Community felt quilt inspired by the Quilts of Gee's Bend

Project Description: Each student created a felt quilt block inspired by the quilts of Gee’s Bend and the read-aloud of the book “Belle, the last mule at Gee’s Bend” by Calvin Alexander and Bettye Stroud. The middle school Fiber Arts class assembled the community quilt together by sewing each of the blocks by hand.

Concepts explored: Civil Rights, Martin Luther King, voting rights, quilt, balance (symmetry and asymmetry), color

Techniques used: Drawing, coloring, glueing, cutting, sewing

Materials: 4”x4” felt squares, colored pencils, scissors, tacky glue, needles, thread

Grades: 1st-8th grade

Resources used

Click on images to download worksheets

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

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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

Berthe Morisot inspired Flower Vases

Project Description: Students learned how Berthe Morisot used value in her impressionist paintings, then students created their own, teacher-directed, flower vase.

Concepts explored: Value (tints), impressionism

Techniques used: Tempera painting

Materials: 9”x12” paper, pencil, tempera paints, water trays, brushes

Grades: 2nd-5th grade

Resources used

Georgia O'Keefe inspired Landscapes

Project Description: Students learned how Georgia O’Keefe used space to create abstract landscapes and created their own, teacher-directed, mountain scene.

Concepts explored: Abstract, space, foreground, middle ground, background, value (shades)

Techniques used: Drawing and watercolor painting

Materials: 9”x12” paper, watercolor, pencil, crayons

Grades: 2nd-5th grade

Resources used

Van Gogh inspired "Starry Night" Homes

Project Description: Students learned about Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” painting and created their own modified version inspired by their home.

Concepts explored: Implied and impasto texure, repetition

Techniques used: Drawing and painting

Materials: 9”x12” paper, tempera paint

Grades: 2nd-5th grade

Resources used

Mondrian Abstract Designs

Project Description: Students were inspired by Mondrian’s use of shape and primary colors to create an abstract design.

Concepts explored: Abstract, shape, color

Techniques used: Cutting and glueing

Materials: Card stock paper in primary colors, scissors, glue sticks

Grades: Kinder-2nd grade

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Joan Miró inspired Surreal Stories

Project Description: K-5 students were inspired by Joan Miro’s visual language to create personal surreal stories with lines and shapes.

Concepts explored: Surrealism, shape, line, storytelling

Techniques used: Watercolor, glue painting, drawing

Materials: Watercolor, black glue, pencils, brushes, water trays, 9”x12” paper

Grades: Kinder-5th grade

Resources used

Keith Haring Inspired Art Journal

Project Description: K-5 students were inspired by Keith Haring’s work to create an art journal using his drawing style and used symbols to explore their identity.

Concepts explored: Identity, line

Techniques used: Drawing, book making

Materials: Pencils, markers, paper, stapler, washi tape, 8.5”x11” paper

Grades: Kinder-5th grade

Resources used