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What’s New with AWR?

Monday, May 14th, 2012

I can still make time to play hookie and see the cherry blossoms with my girls.

Well friends, it has been awhile since my last blog. You may be wondering if I fell of the face of the Earth, not exactly. I did, however, accept a job as a museum educator at the Smithsonian’s Early Enrichment Center. For those of you who don’t know, the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center or SEEC, as it’s called, is a lab school with locations on the grounds of the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of Natural History. They use teach age-appropriate themes through the objects at the Smithsonian and National Gallery of Art. They are also one of the leaders in early childhood MUSEUM education.

As you can imagine, this has meant a huge transition for me and my family (I haven’t held a traditional job in over six years). So, why did I choose to take the job you ask??? Truth is, I was going a little crazy at home. I would drop my youngest off at preschool three days a week and head back home to an empty house to work on AWR. I loved the teaching, but I wasn’t feeling inspired or connected to my peers. I needed something else and for me, SEEC was the answer. Not only do I get to continue to teach to early childhood audiences (I am currently teaching infants, two’s and four year-olds), I get to actually interact with other adults. And on some days, I even get to where a skirt and heels to work. The best of all…..it is part-time!!! That means that I am home in time to meet the bus, head to swim lessons and help with homework.

It is not all perfect, the first month both girls got Scarlet Fever and we paid out the nose for a nanny. My husband has to figure out how to make his workday fit into eight hours instead of ten. But he has managed to establish a great morning routine with the girls and now our parenting duties are more equally dispersed. I am still reeling over how much summer camp costs and I am definitely going to miss that 3-week visit to my parent’s house in the summer. All in all, things are coming together.

So what does the future hold for AWR?

Well, I am not entirely sure. The balancing act continues. It looks like I’ll be offering some new courses at Glen Echo Park in the fall and drum roll please…….AWR might be providing classes at SEEC. Things are still tentative, but I am hopeful. This means we would have a home base from which to teach and the chance to do the activities together, as a group. In the meantime, I hope to continue to provide a platform for promoting family-friendly art and cultural events in the area and encouraging families to utilize the museums as a place of learning for the smallest of children (did I mention I am teaching infants). I promise to keep you posted!

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Top 10 Teaching Moments

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

It has been just over a year since I launched Art Within Reach and I have learned a lot about teaching, managing a classroom, and art activities.  So, I thought it would be fun to do a top 10 list of my best teaching moments!

#10

Joan Miró’s The Farm

The National Gallery of Art houses this signature Miró painting from 1921.  On one hand, it offers a visual vocabulary of objects familiar to children and on the other hand, a composition and formal elements that easily engage a child’s imagination.  The central tree, in and of itself, is almost always a point of conversation.  Similarly, the children often debate whether it is a sun or a moon that is depicted in the sky.  I use this painting for my introductory lesson where we familiarize ourselves with looking at art.  I was sad to see the NGA had taken it down, but thankfully replaced it with an equally appealing Picasso.

#9

The Camera

My dilemma came during a lesson on still life.  I wanted the children to draw their own still life while considering elements like texture and light, perhaps a little too sophisticated for a four-year-old.  However, they were quite capable of making their own still life arrangements with objects that I brought in.  After considering the layout of their still life, I would then photograph them.  They used the photographs to help them draw their arrangements.  I found the same thing worked in my lesson on portraiture.  When I asked them to draw a self-portrait, I most often got depictions of their faces and while I knew they weren’t necessarily ready to compose a more sophisticated drawing, I did know they were capable of considering how they would pose for a photograph.  Before taking each child’s picture, we discussed pose, expression, angle and background.  Marrying the drawing with the photograph turned out to be a winning combination.

#8

The Portfolio and Exhibition

Part of AWR’s mission is to teach children about museums.  At the end of each session, students are tasked with making labels and helping me to display their artwork for an art show, in which parents were invited and students described their work.  Remaining works were placed in their portfolio, which they make the first day of class.  By doing all of this they gain an understanding of a museum’s purpose and how to properly care for, and respect art.

#7

Wiggle Worms

I found this great little rhyme on the Preschool Express website to do before lessons.  It gets everyone’s wiggles out and prepares them to sit quietly for their lesson.  The Wiggle Worms is a hit with the 3-5 year-old crowd, 6 and up are a little dubious….

#6

Art Detective Badges

Before I launched AWR, I had a friend design some badges mostly as a means for me to remember the names of my students.  Students earn their badges after our first class when we discuss what a museum is and practice looking at a painting.  In the museum, I pass them out at the beginning of each class  while reminding them that good detectives always use their museum manners.  In the classroom, decorating the badges is the introductory activity allowing time for students to arrive.    It works on so many levels!

#5

Islamic Calligraphy and Faux Gold Leaf

I do a whole lesson on art from the Islamic world and I struggled because I wanted a project that captured the essence of the art, but didn’t crossover into religious territory.  I was thrilled when I found the Arabic alphabet on-line through Stanford University.  I now have students practice making one of the letters and then lay down glue in the form of the letter.  Once the glue is down, they are able to sprinkle blue and gold glitter, as well as faux gold leaf to mimic the gold and lapis lazuli commonly found in copies of the Koran.  I also found a great site where you can print up some of the geometric shapes also commonly used in the decoration of a Koran.  In this way, they are learning about the formal elements of the Koran and they love the gold leaf!!!!

#4

Jesús Rafeal Soto

This Venezuelan artist is featured at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden whose works often use repeated patterns of simple geometric forms to suggest movement.  His works  illustrate how artists use lines, shapes and patterns to bring an artwork to life and engage the viewer.  During my last visit, I learned that  the Hirshhorn took down Eight Silver, but you can go to his website to experience his works.

#3

Genre and the Time Machine

How do I make genre painting appeal to my young students?  We travel back in time on our time machine to meet Sam and learn a little about his life.  Through three paintings, Eastman Johnson’s The Brown Family, On Their Way to Camp and The Early Scholar , we meet Sam and/or his relatives and talk about these brief moments in Sam’s life and how they are similar to and different from the lives of children today.  For a follow-up activity, we draw pictures of dinnertime at our houses.  It never fails that they always remember Sam and our ride on the time machine!

#2

Pollock, Matisse and Brushstroke

Even in the galleries (we use paintbrushes and swatches of color construction paper to represent the paint), I am able to show students examples of brushstroke.  Matisse’s Open Window, Collioure is especially accessible to a young artist who can easily replicate his dots and short strokes.  And of course, Pollock’s innovative approach to painting where he often dripped, poured and splashed is especially appealing to children.  While it can be messy, practicing Pollock’s methods is an exercise in creativity!

#1

Giacomo Balla’s Sculptural Construction of Noise and Speed

Giacomo Balla’s Sculptural Construction of Noise and Speed is another work that I use in my lesson on lines and shapes. It is, as the title suggests, a fluid visualization  of noise and speed.  At first, I asked the students to associate certain words with the piece, like; fast, slow, quiet, loud, but that didn’t seem to work with this age group.  That is when I began asking them to use their bodies to recreate the lines depicted and we talked about how the movement felt.  I also have them move their arms out to represent a loud sound and in to represent a soft sound. The in and out movement of their bodies corresponds to the undulation in the piece and upholds the relationship to sound.

I hope you have enjoyed my best teaching moments, can’t wait for next year!

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Posted in Art in the Classroom, Uncategorized, Visiting Museums With Kids | No Comments »

Reflections: Early Childhood Art Experiences with Scientist, Erin Vogel

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

I am so happy to have had the opportunity to speak with friend and fellow mom, Erin Vogel (her daughter is three).  Dr. Vogel is currently a research scientist at the Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology at The George Washington University.  Sadly (for me, at least), she is leaving the D.C. area to take a position as an assistant professor at Rutgers University.

AWR:
What is your earliest memory and what is your most significant memory of a museum or work of art?
Dr. Vogel:
When I was young, my uncle made candles, really beautiful, intricate candles. I used  to love watching them all burn at night and all of the colors he used and patterns.

AWR:
Were you encouraged to make art at home as a child?
Dr. Vogel:
Yes, I was. We did a lot of arts and crafts as children in my house: drawing, painting, and clay. I took my first pottery class at the YMCA when I was probably 4 or 5.

AWR:
Did you visit art museums with your family?
Dr. Vogel:
Yes, we lived outside of NYC and went to museums quite often. I remember enjoying it but not nearly as much as my sister, I was at times bored when I was younger.

AWR:
Did you visit art museums with your schools?  If so, do you recall whether your teachers used the field trips to create a meaningful learning experience?
Dr. Vogel:
I do not remember if we went to art museums with our school but I do not think we did.

AWR:
How have these experiences shaped your interest in the visual arts as an adult?
Dr. Vogel:
I admit I am not the most artistic person in the world, but I did a lot of pottery in college and really loved working on the wheel. I also like to paint, although I am not very good at it in the traditional sense. I find museums peaceful and enjoy going to museums to look at exhibits and I also like learning about different styles and artist. My sister is an amazing artist and I have always loved to go to museums with her so she can give me the history of the different paintings. I would say my early experiences with art and museums at least gave me an appreciation for art.

AWR:
Do you wish you had more exposure to the visual arts as a child and if so, why?
Dr. Vogel:
Not really, my parents did a good job introducing us to art, music, etc. Even in all of the schools I went to we always had art class. I find it depressing that so many schools are cutting art programs from the curriculum; I think art really helps kids express themselves.

AWR:
Were there other artistic disciplines, i.e. music or theater,that interested you as a child? If so, please share one memorable childhood moment related to that discipline.
Dr. Vogel:
We went to Broadway musicals a lot growing up. I loved going to plays in the city, and the musicals where the best. We would always buy the album and sing to it over and over. My most memorable Broadway show’s were Annie and Peter Pan, and I knew both albums by heart!

AWR:
Do you think the arts improved your educational experience?  (i.e. did you ever feel as a child that the arts helped you understand your lessons better?
Dr. Vogel:
Definitely, having art in my educational background, even at just the class level, allowed me to use my mind in different ways during the day, which is very important.

AWR:
Did you ever feel that art was an creative outlet, something that broke the monotony of the classroom?)
Dr. Vogel:
Certainly, having art allowed us not to really have to listen completed to just words coming out of a teacher’s mouth but allowed us as students to express ourselves.

AWR:
Do you think that art education (visual and otherwise) is important in creating a competent work force that can compete in a global economy?
Dr. Vogel:
I do. Art is part of education. I am always embarrassed about how little I know about art history compared to my international colleagues. Even as a biologist, my colleagues in graduate school knew so much about art history, making them well rounded and not just focused on science. I think having a good knowledge of history and art would certainly make people worldlier and hence more competitive in a global economy.

My daugther's drawing of the orangutans

AWR:
It never fails; I always unearth something that I hadn’t thought about with these interviews.  Dr. Vogel’s remarks about her European colleagues having a better understanding of art and art history really struck a chord with me.  It reminds me of a piece I heard some time back on NPR about French preschools.  The gist was that there were state funded preschools where children were provided with a safe, nurturing environment that introduced them to new experiences, thus forming a foundation for a well-rounded adult.  It goes back to the idea of holistic education and makes me think that scientists would only get better if they had more art and artists would only get better if they had more science. It’s all too often an either/or situation.

I couldn’t help but include the photo, above, my daughter drew after a visit to the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum when we went to see the movie,  Born to be Wild.  Part of the movie featured orphaned orangutans and provided information about their habitat and lifestyle.  In the picture, she synthesizes that information and visually records the orangutan, it’s environment, diet and movement.  She was extremely proud of the picture and kept it safely away from her little sister for over three weeks until she presented it to Ms. Erin (a.k.a Dr. Vogel).  Her drawing is less an expression  of her own imagination and more an opportunity to present new information that she had learned and about which she was clearly excited.  As a parent, I was thrilled to see her combine two of her interests so seamlessly.

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Family Summer Fun at the Museums

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

Family Summer Fun at the Museums

While by no means a complete list of museum-related family events in the DC area, this should give you a feel for what is happening.  I hope you can pencil in one or two of these events and take advantage of what our city’s museums have to offer.

National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art offers some of the most robust programming for children in the DC metro area.  You should by all means take advantage of their unique offerings, but keep in mind that they are popular and you might want to arrive early to secure a spot.
Stories in Art: Summer Story Series: Discover Dutch Art
Ages 4-7
July 10 – August 9 (see website for specific dates and times)
Free
Sign-in – West Building Rotunda, 10am on weekdays and 11am on Sundays
A series of four 60-minute programs featuring Dutch art.  Each session includes a story, discussion of one artwork and a hands-on activity.

Artful Conversations Summer Series
Ages 8-11
Free
July 17- August 10 (see website for specific dates and times)
Sign-in – West Building Rotunda 12pm on Wednesdays, 12:30pm on Sundays
A series of four programs that designed specifically for children to work together with an adult.  Each class asks students to closely observe one work of art and a then create a  drawing inspired by it.

Children’s Films @ NGA
Sweet Tweets
Ages 4 and up
Free
July 16 and 20, 10:30am and July 17, 11:30am
Azur and Asmar
Ages 6 and up
Free
August 6 and 10, 10:30am and July 7, 11:30am

National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery shares a space with the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum in the heart of the 7th Street corridor. The Gallery’s collection is a great opportunity for children to learn about art and history by meeting pivotal figures in the American history.  If you haven’t yet, you must visit the famous “Lansdowne” portrait of George Washington.  That, in and of itself, is worth the visit and the NPG has a great website dedicated to the painting where you can find good information and fun games for the kids.

The museum is also hosting the exhibition, Calder’s Portraits, A New Language.  Calder’s wire shaped portraits will no doubt captivate your little ones and encourage them to think creatively.  Calder’s works are also located at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (on the third level) and the National Gallery of Art, East Building.  If you have the time, plan to make a few visits downtown to see a range of his work.

Portrait Discovery Kit Activity
Ages 5 and up
Free
Repeats most Saturdays and Sundays in June from 1-4pm and most Sundays in July from 2-5pm
If you are looking something more structured to do at the Portrait Gallery, they are offering a self-guided, interactive “discovery kit” that families can borrow from the education center.  This is a nice way to explore the museum as a family unit.

Nationals Baseball Family Day
All-ages
Free
Saturday, July 9
The fifth annual baseball family day features activities, crafts and musical performances.  Washington Nationals players will be available for pictures from 12-1pm.  Presented in conjunction with the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Washington Nationals Baseball Club.

Smithsonian American Art Museum

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is one of my favorites in terms of its family offerings and it doesn’t disappoint this summer.  The Great American Hall of Wonders, opening July 15, celebrates the nineteenth-century belief that Americans, as a whole, were gifted innovators. The exhibition includes paintings from renowned American painters as well as sculptures, prints, survey photographs, zoological and botanical illustrations, patent models and engineering diagrams.  In other words, there is something for everyone.

Art-stronaut Family Day
All Ages
Free
August 13 11:30am-3pm
This family day features American innovations in science and technology from the exhibition, The Great American Hall of Wonders.  There will be experiments, art activities, a scavenger hunt and a chance to meet a NASA astronaut.

PHEON
June 12, July 16 and August 14 2:30-6pm
Do you have some tech savvy kids on your hands? This multimedia scavenger hunt is staged in the Museums’ Luce Foundation Center, which houses thirty-five hundred paintings, sculptures, miniatures and craft and folk pieces.

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

The Smithsonian’s National of Museum of Asian art is housed in two connecting buildings just behind the Smithsonian Castle.  Located on the 1st level of the Sackler is the beautiful and serene, Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan, on view now until July 31.  It is worth seeing not only for the sixth-century Chinese Buddhist sculpture, but for its video installation that recreates one of the stone temples.  This small exhibition will offer an easy space for you to navigate with your family and the kids are certain to enjoy the video installation.  For my children, the the monumental hands of the Buddha were probably the most interesting feature.  Besides being able to enjoy the accompanying family programs, listed below, you may also want to take peak at the Museum’s on-line guide, The Art of Buddhism: A Teacher’s Guide .  This guide offers easily understandable information about Buddhism, the visual image of the Buddha, as well as the meaning of several mudras or hand gestures found in Buddhist art, information which is easily applied to this exhibition

ImaginAsia: Echoes of the Past
Ages 8-14 with adult companion
Free
June 18, 19 and 25 and July 26, 2pm
ImaginAsia, the Freer and Sackler’s signature family program, offers a child-friendly guide featuring the Echoes of the Past exhibition and other Buddhist art.  Then families head over to the classroom where they piece together fragments of sculptures and wall reliefs becoming expert archaeologists and restorers.

ImaginAsia: Shanghai Kunju Troupe
All ages with adult companion
Free
June 21 and 22, 2pm
While not related to the Echoes of the Past exhibition, children are sure to enjoy this up close at Chinese opera, its costumes and staging.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is also offering free admission this summer as well as some great family programs.  Beginning June 18, they are showcasing the work of Chris Martin (originally from D.C.) in a three-part exhibition.  His works are large, colorful and dynamic and will undoubtedly appeal to a child’s aesthetic.  While you are there to see the Martin’s work take advantage of some these great family programs:

Edible Color Wheel
Ages 4-12
Free, no pre-registration
July 9, 10:30am-2pm
August 6, 10:30am-2pm
Prepare to get a little messy when your kids get their hands on icing and explore primary and secondary colors.

Painting: It’s Personal
Ages 8-12
$8-$10, Registration Required
July 16, 10:30am
Tour NOW: Chris Martin and create your own painting that incorporates found objects and personal mementos.


Light, Color and Paint, Oh My!
Ages 5-7
$8-$10, Pre-registration is required
August 20, 10:30am-12pm
Tour the Washington Color and Light exhibition and create your own masterpiece using the painting techniques highlighted in the exhibition.

**For the most accurate and current information, please check directly with the museum’s website.

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The Importance of Art in My Kindergarten Classroom {Guest Post by Megan Smith}

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Being a kindergarten teacher, I have found art to be one of the most important and influential resources I use within my classroom. I use art within my instruction across all subject areas. In addition, I use art in my classroom to allow students to express their feelings in a variety of ways and to give students time to have fun and use their imagination. I find it upsetting to see the usage of art within elementary classrooms decreasing every year due to the strict curriculum teachers are required to follow. Teachers feel there is “no time” to include art in daily instruction because of needs and benchmarks that are to be met in other subjects. I have made it my goal as an early childhood educator to expose my students to art in every aspect of my teaching in order for them to grow as creative learners.

Being that children are exposed to a much more vigorous curriculum than in the past, the demands for student success have increased greatly and have left teachers with the feeling of “not enough time”. I have heard many co-workers complain of the small amount of time allotted for students to actually have fun in school. I have a different perspective, however, and choose to integrate art within every subject to make instruction more interesting and fun. After all, studies show that exposure to the arts promotes activity in the brain, as well as engages students.

There are many benefits to using art within the kindergarten classroom. In the beginning of the year, many kindergartners are in the pre-writing or developmental levels of writing and they are unable to express their feelings clearly through writing alone. By allowing students to draw their ideas , I am not only differentiating instruction but providing students with a variety of options to express their emotions and be creative. In addition, many children are visual learners and using art within my teaching practices will allow children to better understand material. Art stimulates both sides of the brain and promotes learning.

I believe it is important to not only expose students to art in the classroom, but to integrate art throughout all subject areas. When art is integrated with the other subjects in the curriculum, students are more engaged in the learning process, which helps children understand other subjects much more clearly. In addition to integrating art within all subject areas, I also have a separate art center for students to go to during their learning centers time. Our classroom art center is a place where  students are able to use their imagination and express their emotions while experiencing a large variety of art supplies.

Overall, I find art to be one of the most influential and important resources I use within my classroom. Allowing students to express themselves through art is an engaging and stimulating way for them to show their understanding of material, it is a way to stimulate their brains, and it helps students develop hand and eye coordination. Additionally, art promotes self-esteem with many of my students. Students are always proud of their work and they enjoy sharing and reflecting on their work. Asking open-ended questions about their work allows students to use oral language to describe their work as well as feel a sense of accomplishment for their creation. Without art in the classroom, children are missing out on being able to demonstrate their creativity and imagination.

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Reflections: Early Childhood Art Experiences with Curator Lee Glazer

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

This is the third in a series of interviews featuring members of the DC community.  These conversations will provide a personal perspective on art and childhood.  It will illuminate the unique and important role art has in shaping our memories and cultivating our interests.  This interview features Lee Glazer, Curator of American Art at the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Art Within Reach {AWR}
What is your earliest memory of a museum or work of art?
Dr. Glazer
The Adoration of the Magi by Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi at the NGA (National Gallery of Art). My grandparents lived on Capitol Hill, and my grandfather, an attorney by training, became a freelance tour guide after his retirement. He would drive us down to the “Mellon Building,” as he called the NGA, and wait outside in his car while my mother and I looked around the museum. Typically, he would sell his parking space to anyone willing to pay, and then we would find him double-parked out front.

AWR:
Were museum visits and/or exposure to art an important part of your upbringing?
Dr. Glazer:
Yes, but not in a formal or organized way. It was just something that we did occasionally, not a big deal or made to be boringly educational.

AWR:
In other words, did you visit museums a lot as a child?  Did you make a lot of art at home?  Were you exposed to art/museum experiences at school?
Dr. Glazer:
Not a lot of art-making at my well-funded public schools. Most of the art budget must have been reserved for music, because there was a dedicated music teacher, but never an art teacher until junior high.

AWR:
How do you feel your childhood experiences with art and museums impacted your decision to become a curator?  How have these experiences helped in different aspects of your career?
Dr. Glazer:
Although the memory of that painting is vivid, I wouldn’t say that it influenced my career path. That happened in college, as the result of my first art history survey.

AWR:
Do think exposure to art and museums at an early age can have a lasting impact on children and if so, how?
Dr. Glazer:
Exposure to art and museums is important – but I wouldn’t necessarily link it up to future career paths. It’s part of understanding a common cultural heritage and therefore deeply humanizing; it’s fun; it’s great to see that art is valued by society and over the course of time – that it is in big, beautiful buildings and carefully tended. Art-making is also important – for somewhat different reasons, I think. It’s just satisfying to make things, and more satisfying if you have a certain level of mastery with materials, the possible modes of expression. Visiting museums can help expand kids’ horizons in terms of what kinds of artistic languages are possible. My own kids have taken a couple of drawing and painting classes outside of school, and the best teachers do always bring in reproductions of works that they’ve gathered from museum collections – as sources of inspiration, etc.

AWR:
Like Dr. Glazer, my career choices were influenced by people and events that occurred during high school and college.  She makes a point of more casual and informal encounters with art in her youth, which is extremely valuable.  The more teaching I do with young students in the museum environment, the more I understand the importance not making it, as Dr. Glazer puts it, ”a big deal or made to be boringly educational.”

In fact, it is a mistake to make children’s early experiences too structured (with one caveat, early childhood classes must include routine and consistency so kids know what to expect and what is expected of them).  The class framework needs to be constructed in a fun and appealing way, lots of high fives and making sure our “looking eyes” and “listening ears” are properly in place.  Once that is done, I like to listen and respond to individual observations.  The children often take a conversation somewhere other than where I intended and I try to avoid forcing them back on point.  The lesson objectives ultimately take second place to their engagement in the artwork.  After all, I don’t want them to see the museum as a stuffy place where there are rigid rules, rather a place with infinite possibilities.

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Art beyond Western Traditions {Guest Post by Elizabeth Benskin}

Friday, February 25th, 2011

Elizabeth Benskin, Educator for School and Teacher Programs
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Smithsonian Institution

Exploring art with little ones can be a joyful learning opportunity for child and parent. And exploring art beyond western traditions is an excellent way to develop your child’s visual and cultural literacy, connecting them to examples of artistic expression from around the world. However, as a museum educator at a museum of Asian and American art, I often find that I’m called upon to help people get past their fear of engaging with art from unfamiliar cultures and traditions.
There are a number of ways to make the exploration of art beyond the west into a meaningful adventure rather than an alienating and confusing experience. Here are my recommendations:
1) As a parent, know—and share with your child—that art crosses all cultures. Art is the way humans across time and geography have expressed important ideas through visual media. Different individuals and groups in different cultures have found a variety of ways to express themselves visually. Keeping the focus on the universality of art as a form of communication and expression helps bridge the distance between you and your child and the artist, and helps avoid stereotyping other cultures. There is incalculable diversity in art from every region in the world so while it’s perfectly valid to focus on patterns of common characteristics, don’t let this become a definition for a people and their art.
2) Keep in mind when collections are historic. I know that very young children have little to no “time sense”—that is, they can’t distinguish between 25 years ago and 250 years ago in a meaningful way. But as the parent, keep historic time in mind as you talk about art with your little ones. Imagine how absurd it would be if someone were to look at a painting of Benjamin Franklin and tell their children that his outfit reflects what men in the United States wear on a daily basis! Don’t fall into this trap with art from other cultures—your little one may not understand now, but if you lay the groundwork, they will begin to see that each artwork has its own unique historical and cultural context.
3) Utilize the many free online resources available to you to familiarize yourself with important information about art from non-western cultures. I’d be remiss if I didn’t recommend the rich online resources of Freer|Sackler where you can:
a. Get overviews of the collections, browse the collections, and get detailed information on specific objects.
b. Explore online exhibitions and resources for educators.
I also highly recommend the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History available on the website of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
These are only two examples, but there are numerous other online resources at museums that offer excellent ways to learn more about non-western art.
4) Be especially sensitive about art from living religious traditions. The Guidelines for Talking about Religious Art from the Ackland Art Museum
is an excellent guide on how to effectively engage with religious art without causing offense to anyone of that tradition. If the way you are talking about or engaging activities around a religious object would feel inappropriate with a religious object from your own or your family’s faith tradition, those approaches would not be appropriate for a work of art from any faith tradition. Don’t get me wrong—there’s an immense amount to learn about religious art from all cultures. Just keep in mind that for some viewers that art represents or embodies sacred elements of their traditions.
5) Use good quality children’s literature. Below are two of my favorite books related to Chinese art and culture and Japanese art and culture respectively:
a. Ruby’s Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, illustrated by Sophie Blackall: Chinese calligraphy is at the heart of this touching book based on the life of the author’s grandmother. Ruby studies diligently, despite her fear that she will never go on to higher education because she is female. In the end, her grandfather, the patriarch of the family, helps her fulfill her dream.
b. Yoshi’s Feast by Kimiko Kajikawa, illustrated by Yumi Heo: A lively and funny adaptation of the folktale “Smells and Jingles.” Yoshi lives next door to Sabu who grills eels, but rather than purchasing the eels, Yoshi just smells them for enjoyment. Sabu feels cheated that his neighbor does not purchase his grilled eels and a conflict ensues. In the end, the two find a creative way of cooperating. Includes beautiful illustrations and images of Japanese ceramics and folding screens.

I hope this has inspired you to dig in to the many opportunities to learn about art beyond western traditions, and the art of Asia in particular. Believe me, the journey is wonderful—I’ve been at it for over 16 years and look forward to many, many more!

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Reflections: Early Childhood Art Experiences with Curator Debra Diamond

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

This series will feature interviews with professionals examining their early childhood arts experiences,  providing a personal perspective on art and childhood. They will illuminate the unique and important role art has in shaping our memories and cultivating our interests. I begin the series with a friend and former colleague, Debra Diamond, associate curator of South and Southeast Asian art at the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Art Within Reach {AWR}:
What is your earliest memory of a museum or work of art?
Debra Diamond {DD}:
My first memory might be the color wheel in an education classroom in the Metropolitan [Museum of Art]. It had a million colors, way more than the number of Crayola crayons in my beloved deluxe box, and I could spin it.
Another exciting visit was to MOMA [Museum of Modern Art] to see a Claesz Oldenburg exhibition. He’s a pop artist. I was amazed and excited to see a hamburger (and other familiar objects) that were as tall as I was. It was so funny! Plus, I got the idea that the things around me could be transformed into art.

AWR:
Were museum visits and/or exposure to art an important part of your upbringing?
DD:
Yes. We went pretty often [to museums] with my mom.

AWR:
Did you make a lot of art at home?
DD:
Yes. My mom had a huge box filled with art supplies, like glitter, buttons, old Christmas cards (for gold paper) and wallpaper samples and things we could use in collages. She’d let me work at the kitchen table while she cooked.

AWR:
Were you exposed to art/ museum experiences at school?
DD:
We always had art classes. These were my favorite classes, probably because I had good hand skills and I knew how to work at them and improve them [art projects]. My favorite teacher let me do my own projects, rather than follow (what I thought were too confining) assignments (such as draw a turtle or an Easter bunny) that she gave to the other children. That said, art was about making stuff and not about seeing art; the school system took kids to natural history and science museums.

AWR:
How do you feel your childhood experiences with art and museums impacted your decision to become a curator?
DD:
Art museums were places of fun and wonder — and I got time alone with my mother or grandmother. I got to dress up and feel grown up.

AWR:
How have these experiences helped in different aspects of your career?
DD:
When I went to college in NYC, I began going to museums on Friday and Saturday nights (when it was free and you could get a drink and hang out with friends) so I have seen a lot of art. I think that helps me as an art historian, I have a very broad base of art and total comfort walking around museums. And, drawing in museums always helped me focus my attention.

AWR:
Do you think exposure to art and museums at an early age can have a lasting impact on children and if so, how?
DD:
[Yes.] Thinking about the past, thinking about how people turn ideas into objects, having a place to quietly focus and practice mindfulness, having objects that initiate conversations with others about ideas, taking a break from mundane spaces (like malls) and mind-numbing practices (like TV for my generation), getting to spend time thinking with a parent.

I think the best experiences for kids in art museums include an art-making project because they get to use their new knowledge or insights right away. And they make a take-away, which helps them remember the experience. I didn’t get a chance to do this when I was a child though, I started going to these when I was in my 20s (with nieces and nephews). I like making the works with them, and I remember all those visits!

AWR:
Dr. Diamond touches on several significant themes in her interview especially; art-making activities, field trips and the contemplative nature of museums.  Art-making activities surely enhance the museum experience for all ages .  They help form a well-rounded experience that  engages multiple types of learners and create a lasting, tangible experience.  Dr. Diamond’s reference to field trips was particularly interesting because I too, mostly went to natural history or science museums on field trips. Of course, museum experiences of this type are extremely important. I began to wonder whether many others had a similar experience and if so, why. Do teachers feel more comfortable at these institutions or perhaps it is just that  dinosaurs or outer space appeal to most (not all) children more than art?  Maybe the art museum isn’t the kid-friendly place that some of us would like it to be?  Either way, it feels like the art museum sometimes gets left behind.

Finally, Dr. Diamond’s mention of the contemplative nature of art and museums reminded me of  a previous blog, Art, the Digital Age and Kids. The art museum offers a respite for our hectic lives, which can be particularly important to families these days.  Our children are often over-scheduled and stressed.  Even if you manage to set limits on extra-curricular activities, there are still a lot of demands placed on your family’s time.  The museum offers a calming and creative outlet and more importantly, as is so evident from this interview, a chance to be with family. Art and art-making was clearly a special activity that Dr. Diamond shared with her family, both as a child and an adult. I appreciate her sharing her memories. While I was teaching this weekend at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, I saw families all around me enjoying the museum and enjoying each other. The next time I am at the museum with my girls, I’ll be reminded that it is not just about the art, but about the time I am spending with them.

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Art & Play

Monday, November 29th, 2010

My daughter's self-portrait

After my first round of art classes at a local preschool, I thought that I could make some adjustments to the structure of my class.  So I’ve begun reading more on early childhood education practices.

During my readings, I came across a description of good play that I found very interesting.  It reads:

In play, children make choices, solve problems, converse, and negotiate….As they play, children are able to express and work out emotional aspects of everyday experiences and events they find disturbing. Through playing together and taking on different roles, children also grow in their ability to see something from another person’s point of view and to engage in leading and following behaviors—both of which they will need to get along well as adults. (Copple, Carol and Sue Bredekamp.  Basics of Developmentally Appropriate Practice: An Introduction for Teachers of Children 3 to 6.  Washington, DC: NAEYC, 2006. p. 20)

A million bells went off in my head when I read this—children receive the same benefits from looking at and making art.  So, if one is advocating for play in early childhood settings, one should also advocate for the arts.

It is probably clear how kids make choices, solve problems, and express themselves when making art, but it might be less clear how they would do so when looking at or appreciating art. This is where one’s style of teaching comes in.  For me, there is some structure to my lessons.  I have objectives and build each experience around a theme, but I also integrate time for “free-looking.”  This is a time when children are open to look and discuss a work of art.  Using either an inquiry-based method or Visual Thinking Strategies, I pose open-ended questions, point out their answers and keep my comments neutral. Engaging children in such a manner allows them to look at a work of art and try to discern what is going on and why.

It is the why that is important.  Children look at a work of art and they can easily say what they see, but peal back that next layer and ask them why?  Why does he look happy?  Why do you think she is sitting by herself? Or What makes you think they are eating dinner? What makes you think it is morning?   They are making choices and problem-solving.

While preparing for a lesson on color, I had my daughter look at Gauguin’s and Van Gogh’s self-portraits.  I asked her how she thought Gauguin felt in his painting.  She answered that, “He was excited to play in an instrument show.”  I then asked her why she felt that Gauguin was excited.  She answered: “He is making the sounds of the instruments with his voice with the blue vines.”  Here I had been looking primarily at the orange and yellow in the Gauguin portrait and what she noticed was the blue vines and further associated them with sound.  (Interestingly, when I later asked her to draw her own self-portrait she portrayed a very sad version of herself, standing in the rain.).

In this example, we can see how she looked at something and created her own narrative, much like play.  I happen to know that she and her father were talking about instruments the previous day.  So, not only is she creating the narrative, but she is also making meaning about things that are relevant to her (i.e. talking about instruments with daddy).  Later, when drawing her own self-portrait she expresses sadness in a way that is similar to Van Gogh’s painting, but again on her own terms.  Again, the similarities to play are resounding!

With this example, it was just my daughter and I, but usually there is a group discussion in the classroom or museum.  This is the part where children listen and take on different roles.  When looking at Cézanne’s Boy in a Red Waistcoat, one child said, “I think he is wearing a sword” and another who had not previously mentioned the sword agreed, “Yes, he is wearing a sword and he is not allowed to and he is going to jail.”  In this manner, the children worked together to give meaning to the image, but it can also work the other way when a child disputes another’s interpretation.  As long as the teacher has guidelines for listening and respecting everyone’s observations, this back and forth builds a child’s ability to respectfully argue his opinion and his ability to listen to others and take their thoughts into account.

When confronted with a work of art, children make meaning of it by using their imagination as well as building on their everyday experiences.  By asking simple questions, children begin to look deeper into a work of art and use their problem-solving skills to give meaning to an image.  This experience is very similar to the one of play as they try to make sense of their world and the people in it and negotiate with their peers within the play structure.

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Art & Early Childhood Education

Sunday, October 17th, 2010

With word that President Obama plans to reform the Head Start program, it puts the spotlight again on early childhood education.  It is becoming increasingly clear that investing in your child’s early years can have lasting benefits for them and the greater community.  According to Julia Isaac of the Brookings Institution “Children who participate in effectively designed preschool programs achieve more in elementary school, are less likely to be held back a grade or to need special education, and are more likely to graduate from high school.”

I would argue that art education is a key component in any preschool program.  The experience of making art supports the development of motor skills; holding a brush, cutting paper, etc.  The act of art making helps children of this age find a way to express themselves and their feelings.

Art appreciation and art history can also take on an important role in the early childhood curriculum.  I regularly ask my students to find their favorite work of art and tell me why.  Such an exercise requires them to observe and share their observations.  It feels safe because they are expressing their own opinion.  Learning to speak, especially within a group of peers can give them confidence.

Looking at art with young children can also expose them to a variety of cultures.  Learning about cultures and seeing cultural objects firsthand teach children to respect and appreciate the beauty of our differences.   Children will not only learn unique features of a culture, but they are also able to embrace the universality of art and its importance to humankind.  Being exposed to such a world view can promote tolerance and understanding.

Arts integration is another key ingredient in early childhood education.  You can’t lecture to young children.  I know exactly when I have hit the 30-minute mark in a lesson; the kids get squirmy and are ready for the next thing.  Using art to teach math, science, history or social studies can help break-up the monotony of a lesson and has the added benefit of teaching two things at once.  For example, during my lesson on portraiture, students not only identify elements of a portrait, but they are also introduced to the concept of the presidency and George Washington.  Looking at a portrait and finding clues about George Washington is a lot more fun than just being told that Washington was our first president.  It leaves a lasting impression!

These are just a few examples of how art can benefit our youngest learners.  The possibilities are endless and I will likely elaborate in future blogs.

Much of the conversation surrounding early childhood education centers on children who come from disadvantaged families.  This is so important.  While working at the Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler Galleries, I co-managed a multiple-visit program with DCPS.  Many of these children had never been to the Mall or its museums.  I found it disheartening that they never had the opportunity to experience the treasures that reside in their own backyard.  At the moment, Art Within Reach’s scope is limited, but as I look to the future I hope that we can begin to reach out to communities of all socioeconomic backgrounds.  Ultimately, I would like to see Art Within Reach provide a  foundation that supports the aforementioned skills, foster a love for the arts and support for cultural institutions in their community.

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