Blog I post information about the Art Program at CHS, photos of our young artists at work, and examples of their artwork.
Throughout the year the art curriculum revolves around:
- Basic art concepts such as line, color, shape, space, texture, etc.
- Experiments with a variety of art materials including oil pastels, colored pencils, watercolor/tempera/acrylic paint, markers, crayons, fabric, yarn, thread, and more
- Experiences with a variety of expressive techniques such as drawing (individual/collaborative, observational/imaginative), painting, collage, mixed-media, clay and sculpture, printing, weaving, stitching and more
- Projects inspired by the classroom curriculum
- Collaborations focused on all-school themes
This year our all school theme will be The Shadow Box Project: What's in a Name?
We will be making individual “Shadow Boxes.” These boxes will introduce each of us and invite conversation about our similarities and differences. In addition to the student’s doing this project, several years ago the faculty worked on their own boxes; you may have noticed that the faculty boxes displayed around the school.
In art class, the students will start to make small objects for their own boxes which represent who they are, their family origins, and special interests. As we work on this project, we will talk about the work of artist Joseph Cornell and the boxes he assembled on various themes.
Our first objects will be made from Shrinky-Dinks, a special plastic paper which shrinks when it is baked. Our next activities will include making objects from wire, clay, paper, and a variety of collage materials. Later, the students will bring in a few “found objects” from home and a photo or two if possible. We will then decorate the boxes in a variety of ways, and finally assemble and display them. Everyone will make one.
Here is how you can help:
- Have some conversations with your child about the Shadow Box Project.
- Discuss what they have seen around the school in the teacher’s boxes, and what they have been making in art class to put in their own box.
- Discuss the origins of your family and stories about their name (for example: My middle name, Elizabeth, was my grandmother’s name and is my daughter’s middle name. My grandmother was from Wales. My son’s middle name is the same as my fathers, and his initials are the same as his grandfathers, etc…)
- Help them collect 2 or 3 small objects from home that represent their interests, pet toys, stickers, tiny animals, photos (one or two color copies of photos, baby pictures are fun and/or a family photo) that they will cut and glue. Put these in a zip lock bag labeled with their name and grade, and send them to school. Please keep in mind that these objects will be glued into the boxes, so make sure that is OK with you and your child!
- FYI- their boxes will be 7” x 7” x 2 ½” deep
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Information About MOREART Classes:
For those of you interested in MOREART Classes, which are offered to students in K-3rd grade after school on Mondays starting in January, the registration forms will be available in November for both Winter & Spring Classes, as well as Summer Workshops.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions: jbennett@concordhill.org
Jan Bennett
Art TeacherConcord Hill School
