This Instructional Resource relates the experiences of Native American artist Neal Ambrose-Smith, who views himself not only as an artist with a studio practice, but also as an "Arts Worker" who pursues learning new knowledge with his arts-related jobs. Painting, sculpting, and printmaking are only three areas of his studio practice. He…

Targeting students in grades K-8, Art in Action's program consists of 12 age-appropriate lessons per year led by parent and teacher volunteers. The curriculum is based on historically significant artists and their works of art. Through semi-structured discussions, students examine a variety of masterpieces, learning about the artist as well as…

In this article, the author describes how his first-grade students made their own compositions based on James Rosenquist's collage series in which long shards of faces were painted over a background that appeared to be abstract. The background was made up of enlarged details of things such as flowers, leaves, fire, and water. The students'…

Artist Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) created wonderful environments inside boxes using mostly found objects. They were often Surrealistic in nature. Some boxes were designed with glass fronts, and others were meant to be interactive with the viewer, wherein the objects could be handled. With Joseph Cornell in mind, the author introduces an art…

This article profiles Patrick Dougherty and features his installation at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. With the help of 100 volunteers and a time span of just three weeks, sculptor Patrick Dougherty harvested the materials and constructed the installation entitled "Lookin' Good! Lookin' Good!" on a lawn adjacent to the entrance of…

This article features artist Amalia Mesa-Baines and discusses her background and influences, her creative style, and her cultural connection. Mesa-Baines is the director of Visual and Public Art at California State University, Monterey Bay. She is an independent artist, a cultural critic, and an author of scholarly research. She is also a McArthur…

The last two sections (EJ1039315 and EJ1039319) presented stories about specific moments or lessons. Also, situations infused with complexity where the writers had to toggle back and forth between providing the larger context and the details that support readers' understanding of that big picture were presented. In this section each story is…

This paper focuses on how the arts heighten cognitive experiences through the use of natural materials and sites and the engagement with the natural world. The arts expose viewers to new ways of seeing, feeling, and thinking about nature; this can lead to greater awareness of and motivation to act on behalf of nature. The author examines the…

The best lesson ideas often derive from childhood recollections. When brought to class, play memories and art mementos from the teacher's childhood paint a powerful homage to children's art. A survey of a child's room in the dark, or with lights on, discloses interesting hanging sites, means of attachment and unusual items drafted for hanging, all…

During the author's undergraduate experience at the University of Georgia, the author discovered a local artist named Beverly Buchanan. She creates beautiful pastel drawings of shacks. Her shacks are not sad houses, but rich, vibrant dwellings filled with memories of people who once lived there. Buchanan also creates sculptures of shacks made from…

Public art takes many forms, including commemorative sculptures, site-specific works, and collaborative murals. Additionally, public art can beautify an urban environment or raise awareness of social issues. Public works of art are a form of discourse and open conversations and dialogue, helping communities work toward unity and empowerment. Using…

The artist and scientist have been depicted as polar opposites since Michelangelo claimed that Leonardo da Vinci was wasting time with foolish inventions while his art suffered. However, the artist taking on the role of the researcher has precedent. In the 1960s, Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.), led by Bell Labs' engineer Billy Kluver,…

The relationship between skill and imagination in art is obscured by those theories of expression which make a distinction between ideas on the one hand and the technical methods adopted to express them on the other. Author suggested that this division between the idea and the technique has a wider significance beyond art education as a whole.…

Considers the essence of creative expression and how man has reacted in the face of his inevitable physical demise. (RK)

Described nature printing, a botanical technique, developed in the 17th and 18th centuries to illustrate herbals and other books on plants. (Author/RK)