Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!

I have so many things to update on the blog! I promise to post this week about the 2nd grade Kandinsky trip, 4th grade sculpture projects, 5th grade characters and more!! Until then, here is the newsletter for the month of January.  I am very excited about the visiting artist project that we have going this month.  Thanks to Bee Ladd and the 4Fives for getting it going!

Studio 220 Newsletter: January 2010

 

Happy New Year! We have a lot going on in the studio this month in addition to our regular curriculum.  One very exciting project is called the Scroll-A-Thon.  I am super excited about this collaborative project because it involves all students in grades 1 to 5.  Two Brooklyn artists, Steven and William Ladd (brothers of Bee) will be coming in throughout the next three weeks to work with every class.  The Scroll-A-Thon will incorporate drawings, text, photographs and sculpture.  Steven and William will be working with the students to think about how one artist can influence and collaborate with another.  The finished project will include a multi-media installation and an artist book.  I am thrilled to be working with all of the students on this! Check out Steven and William’s website to see some of their work.  Or, if you want to see it in person, take a walk down to The Invisible Dog gallery on Bergen Street and check out the chandelier that they created as a permanent installation in the space.  It will be great!

 

In addition to the Scroll-A-Thon, here is what we are also working on:

First Grade: First graders are finishing up their clay pots.  They created pinch pots with animal-head lids.  We have sculpted them, and just need to complete painting.  Keep your eyes out for an exhibition in the lobby at the end of the month.

 

Second Grade: Second graders are continuing to build 3D forms from paper.  They are using paper to create a three dimensional sculpture of their own play-space.  For inspiration, check out one of my favorite blogs: playgrounddesigns.blogspot.com.

 

Third Grade: Third graders will begin a painting unit.  We will work on experimenting with watercolor paints and watercolor resist.  Students will then create work from their imagination and from life.

 

Fourth Grade: Fourth graders continue to work on their sculpture project.  We are looking at the work of AJ Fosik and creating large animal heads out of papier mache and cut paper.  We are thinking about how Native Americans believed that animals represented and had personality traits.  Each student will choose an animal whose “personality” is similar to his or her own.  They will then create a relief sculpture to represent their animal.

 

Fifth Grade: Fifth graders will be visited by another artist this month in addition to Steven and William. We will work on an abstraction project with painter Collette Taber. Fifth graders also continue to develop their imaginary characters and are working on creating Tunnel Books.

 

More on the Scroll-A-Thon as it develops!

MK