Growing Day by Day at the MFA - the details!

A little delayed- but as promised I am posting the details of and final product photos of my

  Growing Day By Day workshop at the MFA, Boston from two weeks ago 

based on Ellsworth Kelly and Louise Nevelson.

Visitors at the MFA had the opportunity to come in for a session to create a sculpture out of monochromatic materials to be added to the large rainbow collaborative-installation. Many people came to the museum because they had seen the progress on Facebook & Instagram and wanted to be a part of it!

This project literally worked for ALL ages. 

Because the parents/adults were there with the kids age 3-adult was engaged. 

The set up:

Notice in this above picture the platform that facilities made for us. 

We covered it in construction paper (we didn't have time to paint it) to signify where the colored sculptures would go. This was a huge help for both the first groups of artists so they could envision the plan

and for us who were installing them.

The 6 inch raise off the floor gave the installation a lifted feel and allowed us to attached fishing line to the edges of the platform- and slide tape, etc. underneath as we were installing.

There was a copper wire strung across from the two big beams. 

Then fishing line hung vertically and diagonally to the platform for attaching sculptures.

Each child got a "goody bag" with monochromatic materials. 

We also got a hold of these awesome bags in each color from U-line. 

The artists could use the bags as a material too!

Examples of what was in the bags:

6 x 8" posterboard

tissue paper

pipe cleaners

bottle caps

felt

fabric

raffia

strings/yarn

buttons

foam pieces

popsicle sticks

random recycle center objects

I hosted 5 sessions a day for 5 days. Each session had a color assigned so everyone was working with the same color. This really helped artists focus on the variations in color, tone, and hue as well as focus on the materials. It also helped clean up!! 

We only got ONE complaint about having no color choice the entire week!

In addition to focusing on texture and materials I heavily emphasized how a sculpture can be viewed

from different angles in my introduction so participants would take that into consideration rather than just working 2-dimensionally.

To accommodate the most people we surpassed tables and taped long paper to the floor. 

Each paper had scissors as well as elmers glue, glue sticks, and colored masking tape (also available through U-line or Dick Blick- U-line was cheaper!) for adhesives. There was a hot glue station to the side for adults. 

By the end of the week each color had 3 sessions of artists that had added to it.

On the last day we encouraged people to make standing sculptures for the floor in front of the wall or really long pieces we could weave through and dangle from the installation.

The sculptures were attached by masking tape and wire to the fishing lines or to each other. 

We hung them up at the end of each session. 

One challenge with using the plastic bags as a material was that most people wanted to blow them up and then make either a hot air balloon or a face out of it. The balloon-like sculptures were great for the first day and created a continuous rhythm through out the sculpture but then we really really emphasized other ways you could use it:

5 days, 25 sessions, 850 kids (plus about 1000 adults) later!

Major props to Nora, the family programs manager who advocated for us to do ticketed sessions instead of a constant free-for-all and who was amazingly organized and thorough in planning this with me!

And gigantic shout-outs to Cortney (Nora's intern) who sorted massive amounts of materials by color

and my awesome awesome assistant Lauren who really put her all in the entire week with me!

I also had fantastic help from the teen arts council interns and some of my sixth grade students. 

Thank you guys!

I couldn't be prouder of this!

Color - Positivity - Inspiration

I wanted to share some sources of inspiration I'm working with at the moment that you all might be interested in! All of these things promote hope, positivity, and celebrations for the world we live in and humanity, which I (and you might) really appreciate as we are being bombarded by never-ending negative campaign ads for still two more weeks.

First of all I finally looked through and read "Awesome Book of Thanks" by Dallas Clayton today.

It is pretty fantastic. I think I'm going to read it to everyone in the school next month and base a pre-thanksgiving lesson on it. The watercolor & drawn illustrations are great. (Mr. Masse at Zamorano I have a funny feeling you especially will dig them.)

Next-- I am lucky enough to have worked at the Institute for Contemporary Art, Boston for the past six years- there is a fantastic show there -Os Gemeos- who I have had my eye on for years. They are identical twins from Brazil who work together and are phenomenal examples of street art that is positive and FOR the public, I will elaborate on this in posts to come.

 

I went to an amazing gallery talk given by the curator of the show this past weekend and am taking my sixth graders on a field trip to see it in two weeks and I'm putting together a pre-visit powerpoint overfilled with info and context. I will share some of my insight with you as I get a little further along and collect my thoughts. BUT - just google their work for a second so you can get the colorful gist of it...

To go along with Os Gemeos- I came across Pikaland today and this really interesting post on a public artist in Detroit - the Heidelberg Project. Again, public art that is for promoting ART and positivity in the world.

 

Family Art Activities How-to (First Art Show Post 2) + more pics

I posted a few photos of the first grade name-tags that we made for 

our art work at our school art show the other day.

I wanted to explain how I ran the art activities for our Art Showcase and Activity Night though. 

I work at museums and have been hired at libraries and other public places to organize and facilitate drop-in activities for a range of ages and families. Needless to say I've squeaked out most of the kinks by now and know what works when it comes to planning, organizing, and facilitating.

My theme was Earth Day and recycling,

because we don't have a very large communal space yet I organized 

3 activities in 3 different classrooms:

1-Planting and Transforming medium size plastic containers (cream cheese, margarine, etc.- I also collected the empty 'wipes' containers from around the school and cut them in half) into planters.

I ordered colored masking tape and families ripped off and cut the colored tape to cover their plastic container. I had poked holes in the bottoms of the containers ahead of time. 

Then they got to plant a flowering plant and take it home! 

This was very popular. 

(I don't know why the masking tape has bad reviews on Dick Blick- I think it is a great product for decorating odd surfaces when you don't want to use glue or paint.)

 

 

(This is my amazingly patient and enthusiastic fiance helping!)

2-Newspaper Hats! ... so simple - and the easiest material to get a hold of-- the families had the BEST time in here and made amazing creations!

In addition to folding the hats most participants made things like paper feathers and flowers and other fun things to attach with glue stick or tape. 

again, SO simple and SO much fun!

 

3- Recycled Paper Garden-  A group project where I put all of our scraps and collected recycled papers out so participants could make things for the garden that we attached to large boards to create 3-d murals out of recycled materials. Most people made flowers and insects but there were some other fun things added as well. I am not quite finished putting this all together but have included a peak. 

I had a long table with all of the scraps/papers organized by color.

On the work tables there were plates of elmers glue with craft swabs, scissors, and pencils.

I also brought in some pipe cleaners and pom poms.

We attached with push pins and then I hot glued them the next day.

How do I go about doing this?

1. Think about the main idea and goal that you want the participants to get from the experience.

2. Do you want the product to be a take a way or a collaboration that remains?

3. What materials do the artists need- which materials do they all need and which ones will they make choices to use? Which materials do they need at the table at all times?

Which materials are the special ones and how do you get that across to the participants so that they are respectful of that?

4. How will participants be entering the room? All together or at different times? 

5. Do you need a place for art to dry? or for it to be stored until it is picked up on the way out?

What do I need to keep in mind?

Adults always sit down anyway even if the seats are for kids, kindly ask adults to give their seat to a child and they will most likely have no problem. 

Remind families to clean up after themselves and that many people are sharing the supplies and space. Most people do not clean up after themselves unless asked/reminded.

How many people do I need to help me? 

Depending on how participants are entering the room depends on how you want to communicate directions.

If everyone enters at the same time demos are great- but otherwise having a greeter to stop people as they enter and give an overview of the project. Have another person to monitor divvying out supplies and then a floater to help as they are working.

(**Think about it like a restaurant!) 

 Also- most likely you don't want to run your workers into the ground. 

Don't have your helpers who working with the public have to do all the set up too if they are volunteering. 

Some people want to help set up but then want to participate and not guide the public. So it all works out.

Don't underestimate your students!:

I had been working with a group of fifth graders after school for the few weeks prior to this event- they were amazing helpers the night out! They knew how to do all of the projects, were familiar with the materials, and were super confident. :)

What about supplies?

I have gone to Lowe's on behalf of three different organizations and have never had my donation request turned down. Not only that but all of the staff at all of the Lowe's that I have worked with filling these donations have been sooooo friendly and accommodating. 

This time I asked for a donation of wood boards or cork-board for the garden project, 

and soil, gloves, and flowers for planting.

(Home Depot also gives out $25 gift certificates.)

If I have learned anything from my years of working for non-profits it's to never be afraid to ask!! 

You never know who is ready and willing to help you out.

When you write a donation request letter be specific about the activity you are doing, the number of people and demographic you are serving, and what you need. Include a copy of the organization/school's tax i.d. information. 

Art truly brings people together. It is humbling and empowering all at the same time for most participants at a public program. Having activities for families to do together is a wonderful way to build community in your school and neighborhood!

A few more pictures! 

Magazine collage flowers made by groups of first graders:

Finished recycled quilt square collages: