Coming Soon! The Peirce School Annual Concert and Art Show: June 6, 2013

Students in all grades have been hard at work preparing for this year's show, which promises to be another special event, this time with the theme, Social Justice. Peace and Justice For All: Music and Art Inspired by the Quest for Social Justice will feature an art exhibit and concert addressing important social issues such as equality, poverty, immigration and human strength. Children's songs, dances and artwork will be represented by all students in grades K-5. Selections will be posted here after the show in an upcoming post.

The show will take place on June 6, 2013 at 9am in the Gym and front lobby. We look forward to seeing you!

Grade One: People In Motion, Near and Far

First graders began this lesson by discussing their favorite parks and playgrounds and the kinds of outdoor activities they enjoy doing. Then, students examined several artworks which depict people who are moving and engaging in outdoor activities such as playing, dancing and beach wading. Students described how the artist of each painting was able to show us what the people were supposed to be doing in the various actions, i.e. arms bent, legs in striding positions, etc.Students were then led to notice how the artists showed people and objects which were close to the viewer and those which were far, and discussed how objects appear smaller and higher in a composition to indicate distance, and how the horizon line helps to place those objects within the picture.

Students were then instructed to draw an outdoor scene of people engaged in an activity, such as dance, sports or play. They were also required to use scale to depict items within the picture which were near and far from the viewer.

May Masterpiece of the Month: Forever Free by Edmonia Lewis

Who Made It?
An American sculptor named, Edmonia Lewis, created this sculpture in 1867.

Where Is the REAL One?
The real sculpture can be seen at the Howard University Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

Why Is It Important?
The original title of this artwork was going to be "The Morning of Liberty" and was created to commemorate the passing of the 13th amendment of the U. S. Constitution, which declared an end to slavery in the United States. Forever Free carries a message of triumph over adversity and hope for the future. This sculpture also symbolizes the end of the Civil War, which ended two years before Lewis created Forever Free. However, even though African-Americans were technically free after the war, they continued to be held back and discriminated against. Life was very difficult, which Lewis symbolizes by showing chains still wrapped around the man and woman's bodies. Lewis was one of the first artists to focus their artwork to be about African and Native American subjects. She studies sculpture in Italy which influenced her to create artwork in a style called neo-classical.

Grade Four: Unity and Transformation in Sculpture

Fourth graders were introduced to the design element of Unity, in which an artist employs something which visually holds the artwork together. Students also discussed how an artist can utilize the idea or process of transformation in a work of art. Students were then shown several examples of the artwork by Tara Donovan, an artist who uses common, disposable materials such as paper plates and styrofoam cups and transforms their appearance by arranging large amounts of the same material in unexpected ways in site-specific gallery installations. Students were then instructed to choose one particular disposable material, in any amount, and create a sculpture which transforms the material in an unexpected and interesting arrangement. Sculptures of this nature often tend to be abstract and organic in style and content and students were encouraged to explore this idea while also creating a stable, secure structure with balance and support.

Grade Three: Hybrid Mythical Creatures

Third graders were first shown a slide of the Assyrian sculpture pictured above, and asked to look at it carefully. After a few moments, students were asked to identify the different animals comprising the creature depicted. Students were quick to notice there is a lion body, eagle wings and a human head. This combination of animals can only be the famous, mythical sphinx!

Many students are familiar with the sphinx, and were led through a discussion of its history within several ancient civilizations. Students were also led to notice that unlike lions, this sphinx has five legs instead of the physiological four. This is because, depending on where the viewer stands in relation to the sculpture, either from the side or from the front, the sculpture will appear to have not only the correct number of legs, but also appear to be walking from profile view.

Students were then shown three contemporary illustrator's renderings of other famous mythical creatures, all of which were a hybrid combination of other animals: the Chimera, the Minotaur and the Pegasus. These creatures have famous stories told about them and continue to fascinate people. Students were then instructed to sketch an idea of a hybrid animal of their own design, and to give the creature a name. Later, using their sketches as a reference point, students sculpted their creatures from modeling clay. Some who finished early also wrote a short "myth" about their creature.

Kindergarten: Magical Animal Collage

This activity was actually the combination of two lessons. Kindergarteners have begun a short series of lessons introducing the element of texture. Students were quick to describe the definition of texture, and were led to notice that everything has a texture. Students were then shown Monet’s painting, Bouquet of Sunflowers, and led to notice that artists can allow the qualities of a material such as paint to convey the texture of a subject, such as the sunflower petals. Students were also informed that a viewer is rarely allowed to touch an actual work of art, but that our eyes can help us to know what something might feel like.

Students were then shown five objects, one at a time, and asked to use descriptive words, as well as their eyes, to identify the texture of each object before being passed around to allow each student to handle and touch. The objects consisted of a piece of burlap, a block of wood, a spiny seashell, a ball of woolen yarn, and a large pinecone.
Students were then shown how to use plastic rubbing plates which allow for a textured surface to be printed upon paper by rubbing with a drawing tool. Students were instructed to create three such rubbings, even using the bottom of their shoe, if desired. These rubbings were then collected for use the following week.
Students were later shown the collage artwork of illustrator, Eric Carle, with whom most kindergarteners are familiar. Students were shown examples of collages Carle created of real and legendary animals, comparing their differences and discussing Carle’s artistic technique. Students were then instructed to create their own imaginary animals from shapes cut from their rubbings and glued onto their colored-paper background.

Grade Two: Narrative Sculpture

Second graders recently created narrative collages based upon favorite stories, but what about narrative sculpture? How do artists take a three-dimensional form and transform into an object with a life of its own?

Students were guided through a discussion about the element of form, and how it differs from the element of shape. They were then shown and asked to identify examples of three-dimensional forms: sphere, cube, prism, cone, etc. Students discussed how these forms can be seen and recognized in examples of sculpture, such as Constantin Brancusi's The Kiss. Students were led to notice that which may have started out as a simple form, was later turned into a sculpture with meaning.

Second graders were instructed to begin their clay sculpture with a three-dimensional form appropriately chosen to best fit their idea. From there, they could pinch, carve and shape the clay, as well as add details. Once dry, the sculptures were painted.

Grade Five: Images of Arlington, 2013, "Putting Arlington On the Map"

This year marked the eighth annual Images of Arlington art exhibition at the Arlington Center for the Arts (ACA). Each year, all fifth grade students from each of the seven elementary schools choose a subject that represents the town of Arlington to them. Unlike in previous years, the decision was made to have students work within the theme of the adult division. The theme for 2013 is "Putting Arlington On the Map". Students were shown many examples of artworks created by contemporary artists which either utilized maps as a medium or as a source of inspiration. Fifth graders were then instructed to create a piece related to Arlington and incorporating the concept of a map or actual printed maps into the work. Students were also allowed to work individually or in teams.
After weeks of hard work, the results are exhibited together at the ACA, along with the adult artist division of the show, and a few choice selections are made from each school to especially represent this diverse and interesting community. The ACA jurors look for a variety of key elements when judging the pieces, such as originality, technique and creative process. This year, two artworks were chosen from each class for special recognition and to have their work printed in the Arlington Advocate newspaper. In addition, several student's work which also caught the juror's eyes were selected for a special Honorable Mention category. The exhibit can be viewed at the ACA from April 4-May 6, 2013. The students chosen from Peirce School are featured below:

"The History Behind Us!", Winner

"Peace At Last", Winner

The Dog Stole the Painting!", Winner

"Menotomy Rocks Park (Map Version)", Winner

"Arlington Rocks", Honorable Mention

"Arlington, A Rainbow of a Town", Honorable Mention

"A World of Arlington", Honorable Mention

April Masterpiece of the Month: The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli

Who Made It?
An Italian artist named, Sandro Botticelli, created this painting in 1488.

Where Is the REAL One?
The real painting can be seen at The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

Why Is It Important?
According to Greek and Roman mythology, the goddess Venus was born from the ocean as a fully grown woman. Venus was the goddess of love and was known to the Greeks as Aphrodite. In this painting, Botticelli is illustrating the famous myth, and has painted her standing upon a scallop shell which is a symbol of life and birth. The scallop shell has been used by artists in many artworks to help identify Venus, because she is also the goddess of life and birth. She is also being gently pushed to shore, over the ocean waves, by Zephyrus, the god of wind. He is being helped by his wife, Flora (also known as Chloris), the goddess of flowers and she is showering Venus with pink roses. According to the myth, roses were believed to first exist when Venus was born. Standing on the shore is a goddess of Spring, ready to dress Venus in a special robe that is decorated with flowers that are symbolic of birth. It is possible that Botticelli wanted Venus to also be a symbol of the coming spring.

The Birth of Venus has a classical subject, which means that it is about the people and stories of ancient Greece and Rome. Botticelli was a famous artist during the Italian Renaissance and artists were just beginning to use classical subjects as inspiration for their artworks. Most artwork during the Renaissance were about stories from the Bible, but in this painting, Botticelli was rediscovering the art of ancient Greece and their idea of human beauty.

Kindergarten: Patterns All Around Us

In this unit, students will be exploring the element of pattern further. Kindergarten students began this lesson by looking at the two selected artworks and were asked to identify as many patterns as they could see. Some patterns were obvious, while other were far more subtle. Students were asked to imagine how they might print the patterns used by the selected artist instead of a brush or drawing tool.

Students were then shown a demonstration on using wooden stamps dipped in tempera paint to create a repeating pattern of geometric shapes. Students were instructed to draw a picture of their choosing which would include patterns created by the stamps, though many students also chose to include drawn patterns.