Full STEAM Ahead!

Our most recent art show in the Delano Gallery was inspired by a Science and Art connection. You probably have heard of STEM fields: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. There has been a recent push to insert Art to create STEAM!

Science and Art share many things: research, observation, experimentation, discovery, and collaboration. We asked our artists to be inspired by our natural world, scientific discoveries, tech, engineering, or math to create a work of art. Art pushes beyond reason and allows our imagination to make new connections and discoveries- it was truly amazing to see what they came up with!

Students were also invited to create a collaborative artwork inspired by the invisible. Invisible without a microscope!  Microscopic inspiration included blood cells, amoebas, euglenas, pollen, viruses, mitosis, paramecia, and various bacteria types. Who knew a virus could be so beautiful?!

I really love the details in this satin skirt! Naomi related the design to the Eosinophil white blood cells they have been learning about in first grade. In her artist statement she noted that the human body is a fashion design all by itself!

The science room is right next to the gallery. Eric, best science teacher ever, treated gallery-goers to a microscopic show. It was very cool to see these tiny organisms on the big screen!

Nadya was recently hospitalized with appendicitis. She wrote in her artist statement that she heard her doctors talk about her white blood cell count a lot and that her favorite part of this art project was getting to eat the supplies:)

Benjamin is one of our sixth grade artists. Here is part of his thoughtful artist statement:
My inspiration for "Galacticube" was outer space. All sorts of amazing things are out there somewhere in our universe. All we can do is look at them. They are pieces of art created long before the rise of humanity. I tried to capture that and put it into my piece of art.

Check out the Thisiscolossal blog for more wonderful art and science interdisciplinary work! This is one of my favorite places on the internet to be inspired.

my hands are my heart

I went to see the Hobbit movie over the weekend. There was a scene that has stayed with me while trying to process the recent horrific event that has broken all of our hearts- Gandalf the wizard is explaining why he chose a hobbit to help in their journey:

"Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps because I am afraid, and he gives me courage."

Funny that wizards, elves, dwarves, and hobbits helped to restore my faith in humanity. I wish powerful laws could protect us and we had better mental health care for all. The thought of all that probably not happening in my lifetime leaves me feeling powerless though. What I can do, and what we can all do, is keep evil at bay with small daily acts of kindness, love, and courage.

I'd like to share our 4th grade creative art journaling on the theme: My Hands Are My Heart. They give me courage!

CRAFT OUTLOUD

Come and visit us at Craft OutLoud this weekend! New City School is hosting what is set to be an amazing show. Again and again, New City proves itself to be a place where the arts are supported inside and outside of the school. Make sure to stop by and say hello- I'll be there too!

third grade rocks!

Art in different cultures around the world is a reflection of environment, land, and home. In relation to the third grade “Keepers of the Earth” theme, the students explore how artists make and use art as an expression of their place in the world.

We started with the cold landscape of the Inuit and looked at how material, size, function, and subject matter of Inuit art directly relates to their environment.





An inuksuk is a balanced based stone sculpture traditionally built by the Inuit. These sculptures were used as hunting and navigation aids, coordination points, message centers, and as spiritual markers. The third grade artists expressed their thoughts and ideas by choosing and arranging rocks, stones, and pebbles; these pieces of earth formed by ancient forces long before our time.









We read this beautiful book to help get us started. Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor presents 10 wonderful rules for finding just the right rock. I challenged the third grade artists to come up with an 11th rule. This is a great way to get them thinking about aesthetics. Here are some of the rules they created:



Keep your rock in a special spot. -Catherine
Make sure it matches your personality. -Lily
Be gentle with your rock. -Emma
Keep your rock at the right temperature. -Sophie
Find another friend for you rock. -Rohan
Don't let you rock fall into the wrong hands! -Steven
Find round rocks that look like a robin's egg. -Gavin
Look for one that has a white line going all the way around. -Mila
Don't misplace your rock. -Julia
Take your time finding the perfect rock. -Meg
Keep your rock close to you. -Ruby
Find a rock that suits you. -Mason
Respect the personality of your rock. -Allie
Name your rock. -Russell
Enjoy your rock while you have it. -Tre
Put it against your cheek to really feel it. -Maya

guest writer for art:21

Art:21 is an amazing PBS series that brings contemporary art to a large audience through books, television, and the internet. Contemporary artists are presented in themes: compassion, humor, power, memory, and play among many others. As an art educator, Art:21 is my favorite place for information and inspiration, so I was very excited to be asked to write on the current topic of Art and Experience for the Art:21 blog! This blog covers contemporary issues in the art world and beyond and is always thought provoking. I feel really honored to be included with the talented writers, curators, artists, and critics from all over the world. Please take a look at the post, Multiple Intelligence: Art and Experience, and feel free to leave a comment!

I dreamed I was a butterfly...

I couldn't resist sharing more art from the first grade show! There was a large crowd of friends and family on opening day and a wonderful time was had by all. It was such a pleasure to see the first grade artists beaming with pride. Thank you to everyone who came out to support these young artists! This was such a success that we will continue to highlight a different grade each year in the Delano gallery. If you haven't had a chance to visit, the show will be up for another week so don't miss it!



Maria Sibylla Merian was a German artist and naturalist who studied plants and insects and made detailed paintings about them. She was particularly interested in metamorphosis and her art helped to dispel the common belief that insects were evil creatures. Maria worked in a scientific field during a time when options for women were very limited. She traveled all over the world to study insects in their natural environment. Her art has inspired the first graders to make their own carefully detailed drawings of insects- some are based on real insects and some imagined.





I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man? Chuang Tzu

Symmetrical Name Bugs: The first grade artists know that symmetry is found in nature and an important feature in insects. Each bug design is made from the student’s name using mirror symmetry. Line, pattern, and color completed their typographical bug.

first grade garden friends

The first graders took a look at the art of Elsa Mora and were inspired by her book Blossom Buddies. We spent some lovely Spring mornings last week in the school garden using our naturalist and spatial intelligences. The first grade artists used natural materials to make their own imaginative characters and the results are sure to make you smile!

fourth grade craft alliance field trip

The fourth graders recently had a wonderful opportunity to create and learn with artists from Craft Alliance. They used new materials and techniques that they might not get to experience in our art room at school. Check out the blow torches in glass making!



The fourth grade artists also worked with metals to make a textured cuff. They had to file, hammer, anneal, shape, stamp, and patina! Lots of hard work but the end results looked amazing.





And finally a group of artists worked in the textile studio. They did silk painting and even the messy paper towels ended up looking like art! This process is a magical one full of gorgeous color.



We spent an intensive and creative afternoon at Craft Alliance that I know will expand their experience, understanding, and appreciation of the arts.