Cherry Hill Artist-in-Residence 2019

As part of Perkins Center for the Arts’ Community Partnership Spring 2019, I served as an artist-in-residence at Copper and Woodcrest Elementary in Cherry Hill. The residency was an 8-week program that introduced eight kindergarten classrooms to a new art concept each week. Students then used a variety of materials to complete a project that corresponded to the art concept.

I visited two classes a day, four days a week, for eight weeks. Consequently I got a special opportunity to see first hand, in a relatively short time, how  students’ class culture effect outcomes. At the beginning of each class I introduce art concepts through a group talk. We began with a short Visual Thinking Strategies session, where students were shown an object or artwork and they shared what they saw and why they said. 

In this way students are active participants in setting up the framework for the lesson.  Each class’ opinions and observations had a slightly different focus and these tended to shift the outcomes of the whole class. The quality of the work was the same. Each child worked hard and had deep and interesting ideas linked to their project. But after eight weeks I certainly got a sense that slight differences in class culture can shift the overall artwork appearance. Very interesting! 

Model Magic Animals CLASS 1 

Model Magic Animals  Use markers to color model magic. Then use fingers to squeeze, pince and mold clay into the shape of an animal.

OVERVIEW

Children create animals of their choosing using model magic.

GOALS 

Share as a group, share materials in polite way
Create an animal ‘in the round” using model magic
Change the color of model magic using marker
To introduce the concept of sculptures in the round.

Houses for Animals- CLASS 2 

Animal Houses Use a variety of papers, thick and thin, to color, cut and glue on hard surface like cardboard or foam.

OVERVIEW

Children create houses for their animals.

GOALS 

Share as a group, share materials in polite way
Create a house for the animals created last class
Imagine what the animal would like to be surrounded by
To reinforce the concept of sculptures in the round.

Geometric Printing- CLASS 3 

Geometric Printing Use a variety of caps and paper rolls to dip in puddles of paint to create a geometric design on paper.

OVERVIEW

Children create a print using circle, square and triangle shapes in tempera paint.

GOALS 

Share as a group, share materials in polite way

Work in pairs and share shapes

Introduce primary colors/secondary colors
Experiment with paint on the paper using a shape stamp and a paintbrush.

Still-Life Marker and Watercolor Paint- CLASS 4 

Still-Life Set-up clothe, fruit and any objects. Then use marker to draw the objects that you see and fill in outlines with watercolor paint.

OVERVIEW

Children set-up then draw a still-life using permanent marker, then color the drawing using watercolor.

GOALS 

Share as a group, share materials in polite way

Work in groups to set up objects for a still-life
Draw objects in still-life, paint the objects
Introduce the three steps to watercolor: brush to water, brush to palette for paint, brush to paper.

Foam Buildings- CLASS 5 

Foam Buildings Have an adult slice a foam swimming noodle into various thicknesses. Use toothpicks to connect shapes and build.

OVERVIEW

Children create buildings using toothpicks and cut up swimming noodles.

GOALS 

Share as a group, share materials in polite way

Connect two materials using something other than a glue or tape
Introduce the architectural concept of larger base on a building
Introduce the vocabulary word “gravity”

Self-Portrait Mobile- CLASS 6 

Self-Portrait Mobile Use paper and colored pencils to create head, body, and legs. Then tape parts of body on a string and hold string at top to see mobile portrait move.

OVERVIEW

Children create self-portraits using head, torso, legs and string.

GOALS 

Share as a group, share materials in polite way

Reflect and make a self-portrait
Introduce the vocabulary word “mobile”

The Many Qualities of Lines- CLASS 7 

Line Drawing Use the many qualities of lines- bold, delicate, sweeping- to draw a scene you’d like, and glue stips of tissue paper to add details and color.

OVERVIEW

Children create drawings using permanent marker and strips of tissue paper.

GOALS

Share as a group, share materials in polite way
Define lines and have children give examples of lines
Share different qualities of line: sweeping, bold, rippling, delicate dotted
Draw lines with both marker and long strips of tissue paper

Rubbing and Collage- CLASS 8 

Rubbings and Collage Use the side of oil pastel or crayon to rub any bumpy surface under your paper, then cut out your shapes and glue onto another paper.

OVERVIEW

Children use a variety of leaves for rubbing with oil pastel. Children then cut and paste their leaves onto the colored cardstock paper for a finished design of nature.

GOALS

Share as a group, share materials in polite way
Define lines and have children give examples of lines
Share different qualities of line: sweeping, bold, rippling, delicate dotted
Draw lines with both marker and long strips of tissue paper