Integrated Arts?

The Integrated Arts is a model designed to offer support, extension, and supplementary experiences in content areas through interdisciplinary arts activities. The Common Core Standards' emphasis on developing depth and rigor in thought and the ability to communicate relevant information with increasing skill provides the necessary impetus for this model. Content will be viewed through many lenses, allowing the entirety of relevant ideas to be processed and applied broadly and with added depth. Work with visual arts, music, drama, literature, writing, technology, and design will be incorporated and collaboration with classroom teachers will be ongoing. As Yeats wrote, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire". The Integrated Arts is an opportunity to light a very purposeful, very directed fire.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Consider and Design: a decorative touch






The beginnings of something beautiful are emerging.

These carefully crafted "zentangle" pumpkins are the first stage in a multi-layered project that is being constructed as a way of engaging several design principals. Students are asked to envision and execute curved lines that emerge out of oval shapes in representational manner while using ideas of balance in intricate design to achieve a pleasing, interesting result. The balance element has been particularly interesting to work through for students. How to craft and juxtapose hard and soft linework, proportions of positive versus negative space, and compositional balance across the whole of the piece have been discussed and processed. The technical patience and perseverance required is admirable and pays dividends with results.

After the pumpkins are completed there will be more design elements to discuss. A gently radiating orange-red tonal spectrum will frame the stark black-and-white pumpkin as a way to address the ideas of color tonality and the concept of color proximity generalization. Finally, tertiary color choices will frame the work with a simple, fitting word chosen to accompany. Think, "Thanks" or "grateful" on the more conventional end of possibilities.

I look forward to working with our your artists as this project draws towards completion and helping them understand and strategically use the art concepts we are working with. Return to this post at a later date to see finished pieces.

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