During the first two Trimesters, the 6th Graders concentrated on making collaborative art.
In their small groups, they developed large pieces (drawings, paintings, sculptures and collages)
using a limited range of materials. While they were busy building confidence with a variety of concepts and techniques, the students were also encouraged to gain some insight into their preferred media and to develop a perception of how they like to conceptualize and construct their creative endeavors.
In March, we departed from the collaborative approach and the students were directed to develop individual work utilizing only the materials that we had used from the earlier units. Moreover, our theme of Influence & Inspiration , which we had loosely examined earlier in the year, was now to play a more significant role in the development of their ideas. In April, I brought each of my classes over to see the gallery space (and the other various art studios) the hope was that this visit would help peak further interest in their individual creative endeavors. Almost every student has an individual piece in the show (there are approximately 130 students in the grade) and the work in the gallery is a combination of collaborative pieces and pieces that were made by individuals. While we worked with a fairly wide range of materials, the palette of colors that we used was limited to black, white, grays, and metallics. One 6th grader, Tatiana Wolkowitz, describes her experience being in the art show:“The process of creating a piece wasn’t easy. First was the idea. A good idea was essential to creating a masterpiece so it was important to make sure it was a solid concept. Next came the materials. Should we paint the canvas gold, or silver? Should we glue on shells, or mirrors? Should we use hot glue, or not? Lastly came the actual constructing. In my opinion, the constructing was easier than the planning because it was a chance to truly be creative and make the piece our own. While in the process of creating, we were told to think about inspiration and influence. I, myself, chose to create a sculpture. At first I had shattered some mirrors so I had used them in my piece, and I also painted on the board. My inspiration for this piece was the way we all view ourselves. The shattered mirrors gave the effect of a distorted reflection. I had also used silver tape to make my reflection appear smeared. I loved creating this piece because it gave me the chance to work with materials I haven’t used before. Overall, the pieces were fantastic, and the art show looked fabulous, thanks to all the hard work that was put into these works of art!”
The show was up in time for the kids to bring their parents after the various concerts last week. Thanks to Mark Stacke, Jon Richer, Kevin Jacobson, Beth Weinberg, and the Visual Art Faculty members for their encouragement and support.
