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.