Elementary School

The Art of Surrealism: A Mixed Media Journey (1-5)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Iberia Parish, Lafayette Parish, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Tiffany Luong, Vermilion Parish, Visual Art

Get ready to explore a new concept, engage with artistic materials, and tell a visual story! In this session, students will examine what surrealism was and is today. They will randomly choose cutouts of objects and words to serve as the basis for their own surrealist mixed-media collage. Using acrylic markers and the cutouts they chose, they will be challenged to interconnect these objects to creatively express their own narrative. As they work, the students will apply and internalize the principles of surrealism, and discover how they have allowed artists to express themselves in unique ways.

French Beading (2-5)

by Mandy McGee | Art History, Connie A. Boustany, Elementary School, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, Single Session, Visual Art

Traditional craft time! French beading techniques were brought to Louisiana from our French ancestors. This hands-on demonstration includes how to string beads onto wire, how to loop shapes, and then finally, how to pull all of the parts together to complete the final project. This lost art is hard to “bead”!

Natural Egg Dyeing (K-5)

by Mandy McGee | Art History, Connie A. Boustany, Elementary School, Holidays, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, Seasons, Single Session, Visual Art

Don’t wait for Easter to buy a pack of colored tablets from the grocery store! Natural egg dyeing has been around for centuries in Europe. Our French ancestors brought this method of dyeing eggs to Louisiana in the late 1700s, and some farm families in Acadiana still practice it today. In this lesson, students will “go back in time” by learning this technique to create a truly unique egg.

Vacation Snowglobes (K-3)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Jan Fontenot, Seasons, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, Visual Art

Glass globes go global! In this session, students will learn about snow globes from around the world, then use design and simple drawing techniques to create their own snow globe. Skip the souvenir shop – this session will teach basic drawing and capture imagination.

Handwriting Mythical Creatures (3-8)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Jan Fontenot, Middle School, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, Visual Art

The world is full of animals, and this session lets students increase the population and enhance their creative practices! Students will learn to use cursive handwriting skills and turn their name into creative mythical creatures or insects, while also learning to recognize shapes and images that are symmetrical. Students will use color to enhance their designs and patterns to distinguish parts of the creature. The animal kingdom just got a bit more mythical!

Big Picture Math (STEM/STEAM Edition) (3-6)

by Mandy McGee | Adaptable for Special Education, Elementary School, Iberia Parish, Jessalyn Newton, Math, Middle School, Short-Term Residency, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Vermilion Parish, Visual Art

In this STEM/STEAM-based mini-residency, students design and paint a permanent/temporary/moveable collaborative mural while learning measurement, proportion, and perspective. Projects can be done on windows, walls, or posters. The session includes tool exploration, art history, and possibly seasonal themes. Perfect for any school event or holiday (chat with the artist about options after booking)!

Short-Term Residency option:

Day 1: The students will do a “doodle” warm up and icebreaker activity. The class collaborates on the theme, and an official sketch is made for the mural.

Day 2: The finished design is gridded and scaled for transfer to the wall or surface using math. The mural is transferred and painted by the students!

Day 3: The students will spend this final day completing the mural, and have a group discussion to close out the session.

The Way of Painting (2-8)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Ke'Shawn Collins, Middle School, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Vermilion Parish, Visual Art

The goal of this session is for students to feel a sense of freedom and ownership in their artistic expression. But how will they get there? After analyzing a sample painting, students will learn step-by-step techniques for creating their original artwork. They will be provided a template with a basic outline to guide their creative process.

Painting to Free the Mind (PK-12)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, High School, Iberia Parish, Ke'Shawn Collins, Middle School, Single Session, Social Emotional Learning, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Vermilion Parish, Visual Art

Painting can be a therapeutic and empowering experience for anyone. In this session, students will receive guidance on effectively mixing paints to achieve their desired colors. The class will focus on painting floral scenes set against a sky backdrop. Minds and flowers will bloom!

The Northern Lights (K-12)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, High School, Ke'Shawn Collins, Middle School, Science, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Vermilion Parish, Visual Art

Maybe we can’t see them from our own backyards, but we can create them! In this lesson, students will create their own renditions of the northern lights (firework-like auroras caused by charged particles colliding in the Earth’s upper atmosphere). They will be guided through painting a complementary landscape scene to accompany their vibrant light displays, and this piece of science and nature will feel a bit closer to home.

Mardi Gras Chicken Run (PK-12)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Festivals, High School, Holidays, Iberia Parish, Ke'Shawn Collins, Middle School, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Vermilion Parish, Visual Art

Get ready for the courir! In this lesson, students will have the opportunity to learn fun facts about Mardi Gras while learning how to paint a chicken running in a Courir de Mardi Gras/Mardi Gras chicken run. They will learn how to mix paint, how to create a background, midground and foreground, and practice alternative painting techniques. There will not be any beads involved, but this Mardi Gras moment will still feature joy, color, and something getting caught!

ADDITIONAL ARTS IN EDUCATION RESOURCES