Combine creativity with writing! Classes will read and discuss the picture book The Dot by Peter Reynolds. Then, students will create their own dot and make it a foldable book with poetic language.
Dot Zines (2-6)
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TEACHING ARTIST SESSION CATEGORIES
Visual Art
Heart Maps (1-6)
What do you love? And can you express that love in a poem? In this session, students will create a heart map with drawings and words about the things that they love (including sensory loves, rituals, nature, objects, nonhuman companions, etc). Then, their visuals will become words of wonder when they turn their heart maps into a single poem about the things that make their hearts sing.
Color Collage: Letter to Nature (1-8)
Yes, you have a favorite color. So let’s do a deep dive into it! We will start with the book Dear Acorn, (Love, Oak) by Joyce Sidman and illustrated in collage art by Melissa Sweet. Then, students will channel that author and illustrator by creating a color collage that incorporates metaphors and writing a letter poem to a bit of the natural world. Let’s celebrate sky, rain, sun, and acorn!
Dancing with a Paintbrush (2-6)
It’s a multi-faceted artistic fusion! Students will listen to a variety of music and feel the mood by “dancing with a paintbrush.” But don’t stop there – each image will become inspiration for writing as well. Students will refine their word choice, incorporate metaphor, and make a masterpiece.
The Yarn Lab (3–12)
The Yarn Lab is an entry-level crochet program designed to introduce students to the art of crochet while building focus, patience, and creativity. In this hands-on class, students will learn basic stitches, follow fun projects, and discover how yarn and imagination can turn into tangible creations. Designed for beginners and hands-on types, The Yarn Lab makes learning both engaging and rewarding.
Clay Fish (K-4)
Here’s an opportunity to practice following directions and being a creator! In this session, students will use Model Magic to sculpt a clay fish of their own design using hand building techniques. Students will learn what a relief sculpture is and how to follow sequential steps to achieve a satisfying piece of art as well as identifying the characteristics of a fish.
Short-Term Residency option:
Day 1: Students will explore hand building techniques such as making a ball, pancake, snake, coil, pinching, and pulling as they make their fish.
Day 2: Students will paint their final fish sculpture.
Day 3: Students will create a habitat for their fish!
Georgia O’Keeffe’s Flowers (3-12)
No one saw a flower the way artist Georgia O’Keeffe did. She looked closely, depicted flowers on a large scale, and over the course of seven decades, this modernist painter changed the art world. In this session, students will draw their own flowers, large and up-close. This project enables us to see all parts of the flower and emphasizes warm and cool colors.
Rodrigue’s Blue Dog (3-8)
Big, blue, and everywhere you look – that’s the story of Louisiana artist George Rodrigue and his iconic Blue Dog! Students in this session will learn about the artist, his canine legacy, and create masterpieces in the artist’s unique style.
Clementine Hunter’s Zinnias (3-12)
No one taught her, so she taught herself and made her art her own. In doing so, Louisiana artist Clementine Hunter developed a visually distinctive style and vividly depicted plantation life in the early 20th Century. In this session, students will learn more about Clementine’s world. How, they will learn, did she arrive at her ideas of plantation life and her vision for depicting people, animals, and everyday life on a plantation? Then, students will create a piece of art in Clementine’s style and pay homage to her work.
Short-Term Residency option:
Day 1: After learning a brief biography of the artist, students draw vases in the shape of their choosing, and backgrounds are painted onto paper bags.
Day 2: Students add stems and leaves with oil pastels to their vase. Then they paint their vases. We will create different values of color and paint the petals of our flowers.
Day 3: Students can decorate their vase using chinoiserie or another style. Then, they can add details and monogrammed signatures similar to the style of Hunter.
Things that Make Us Want to Scream: Emotions in Art (3-12)
Emotions can be many things: big, scary, powerful, productive, and more. And sometimes they do produce screaming, but they also inspire art. In this session, students will explore emotionally-charged artwork and poetry created by a range of artists and authors. Then,...