On Monday, at our partnership school in Jersey City, PS 34, the President Barack Obama School, teaching artists Fatima Traore and Flavia Berindoague guided 1st graders in completing a series of collage works based on shapes, colors, and symbols related to their lesson on the works of Basquiat. Students used oil pastels, clear drying glue, and black paper.
Dennis tells us: “Students learned the meaning of collage and proper scissor and glue application techniques. Flavia and Fatima demonstrated the various uses of oil pastels, including utilizing the sides of each pastel to complete backgrounds.
Higher grade students (5th, 7th, 8th) followed the same pattern although some opted to continue to create drawings not intended for collage - while others drew, traced templates, arranged, and glued on to black paper.
End result of the day was a great variety of work in the style of Basquiat.”
That evening ART YARD Advanced Studio on zoom worked with ART YARD Teaching Artist Reg Lewis. The possibilities inherent in the lesson required Reg to craft two class titles in addition to multiple themes and project options: “The Clarity of Cloudy Self-Portraits: Vague yet Very Specific,” and “Brilliant Concealment/ Concealing Brilliance: The Art of Cloud Production.” Essentially, the objective was for students to create self-portraits symbolically rendered through the image of clouds.
Reg beautifully describes work created in this session: “Karla’s piece captures the complexity of human emotion as it compares to the unpredictable nature of weather; the bold use of color reveal the contrasting range expected from both in an intimate but ominous piece."
Karla adds: “In Salina, Monday afternoons are tornado siren testing days. I decided to look up some images posted by a friend who actually is a storm chaser and photographs, thunderstorms and tornadoes around the region. I was always fearful of tornado sirens as a child not realizing the siren west the good part and hopefully no destructive weather would follow. I decided to select this configuration of clouds, because wall clouds often develop into serious weather. They are formidable and ominous. The clouds are rolling in over the crops and fields creating a memorable horizon. Everyone’s narratives were so tied to experience and expression!”
Reg continues: "Delphine’s graphic piece documents the anguish of rising to the sheer challenge of Monday morning. Although she described the remainder of the day as incident free, everyone could relate to the dread conveyed in her amazing work.
Jane’s two watercolor portraits convey a mood that suggests a pensive, melancholy, state. It feels like that internal uneasiness on the move passing through yet promising to return.
Although Marilyn’s dialogue bubbles give the piece a whimsical feel, she described the true purpose of the clouds as a means to shield and protect her privacy; she dislikes being the topic of gossip.
Ed’s portrait featured a landscape that was equally as fascinating as the rain clouds. This balance of composition and contrast between dark and light conveyed the complicated extremes of human emotion.
Meridith’s watercolor portrait served almost as a demonstration of someone’s fight for balance between an ominous darkness and optimism, ultimately which a triumph of the light. It’s as if the piece gave voice to the phrase “this too shall pass.” Essentially, it feels like a work of art expressing hope.
Reg created a piece that demonstrates how concealment can be both externally imposed as well as self-imposed. Ultimately, his personal light and vision are dimmed by the weight of his social obligations as he continues to find a way to shine.
Paradoxically, the work produced by the participating artists presented a great deal of clarity through their impressive clouds.”
Tuesday at PS 34, the President Barack Obama School, in Jersey City, our first grade students worked very diligently on their pieces but 45 minute classes fly by so quickly that sometimes students require assistance. Dennis recounts: “Students cut and arranged their pieces on black paper. Teaching Artist Fatima Traore, Flavia Berindoague and I glued shapes from their Basquiat themed drawings onto the paper to ultimately exhibit as collages.
Students at work and sharing completed pieces
Later in the day, the three classes of higher grade students continued their Basquiat inspired portraits by adding symbols, shapes, and just overall enhanced and finished their pieces in time for exhibition.”
That evening in person at our studio at BWAC in Red Hook ART YARD Advanced Studio jumped in to our second part of a book arts lesson, we started by admiring the previous week's books.
Iviva then led technical demonstrations on how to make an accordion book and a pamphlet book. We had used these same structures the previous week. To introduce change, Iviva showed how to cut windows into an accordion and create pop-out elements, and re-emphasized the idea of starting with an unfolded paper, treating it as a drawing or painting surface, and then folding it into one of the book forms. Vera had embraced this idea in the first session; Golnar and Ed tried it this week. Iviva enthuses: “The surprises that arise from this technique can make bookmaking more like a puzzle and a game!”
Jules Lorenzo, Nature/Nurture (book)
Golnar Adili, Nature/Nurture (book)
Abby Johnson, Nature/Nurture (book)
Assia Adili, Spooky Witch (book)
Assia Adili, Meridith and her Cat Rik (book)
Ed Rath, Place of Comfort and Security (book)
Vera Tineo, Place of Comfort and Security (book)
Iviva also reiterated themes of nature/nurture, encouraging participants to depict spaces, experiences, relationships and people with whom or where we have felt nurtured and safe.
Dennis sums up the amazing accomplishments in ART YARD Art Matters at PS 17: “I wore many hats this week especially at PS 17, one of our Jersey City partnership schools.
Teaching artists Evelyn Beliveau, Fatima Traore and I hosted several classes about mural designs. A plan for next season at the school is to paint a mural on a wall in the school yard - which requires a lot of planning - and we offered students the opportunity to come up with ideas and designs. They viewed some of the works of Tessa O’Brien, which are mostly floral in design. The creative team of students came up with ideas such as: diversity and equality; education; eagles soaring (the eagle is the school’s symbol); and a view of New York from Jersey City which includes the Statue of Liberty.
Student preliminary mural designs & Evelyn presenting to the class
With the assistance of a few 7th graders - and Evelyn - I hung students’ work in the auditorium as an impromptu “Art Of The Lion King” exhibit - for parents, family members, students, teachers, administrative staff to view upon arrival to the “opening night” performance of The Lion King.
After classes, we went backstage (the cafeteria) while make up was being applied to help secure the masks/headpieces on the performer heads. They did have adjustable backs but some performers needed hairpins for additional adjustment.
PS 17 students in theatrical make up
Amidst much excitement, it was suddenly showtime! Audience members poured in and our team took side orchestra seats with a perfect view. The backdrop, masks, and the Baby Simba prop looked fantastic and the performers were beyond spectacular. There surely could be no bloopers tape because there was not one flub! Singing, dancing, acting - all superb.