Hands-on Art: “Creating Self and Place”
April 8, 2015This is the second post in a series about our spring 2015 Art-in-Education program. Check out the first post here to read all about the young artists’ adventures in the studios! 
During February and March, we had the pleasure of welcoming more than eighty elementary and middle school students to the studios through our award-winning Art-in-Education program, Hands-on Art. Each young artist spent time in the etching, silkscreen, and papermaking studios to create a portfolio that will be presented at our upcoming exhibition, Hands-on Art: Creating Self and Place. Can’t make it to the show? Don’t worry – we’ve gathered a few examples of their work so we can show off their talent.
Two layer screenprint by eighth grader Charles
Eighth grade students from Bailey Middle School explored concepts of identity and self portrait. With instructor Paige Simpson in the silkscreen studio, these young artists used problem solving skills to transform a random shape into a work of art. First, they printed flat shapes, then they drew into the prints to create an image. By interpreting their abstracted shapes, the students were able to see things in a new light and focus on creativity and imagination.
Eighth grader Scarlett’s handmade artist’s book
In the papermaking studio, AIE Artists’ Book Resident Radha Pandey worked with the eighth graders, pulling sheets of paper from ArtFarm fibers, and embedding objects to create images within the paper. In the etching studio, our young artists worked with Alyssa Bucci to create linoleum prints. The students began by choosing meaningful objects that represented their personality and interests. They later combined their silkscreened images with the lino-cut prints to create handmade artists’ books.
Fourth graders from Crosby Elementary School spent their studio time imagining journeys and fantastic places by creating pulp painted maps, silkscreened landscapes, and etchings of their dream homes. Crosby’s young artists worked with AIE artist-in-residence Anna Tararova in the papermaking studio to pull sheets of paper, then used pulp painting to create imaginary maps. The maps – based on students’ drawings – show treasure hunts, maps to their dream homes, and many other creative journeys.
Fourth grader Jack’s two layer screenprint
Cheyenne Mallo led the fourth grade students in an exploration of etching techniques, which culminated in a pair of prints depicting both the inside and outside of their dream homes. In the silkscreen studio, Paige Simpson taught our young artists how to shoot screens and pull prints. The students worked from reference photos to separate foreground and background, then created two-layer prints of their simplified landscapes.
Each session, the visiting artists from these local schools impress us with both their eagerness to learn and their amazing artistic creations. The work featured here is just a sneak peek – get the full experience at our upcoming exhibition, Hands-on Art: Creating Self and Place.