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.

second grade clouds

The second grade artists have their heads in the clouds!


We finished working on this project which required lots of up close intense observation so it was time to look up in the sky for a change. We have been working on the cloud theme for a couple of months now and started our exploration using Clouds in Art, an interactive website. Partners worked together to identify cloud types in over 20 landscape paintings. Great practice using the interpersonal intelligence!


These felted cloudscapes were made using wool roving and the wet felting process. We used plastic bags, warm/cold soapy water, and lots of energy to work the fibers into fabric in this very bodily-kinesthetic activity. We had some tired arms and very clean art tables by the end of the hour!



The second graders embellished their final textile piece using beads, needle, and thread. They made such beautiful choices! I am also very proud of their perseverance in learning a new skill.

third grade weaving part 2

The third graders have worked so hard on their weavings! I love when we get to take our time with a project- understanding, connections, and creativity are all intensified in a long process. It offers them the chance to persevere, to appreciate the time invested in making something, and to feel pride in a job well done.

I started using podcasts as a way for students to reflect on their art making process rather than just writing an artist statement. The kids LOVE doing this reflection piece! They are highly motivated to articulate their ideas in a meaningful way. Podcasting is a modern storytelling device and the perfect tool to share their textile art! I have some samples here but you can see them all on our vimeo page. Enjoy!

John from Shannah Burton on Vimeo.

Pandora's Box: Opening at a theater near you!

I shared this movie trailer with Anne's fourth grade class (greek mythology experts) and I thought you might like to see it too!

pandora's box from on Vimeo.

So I guess you know that I was just having some fun with imovie now. Anne's fourth grade class did love seeing their art on the "big screen" and it was a great way to start off a group discussion/reflection about the project.

fourth grade pandora's box

The story of Pandora's Box is a rich source for visual interpretation. The students were asked to create their own Pandora's Box from clay using a slab construction technique. This was a wonderful opportunity for independent study and each student developed their own ideas through sketches and discussion. The results are highly original and creative interpretations of an ancient myth.



















The fourth graders were asked to write artist statements. They could write about their creative process, write an original story or poem, or retell the myth referencing details from their boxes. For the first time this year, we used garageband to make a multimedia artist statement. They loved doing this part and did a great job using the art room macs! For example, here is a play on Pandora Radio from clever Willa:

Untitled from on Vimeo.

Allison did a beautiful job describing the artmaking process:

Untitled from on Vimeo.

And Fran gives us a dramatic retelling of the original myth:

Untitled from on Vimeo.

See all of the fourth grade Pandora's Boxes here!