Wow!” “That’s so cool!” “Can I do another one?” These are some of the comments I frequently hear when paper marbling with my middleschool students. It’s a fun ...
Drawing on a cylindrical curved surface such as a paper cup has endless possibilities and creative results. Drawing on a 3D surface has its unique challenges and students learn, improve, and grow from ...
I always look for strange and unusual art to share with my middle-school students—they love all that is peculiar. For this lesson, I shared designs by Fred Butler, a London-based designer who cr ...
Middle school is an uncertain place. Our students are moving through significant physical, emotional, and social changes that leave them trying to figure out who they are and how they want to be. Empa ...
Right outside the windows of my artroom is the sculpture Visual Dialogue (1982) by Lynda Rockwood. In Washington State, public art is supported by the state arts commission by a policy to foster cultu ...
There is a Lakota proverb that states, “When man moves away from nature, his heart becomes hard.” That said, the more we are drawn to nature, the more our sense of wonder flourishes. When ...
You’ll love what’s in store for you this year in the Fall Catalog! We are introducing some of our most innovative titles and offerings. The new 2019–2020 Catalog is packed with excit ...
I collaborated with my student Sarah Oschmann, who wrote most of this article. This lesson, inspired by artist Joseph Cornell, is rooted in the theme of mythology. Students were required to dive deep ...
How do our thoughts about the past or the future shape our present lives? How can our hopes and dreams cause us to reach toward our best selves? These were the questions I asked myself in designing th ...
As Pride Month celebrations wind down for the year, we acknowledge the importance of recognizing diversity and inclusion throughout the year. Pride is the celebration and simple joy of being your true ...
Throughout time and across cultures, humans have created stories about monsters and mythical creatures to help them cope with things they fear or can’t explain. This lesson focuses on the natura ...
As art teachers, sometimes it doesn't take much to inspire us. In my case, it took our school’s tech team leaving behind my classroom’s dismantled wireless router in a trash bin. After dig ...
Anxiety, stress, and uncertainty are all words we’ve heard used when the topic of grant writing comes up. We get it! Grant writing can be a long, hard, and confusing process. ...
Monday, April 1, 2019 | Laura Lester and Christina Van Hamersveld
Christina Van Hamersveld and I teach at an arts and technology magnet school in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. Our middle-school program aims to attract students with exceptional creative thinking and raw ...
