MEMORIAL DAY fun at the MFA!

The MFA is free this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10 am–4:45 pm
Free all three days.
Join us for the MFA's Memorial Day Community Weekend to celebrate "Boston I Love." The MFA opens its doors—free of charge—to visitors from Boston and beyond for three days, May 25 to 27. Enjoy special exhibitions—including three paintings on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art—art making, gallery tours, family activities, and a community art project. All on-site contributions this weekend will be donated to The One Fund Boston.
Check out this link for more info: Memorial day weekend at the MFA!

Wild Things

First Grade students looked at the book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.  After discussing his work as an author and an illustrator we began looking more closely at his drawings.  Students paid special attention to the texture he used when creating his wild things (some were hairy, scaly, etc.).  Students then set out to create their own sculptures of these wild beasts.  Using cardboard tubes and constuction paper students learned how to manipulate the paper to create different effects.  ome even added their own texture to their creatures!

James Audubon and texture

5th grade students studied the life and art of artist James Audubon.  He's remembered for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that showed the birds in their natural habitats.  Audubon identified 25 new species!  Most impresive is his book Birds of America. There are only 119 copies and one copy is worth up to 10 million dollars today!  This book is truly special not just because of the birds it documents but because of it's size...each bird was created life size!
After learning about Audubon students were inspired to create their own bird drawings.  Looking at photographs students attempted their own realistic birds.  When the drawings were complete students looked again at Audubons book and learned that the images inside were actually prints.  Students then transferred their drawings to a linoleum block and set out to create their own prints. Finally students returned their focus to the photographs they drew to study the texture on their bird.  Using the carving tools students added texture to the bird on their block of linoleum. 

Carnival Masks

First Grade students studied Carnaval celebrations from around the world.  Using the smartboard we viewed people celebrating this festival season that comes right before the holiday of lent.  Students compared the celebrations of three places- Venice, Rio de Janeiro, and New Orleans.  Although the different places have their own unique ways of celebrating- one thing they had in common was dressing up in costumes and masks.  During Carnaval people usually act differently than they would in their everyday lives.  A mask helps to hide their identity as they celebrate. 

 

After discussing Carnaval and viewing various examples of masks students were ready to create their own.  The first challenge was to design a mask that has symmetry.  Once they created their symmetrical mask out of practice paper it was carefully traced onto tag board and cut out.  Student then embellished their mask with a piece of model magic that they rolled and glued to their work (also in a symmetrical design) .  Students used watercolors to add a color to their mask and further decorated it with patterns and symmetry.

 

Vacation week at the MFA!!

Looking for something to do this week?  The MFA has some really fun family and kid activities going on all week! Check out their website for more information! Vacation Week at the MFA!

All ages and abilities welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required. FREE admission for kids all week.
Special Events include: story time, family tours, visiting artists (including Japanese Taiko drummers!), and a childrens film festival!

They also have art making activities all week!

10 am–4 pm (until 8 pm on Wed). Drop in to enjoy hands-on activities for all ages.

Cherry Blossom Scrolls, Druker Family Pavilion 159
April is the month of the cherry blossoms in Japan! Find images of springtime on the screens and scrolls in Gallery 280, and then join us in the studio (Druker Family Pavilion 159) to create your own watercolor painting.
Samurai Helmet, Shapiro Family Courtyard
Discover the beautifully detailed helmets in “Samurai!”(Gund Gallery LG31). Can you find helmets that have features of rabbits, dragons, and other animals? How do you think the helmets were put together? After viewing the show, join us in Shapiro Family Courtyard to create your own helmet!
Symbolic Seats, Gallery 278C
Join us in Gallery 278C to view the Buddhas. What are they sitting on? The lotus flower grows in murky water then pushes upward until it reaches the surface as a beautiful flower. In Japanese culture, the lotus symbolizes working through something until you rise above it and reach the light. Create your own lotus mat—maybe it will inspire you to work through and rise above conflicts.
Contemporary Ceramics, Druker Family Pavilion160
Check out how today’s Japanese artists create sculptures and vessels. Explore Yagi Akira’s Nesting Covered Boxes in Gallery 280, Kondo Takahiro’s Blue Porcelain Box in Gallery 158, or Jun Kaneko’s two rounded forms, Untitled, in Gallery 258. Back in the studio (Druker Family Pavilion 160), create your own clay piece exploring shape, size, and texture.

Melting snowmen

Have you ever built a snowman and discovered the next day that his grin has gotten a little crooked, or his tree-branch arms have moved? And you've wondered . . . what do snowmen do at night?  Kindergarteners imagined the possibilities by reading the story Snowmen at Night.  After reading the story students were inspired to create their own melting snowmen (who were obviously very busy at night).  Students discussed shapes and collage as they created their artwork!

Light It Up Blue!

Autism affects 1 in every 88 children born today.  All my classes discussed and learned about autism in preperation for today (April 2nd) World Autism Awareness Day.  We discussed the role of the organization Autism Speaks and learned about their campaign "Light it up Blue!".  To spread awareness they ask that on April 2nd we change our regular lightbulbs to blue.  At the Garfield School we decided to light it up blue by creating our own lightbulbs.  Using blue glue on sheets of plastic we created our lightbulbs.  Once dry each student demonstrated their support for this day by writing their name in the center of their bulb.  You can visit www.autismspeaks.org for more information or watch this short video to see how people lit it up blue last year: