Favianna Rodriguez inspired Butterfly

Project Description: Students created a butterfly inspired by Favianna Rodriguez’s “migration is beautiful” printed butterfly and learned about the migration of monarch butterflies.

Concepts explored: Immigration, transformation, symmetry, warm and cool colors

Techniques used: Drawing, painting with glue, water color

Materials: 9”x12” paper, pencil, black glue, water color, water trays, brushes

Grades: K-5th grade

Resources used

The lesson modified the video tutorial. Instead of creating a butterfly print, students painted it with black glue and watercolors.

Jenie Gao inspired Community Art Project

Project Description: Students worked together to create a collaborative art piece for the school inspired by Jenie Gao’s murals in the Madison, WI community. They brainstormed on what it makes our community beautiful and painted their ideas on a roll of kraft paper.

Concepts explored: Community art, collaboration, team-work

Techniques used: Drawing, painting

Materials: Kraft butcher paper roll, tempera paint, acrylic paint markers, post-it notes

Grades: K-5th grade

5th graders had the opportunity to go on a field trip and visit one of Jenie Gao’s murals. Jenie Gao met them at the site and talked the students about her art process!

Resources used

Bisa Butler inspired Self-Portraits

Project Description: Students created proportional self-portraits using warm and cool colors inspired by Bisa Butler’s work.

Concepts explored: Warm and cool colors, proportion, self-portrait, identity

Techniques used: Drawing, coloring

Materials: 9”x12” paper, colored pencils, pencils

Grades: K-5th grade (modified for Kinder-1st grades)

4th-5th graders had the opportunity to listen to Bisa Butler speak live during a virtual presentation at the School of Human Ecology-UW Madison!

Resources used

Story Paper Quilt inspired by Faith Ringgold

Project Description: Students drew a personal story and used a variety of patterns to create a paper quilt inspired by Faith Ringgold.

Concepts explored: Pattern, civil rights

Techniques used: Glueing, cutting, drawing

Materials: Construction paper, glue sticks, thin tip sharpies, pencils, colored pencils

Grades: 2nd-5th grade

Resources used

Yayoi Kusama inspired Flowers

Project Description: Students learned how Yayoi Kusama uses repetition and form in her abstract paintings, then students created their own, teacher-directed, flower inspired by Kusama’s flower forms.

Concepts explored: Form, abstract, repetition, pattern, color

Techniques used: Tempera painting

Materials: Paper plate, tempera paints, water trays, stamp brushes, scissors, pencil

Grades: 1st-5th grade

Resources used