Artistic superheroes are being born. I see the roots of future Scholastic Arts competition entries and maybe even some AP portfolio 5s! For now though we focus on the basics. How do I draw? What is animation? How does the camera work? How do I blend that color with acrylics? Masterpieces will come later. For now here are the beginnings. Enjoy these early endeavors!
Splashes of ink sputter across the page in one class, while flashes of light blink in another. Bodies huddle around a flickering screen collaboratively animating drawings in sand and charcoal in a third class, amazed as their work comes to life on screen. Students in all art classes are starting to learn the basics of their chosen media for each discipline. Enthusiasm is high along with a bit of artistic fear; what if I mess up? what if it doesn't look good?, Words of encouragement help students push forward through the web of doubts. Artistic superheroes are being born. I see the roots of future Scholastic Arts competition entries and maybe even some AP portfolio 5s! For now though we focus on the basics. How do I draw? What is animation? How does the camera work? How do I blend that color with acrylics? Masterpieces will come later. For now here are the beginnings. Enjoy these early endeavors!
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This has been an especially short summer, but that hasn't kept me from making the most of it. I find that summer gives me the chance to stretch my brain creatively outside the classroom. I have been dabbling with painting, knitting scarves, making photographs and gardening up a storm. I also love to read, cook and bake. Although some of these pursuits aren't exactly art there is a level of craftsmanship and creativity involved in the pursuit of good food and lovely flowers. One of the best summer pursuits however, is travel. I love to daydream on a long car ride as the golden fields drift past my window (if I'm not the driver!). Usually my travels take me to exotic places like Chicago or Minneapolis! :) I know those aren't what you usually think of when you think exotic, but I always discover new gems on these journeys. This summer I spent about 10 days in Minneapolis in two separate trips. I filled my days with art fests, delicious, creative food and beautiful strolls through gardens, zoos and more. One of my favorite days was spent at the Loring Park Art Festival. This charming, fest featured a variety of artists, the garden paths surrounding the small pond at Loring Park and some delicious food. Artists I discovered were: Jamie Heiden, photographer, whose work reminded me of Maggie Taylor's, half way between dreamy paintings, unique collages and photography. I loved her work so much I bought one of the larger photographs called Next Door to the Queen. Another photographer, whose work I really enjoyed was Robert Meyer. He had lovely film based, dark-room made black and white images that were framed in vintage 4 x 5 film holders. I also enjoyed the mixed media pieces by Barbara Danger Lash. These images combined beads, collage elements and typography in unique juxtapositions. Lauri Rockne's wonderfully lush felted creations were also a favorite. I wish I'd had more money to buy one of her nuno felted scarf/shawls, truly gorgeous fiber arts work. There were many others I loved, but these are some of the highlights. The next day I celebrated my birthday with my daughter by visiting the Uptown Art Fair. This was a much larger fest with many more international artists. Mauro Pozzobelli's unique sculpted wall reliefs made me feel like I was traversing the catacombs and hidden alleys of Italy. Jaana Mattson had beautiful felted paintings that were exquisitely crafted with rendering of tones in fiber. Katie Musolff wasn't really a new find for me. I actually know Katie, meeting her when she was a young student in a watercolor class with Thea Kovac. Seeing her new works was a great experience as she has grown so much in her talents and themes. So many artists stretching on and on along the streets of Minneapolis was overwhelming. We finished our time there by visiting the Future Artists of Uptown exhibit, which featured works by young artists ranging from elementary to high school. The students had their own booths and were present selling their work. I bought photo notecards from one talented student and my daughter bought a beautiful cable-knitted headband from another. This made me wonder if we could do something like this in Pewaukee....a student art sale....hmmmm the wheels are turning already. The main goal of a vacation is to get away, reinvigorate and rest. I feel I've had a great opportunity to do all of those while finding new inspiration to bring back to my classroom. Happy summer....happy new School Year! To see more of the artists I liked check out my Pinboard on Pinterest. In my last post I discussed attending the NAEA convention, where one of the big themes was about the process of art-making, not necessarily the product produced. The focus upon process allows students to "fail" in productive ways as they creatively solve the problem of the specific assignment. It struck a chord with me that art is about the "big picture" ideas and thinking that produces truly complex art. Expanding upon meaning and relevance for the artist and the viewers of art transcends the product only approach to teaching and learning. The new NAEA standards involve four areas of the art process: Creating, Responding, Presenting and Connecting. These areas create a wide perimeter in which to teach and learn. Students in the Drawing 2 / Painting 2 class and also Digital Photography have been exploring themes that are relevant to them personally. The work that was produced has been beautiful, but it has been the process of Creating this work that has been truly inspiring. There is the technical problem solving that went on as students tried to learn how to hand make a book, including making the paper, binding the pages and then designing them with drawings and paintings. The technical process though has only been part of the assignment. The thinking that students did is something difficult to capture through the rubric and yet this is where the real learning and development took place. Students have shared stories of many topics with me as they've worked. Connecting to what matters to them has been a vital part of this process. One student shared how he/she has battled with dyslexia and has found art a way to transcend his/her disability. Another shared how he/she some day hopes to find his/her birth mother again in the Ukraine. We discussed her concerns for what is happening there politically and how she hopes to return when he/she is older and search for his/her past. Another student has been very emotional as his/her family is selling the home he/she grew up in and moving across the country, adding to the already emotional prospect of being a senior in high school. These are topics that weren't really in my lesson plan or on the rubric, but instead were chosen by the students. Giving students a voice in the process of developing their art work allows the curriculum to expand in ways not envisioned originally. Lastly asking students to Present and Respond via the critique process revealed some profound thoughts on the part of students, both in written response to their peer's works and in reflecting upon their own art making process. The critical thinking involved in this evaluation is part of the creative process at the highest levels. I am so proud of the work these students have done and hope that their discoveries last a lifetime. Here are some quotes from some of the student reflections. "...The part I like most about my book is how much it means to me. My family is moving and I am clearing out my room and getting rid of a lot of meaningful things to me. But within this book I am able to hold onto some of those memories with all the extra pages I included as well I am able to continue to document my thoughts and memories." "....My craftsmanship could have been better, because string hanging down from stitches coming out, but that is the beauty of handmade things." " Your whole idea is awesome, how you were able to just relax and let this project lead where ever. The book itself feels a little fragile." To see the book designs stop by the glass cases outside the PHS Art Offices (room 117). A sampling is on display there or check out the gallery of images here. I've been thinking about the role of the Art Department in the greater Pewaukee community. How do we teach students empathy and how to become good citizens while still learning about art? To me community service is a great way to make an impact and make each year the best that students can remember. The arts in particular can take the lead on doing this by actively involving students in connections and service. As the Visual Art Department Chair and director of Art Club at my school I believe very strongly in my role to connect to the school community and the greater Milwaukee Community. My students live somewhat sheltered lives out in the suburbs and I really want them to experience all that the rich and diverse community of Milwaukee has to offer. I used to be the Community Outreach and Education Director for the Betty Brinn Children's Museum in Milwaukee. The three years I spent there really taught me the importance of connecting in mutually beneficial ways. Community service and outreach should be good not just for the recipients, but also for the people providing the service...in this case me and my students! It should be the proverbial "win-win" situation. In the past Art Club has connected to the community on many levels. We started out small by doing projects in school. Just as in child development, baby steps requiring focusing on yourself first and then branching out to think of others. So we painted the gallery walls and created an entry-way mural for the school. Both projects were well received and benefited the art students since their work was hanging in the gallery on a regular basis. From there the art club grew from a few members to a strong core of 15-20 students who were very devoted to the idea of hanging out, making art and providing service to the community. We were now ready to take on the world, or at least our little suburban world. We were asked to work on a project for River Hills Nursing Home to help them create a new room for their Alzheimer's wing. This project provided students with the opportunity to meet residents, see their work hung in a public place and see how profoundly happy a simple painting could make people. We developed a garden-themed mural and also helped with ideas on how to transform the drab room into a garden room. The Nursing Home staff painted the room a soothing sage green and added lattice work, a faux fence and a garden bench along with potted plants. They hosted a reception for my students, their parents and the principal of the school. We met with staff and saw residents as well. It was a very positive experience for all. We have returned to the Nursing home many times since this first project and the staff their value the students and their interactions with residents. We have done other service including a community art making fund raiser called "Tile-A-Mile". This event was started in 2009 because there was no scholarship money for Visual Art students at our school. We host an event yearly to raise funds for a scholarship, but it is also an art-making opportunity. Community members buy a tile and paint it for $10.00. At the event they also have the opportunity to get their faces painted, see artists demonstrate their craft (wheel throwing, jazz ensembles and foil embossing have been a few), and also bid on raffle and silent auction items donated by the community. This event is a lot of fun for the students of art club who do all the planning and run the various events. It connected me to their parents and in turn to other community members including local businesses. This positive experience for the sake of art is again another win-win community service idea. The tiles that participants create are framed and displayed throughout the school, with the goal of someday having "a mile of tiles". The community is given an opportunity to be entertained, fed and maybe even win a raffle item, while the students benefit by gaining scholarship funds and the experience of leadership opportunities. This year's event is Saturday, March 1st from 10:00-1:00 in the PHS Cafeteria. Eventually Terry Frett, a local business man came forward and offered to sponsor the Visual Art Scholarship fund with a $10,000 donation. The scholarship is now known as the Gene Frett Visual Art Scholarship, in honor of Terry's dad who got his start as a salesman for Binney Smith(Crayola), selling art supplies to teachers. Each year we give away a $1000.00 scholarship to an art student who wishes to pursue his/her dreams of a college education studying art, art education or art therapy. One of the hidden values of Community Outreach and service is that you raise the visibility of your program in the community. Businesses become aware of you and the students you serve. Another type of service is more of a partnership really. I developed a program where my students provided art work to 3 local businesses to display in their new office spaces. The businesses in turn made substantial donations to our scholarship fund. The students whose work was chosen to be displayed received a stipend. One of the businesses came back the next year and offered several of my students jobs at their site in a production/digital photography capacity. This never would have happened if we hadn't made the initial connection. Teaching and learning take up the bulk of my time, but I think students learn valuable lessons through the community service they are involved in. Thinking beyond your classroom and connecting with the community benefits the art department, including students and the teacher and the community. So many valuable skills can be learned through service and outreach. On a very cold Saturday evening the families and friends of the Pewaukee Visual Art Department came out to warmly support PHS students exhibiting their art work at the Waukesha Civic Theatre. It was a great event for everybody. There were light refreshments, smiling faces and really talented student artists proudly presenting their best works. Presenting for student artists is especially important since making art can be a very solitary act. The performance or exhibit allows artists to see what the public has to say about their work. Art is a visual communication after all and the dialogue inherent in communication is what the art exhibit experience is all about. Members of the public have received the exhibit with good comments and reviews. Since the Theatre is located in a public space frequented by many students have been afforded the opportunity to sell their works too. So far two pieces have sold. This is thrilling for any artist, but especially a student. For Mr. Ben Lamp and I this was a great opportunity to gain a bit of publicity for the program we've worked to build at Pewaukee High School. We appreciated the chance to shine a spotlight on our talented students and on our own teaching as well. If you haven't already visited the exhibit to stop by and check it out. Waukesha Civic Theatre is located at 264 West Main Street, Waukesha, WI 53186. The show will be on display through January 6th. Hard work and crazy hours finally paid off for the Art Club as we successfully completed the Best Buddies mural. To celebrate our success and also have some Halloween fun, we threw a party last Wednesday. Everyone brought treats of the salty and sweet variety and with the lights turned off, Pandora's online spooky music as the soundtrack our party began. Candle light flickered as we gathered round the art table to eat and talk. Students began talking about what scared them and what Halloween movies they found the spookiest. The talk grew into an old fashioned, low-tech ghost story telling session. It was as if we were gathered around a campfire somewhere. Several stories made some anxious and we admitted that we felt a few goosebumps raised on the backs of our arms. The party was a great excuse to get to know each other better as a group and to just enjoy each others company. Sometimes, especially in a group that is just for fun, this is more important than anything else. I enjoyed hearing the stories and contributing a few of my own. It's amazing what a few candles and some scary music can generate. Hope you all had a Happy Halloween. Now Art Club is on to their next service project, but the party was fun! Learning only takes place in the classroom and with books right? Nonsense! There are many ways for students to learn and one of the best is by engaging in community service and volunteering for others. Through service students learn valuable skills such as, leadership and collaboration. This week AP Studio Art Class and Art Club impressed and dazzled with the fantastic lessons they taught each other through service and volunteerism. This past Wednesday was a GREAT DAY in the PHS Art Room (well actually outside the art room :)) In AP Studio Art we are constantly pushing the envelope and trying to push ourselves to produce high quality art while meeting the strenuous demands of the rigorous portfolio schedule. The class is a college level class in many respects. This week however, we took a break from all of that to help others. We left the art room and took our talents to River Hills West Health Care Center in Pewaukee, WI. Jackie Contreras our contact there asked if we could paint the windows and bring some fall cheer to the building. The class created a design and plan for the window murals and then organized a Facebook Page to help with the details. It is important to have bagels and other treats while doing community service! I was proud of the leadership and teamwork displayed as the class pulled together to paint. I really just sat back and let them take care of everything. While at the Center students interacted with staff, visitors and some patients. It was a rewarding experience for everyone. Later that day the Art Club convened for their meeting and I was equally thrilled with the leadership, teamwork and general good will exhibited while in pursuit of art excellence in the design of the mural for the Best Buddies Halloween dance. Best Buddies is a program that serves special needs students at our school. Their dance is a great event and posing in front of the mural for photographs is always part of the fun. The Art Club painted a mural a few years ago, but it was now time for a new one. Collaborating with Ms. Jill Thomas, the Best Buddies advisor we designed a mural that met their size requirements. More importantly it provided the opportunity for students to bond through paint; always a messy and enjoyable endeavor. We also elected officers this week and they helped to organize the painting process including scrubbing walls and floors at the conclusion. Both groups of students really made me proud of them. Bringing happiness to others through art is such a great lesson. Student centered and directed learning is a technique worth embracing. Ultimately students who get to choose and make the decisions in the learning process are happier and more satisfied with their educational experience. Personalizing their learning is critical to meeting individualized student needs. To that end we've been trying to let students in the art room decide more. Instead of the teacher setting up one still life, students in table teams set up their own, made up of my objects and their own from home objects. Students in photography did the same thing choosing to set up the still life and the lighting that supported the class assignment of showing texture. Students also provided the information for first day of school discussions about What is Art, What Makes a Good work of Art. They generated the discussion and were able to hit on most of the points that I would've provided in the old teacher-centered model of education. I've also been experimenting with allowing students to choose what to work on during the class flow. So I give them all of the tasks that need to be accomplished and then they decide which aspect to work on and when. This allows for larger classes such as my Painting 1 class at 28 students to multi-task and not all be in the same area of the room at the same time. Some may be gesso-priming a canvas, while others are sketching and planning and meeting with me to discuss work, others might be painting and still others could be blogging on their laptops. It feels more chaotic at first, but the energy is fantastic and the students are all on task, directing their own decisions and learning. In photography some were shooting photos, others were loading photos onto the computer, while others were editing. They chose when to do what. They all got everything done, just not all at the same time. The enthusiasm of this authentic classroom is catching. I actually saw a student jump up and down and say Ooooo-AHHHH as they got the perfect lighting, photo and effect. This kind of reaction is awesome and makes me so happy and excited to be facilitating animated learning experiences for all. In Education right now there is a lot of talk about Core Competencies, the Common Core, Standards Based Teaching and Standardized tests. There is also a lot of talk about personalizing students' learning experiences and collecting data to demonstrate how students are learning and growing within the classroom. This past Saturday, September 14th a small group of highly dedicated art educators met at the Pewaukee High School art room from 8-10:00 a.m. to discuss data collection in art. This topic is especially challenging for art teachers because generally we don't really take tests in art. We knew if we put our heads together we could come up with some creative ways to write Student Learning Objects that are meaningful for our students, while still maintaining the integrity of a hands-on classroom. The discussions were boisterous at times, but led to some enthusiastic ideas of how to creatively collect data in curriculum that doesn't appear on standardized tests. We realized that we are already ahead of the curve in many respects as art educators. The arts encourage students to think at higher levels as they problem solve and design their own interpretations of the assignments given. We just needed to find a way to document this problem solving and show data that what we do really works. It was a great opportunity to begin a discussion and to meet other art educators. We are already planning to meet again and continue our collaboration. So going to work on a Saturday isn't always the best thing, but when stimulating conversation and bagels are involved it's not so bad! Hey do you want to listen to lots of talking about the syllabus 8 times in a row? Or would you rather make some art? Of course the answer last week was MAKE ART and so we did. Each class dabbled in media appropriate to what we're learning. In each instance the art we created (final product) wasn't as important as the process of how we created it and the thinking that went into each piece. In each class we had in-depth discussions about What Art Is and What Makes Effective Drawings and Paintings. These discussions helped students think about the process of the class they've enrolled in, while making art. They determined which of the drawings or paintings were the best, based on discussion, post-it-note votes and written graffiti walls. All of these techniques helped identify what it takes to make a good work of art. Students also set goals for themselves. Some of their personal goals were discussed and were very similar to the goals set forth on the syllabus. This active way of engaging students in the direction of the course has more meaning than if the instructor had just stood there and told them what we'd be doing and learning. Students were engaged and fired up to learn last week. It should be a great year for some fabulous art making. Check out a sampling of the images from last week's Painting 1 class Graffiti discussion. |
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May 2022
Mrs. Bjork
I am Visual Art Department head at Pewaukee High School. I've been at the district for 21 years and love teaching students about art and connecting them to the arts community. I am especially passionate about the role of technology in the art and education process. |