Rick Beck works in cast glass; his large-scale work ranges in scale from 15 inches to around 7 feet tall. His medium--glass--makes the scale of Beck's pieces very impressive. He is probably best-known for his oversized cast glass sculptures of common hardware: nuts, bolts, screws, measuring spoons, saws, eating utensils, eye hooks, wing nuts and…

Symmetry is one of the fundamental concepts in Geometry. It is a Mathematical concept, which can be very well connected with Art and Ethnography. The aim of the article is to show how to link the geometrical concept symmetry with interculturality. For this mosaics from different countries are used.

Introducing reclaimed materials into the art classroom provides students with unique opportunities to connect ordinary, discarded objects with unique, personal artistic creations. In an effort to better understand this connection, this article explores existing pedagogical precedents that support the role of the inclusion of reclaimed materials in…

In September 2007, Yale University Library (YUL) and Microsoft agreed to partner in a large-scale project to digitize 100,000 books from the YUL collections--an ambitious effort that would substantially increase the library's digitized holdings, particularly in the area of its own text collections. YUL has been digitizing materials from its…

This study examined how Texas community college artist-educators balance artistic productivity with their teaching responsibilities. The 98 survey respondents represented 76.6% of a stratified random sample of the full-time instructors in visual arts departments within the 50 Texas public community college districts. Access to studio space and…

In this article, the author describes a gourd art project for her art club. Prior to students actually working on the gourds, the author and her art volunteer did a joint demonstration on the process students would go through to create their project. The volunteer brought in and explained her gourd art and shared information about the drying and…

In an effort to provide an opportunity for her first graders to explore texture through an engaging subject, the author developed a three-part lesson that features fish in a mixed-media artwork: (1) Exploring Textured Paint; (2) Creating the Fish; and (3) Role Playing. In this lesson, students effectively explore texture through painting, drawing,…

Safety should be a priority in every classroom for every age group. Most art teachers know the chemicals to avoid in the student environment. It is their responsibility as art teachers to include safety information in every lesson plan and inform each student of the safety precautions they must take with each activity, without depriving them of…

Just like the classroom, children's outdoor environments should be filled with artistic creations that add sparkle and imagination to the space. One of the author's favorite ways to add art to the outdoors is by installing a mosaic mural of child-made tiles. The process of making the tiles is fun for all; each tile is a charming work of art in…

The metamorphosis of glass when heated is a magical process to students, yet teachers are often reluctant to try it in class. The biggest challenge in working with glass in the classroom is to simplify procedures just enough to ensure student success while maintaining strict safety practices so no students are injured. Project concepts and safety…

Baskets have been an integral part of everyday life in every civilization and every part of the world. This article traces the origin of basketmaking, features craft artist Mary Jackson, and discusses how to engage students in basketmaking using traditional and non-traditional materials.

In a never-ending search for new and inspirational still-life objects, the author discovered that home improvement retailers make great resources for art teachers. Hardware and building materials are inexpensive and have interesting and variable shapes. She especially liked the dryer-vent coils and the electrical conduit. These items can be…

In the supervisory relationship, the use of expressive arts activities has proven to be beneficial to students. Using art materials, students often discover new ways of understanding complex cases and grow personally. Through the art activities, unconscious material is made conscious and then that material is open to processing with the…

When an art tutor adopts the role of assistant to a disabled artist it is difficult not to move from helping with the physical handling of materials on the one hand into the actual creative process on the other, thus influencing how the artwork looks. Ecas is an Edinburgh-based charity which promotes opportunities for physically disabled people to…

This article presents the history of pencils. Graphite, which is the main component that makes pencils write, was first discovered to be useful in marking the sheep of local farmers in Borrowdale, England in 1954. This graphite left a much darker mark than lead, which made it ideal for use by writers and artists. Around, 1795, Nicolas-Jacques…