TEACHING ARTIST SESSION CATEGORIES
Science + art = sun magic! Students in this session will engage in a hands-on exploration of sun-reactive dye and natural elements. Students will create striking solar compositions using foliage, fabric, and light-sensitive dye. Then the sun does its work, and silhouettes of leaves and flowers are permanently imprinted on cloth offering a memorable mix of art and science that connects students to the natural world.
This multi-step activity introduces students to the basics of observational drawing and mixed media painting. Students will first sketch fresh flowers in pencil, then add crayon for a wax-resist effect, and finally bring their compositions to life using watercolor. This is art in layers, and creativity unfolds like a flower opening.
In this festive session, students will design and paint their own holiday greeting cards using watercolor techniques. Students will explore winter themes, color palettes, and personal expression while creating meaningful art to share with loved ones. This session is making the world a more beautiful and expressive place one card at a time!
Maybe Jean-Michel Basquiat never met a dinosaur, but he had a dinosaur-sized vision and new take on the world! This session invites students to explore emotion, symbolism, and color while learning about a groundbreaking artist who transformed the art world! Students will create expressive dinosaur artworks using oil pastels and watercolor.
Ready for a needle drop? This session takes a deep dive into the beginnings of DJing and its contribution to culture. Musicality and music theory are discussed from a DJ’s point of view. Various Turntablism techniques that include mixing, scratching, beat juggling, and body tricks will be demonstrated live for the audience! This unique program can be scaled up or down to fit the space provided, so please communicate with the artist about tailoring your presentation to your needs.
The drum has always been used to communicate, and everyone has a story to tell! In this session, students will learn first that the most important thing in communication is really learning how to LISTEN! Once students know the importance of how to play together and be silent when others are playing their part, they will learn the three basic rhythms on the djembe. There will be lots of teamwork, but in this class, participants will also look at how a solo performer can tell a story and make it come to life.
Playing for peace in the world, playing for a sick friend, or playing with the hope that everyone does well on testing…but what do these have to do with drums? Well, they are all intentions, and drum circles come together with intention. Students in this session will set their own intentions while they learn three simple hand movements on the djembe or other percussive instruments sitting together in a circle. They will learn how to play the rhythms they feel while thinking of others. At the same time, they will practice staying musically in time/in count with the rest of the group. Drumming circles build community and keep communities strong. If these are intentions for your classroom, consider this session!
Ours can be an anxious world, and taking tests has never been fun. Knowing calming techniques can make that all better! Support students through high-stakes seasons with movement-based tools to release tension and reset the nervous system. Activities in this creative movement session promote regulation, focus, and emotional awareness during testing time.
In this cross curricular arts-integrated lesson, students will explore the rich cultural heritage of Louisiana through the lens of quilt-making. Students will learn about the historical and cultural significance of quilts in Louisiana communities, and identify influences from African American, Creole, Cajun, and Native traditions. Students will discover how quilts tell stories of family, place, and identity, while making Social Studies connections. Then the class will pivot to visual arts – students will design their own quilt squares using patterns, symbols, and colors inspired by Louisiana landscapes, traditions, and festivals. Finally, dance will be incorporated! Students will bring their quilt stories to life by creating movement sequences that represent stitching, patterns, and the themes within their quilt squares. We will use elements of folk dance and creative movement to reflect unity, diversity, and storytelling. This lesson fosters collaboration, creativity, and cultural understanding all the while addressing Louisiana Student Standards in various disciplines.
Bring together “Choreutics,” the human body, platonic solids, and more! Students in this session will explore geometric concepts and spatial reasoning through the lens of dance by using Rudolf Laban’s Space Harmony (or Choreutics) principles. Through structured movement activities, students will embody geometric shapes, lines, angles, symmetry, and transformations (translation, rotation, reflection), thus reinforcing their math understanding through kinesthetic learning. This lesson supports Louisiana Math Standards while fostering creative expression and body awareness.