Creative Canvases for Kids: Inspiring Young Artists

Much thanks to Episcopal High School senior, Courtney Crawford who solicited donations to provide art supplies to some of my most deserving student artists at Central Riverside Elementary.  Each student wrote about their passion for the arts to earn their gift. Courtney started her own non-profit, Creative Canvases for Kids to support arts education. Much thanks to this inspiring your lady, Courtney Crawford. 

A Special Gift: Cummer In The Classroom

This year has brought CRES many blessings such as Cummer in the Classroom, a museum outreach program that allows our students and their families free access to the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. 

CRES students take free field trips to receive curriculum based museum tours

at least twice per school year. Every student is provided a pass to the museum so that they may visit outside of school time with their families. This amazing program allows our students confidently step off the bus and walk through the Art Connections entrance with pride and familiarity, exclaiming “Hey, I’ve been here before! I love the Cummer Museum!” 

The learning continues with classroom visits with Museum Educator, Dulcie Hause, who  provides excellent arts education. Our Students become familiar with artwork and vocabulary when they are at school so they are prepared for their museum visit.  

Our entire school family benefits from Cummer in the Classroom. CRES teachers are offered professional development opportunities, lesson plans and free family passes to the museum.

We are so thankful to The Cummer Museum for including us in this wonderful program.

Learn more about the Cummer Museum at http://www.cummermuseum.org/ .

The Science of Happiness: The Color of Emotions

Could the increase in happiness be caused by simply doing something as fun as creating art? Can flexing your artistic muscles really make you happier?

To kick off the new school year, I presented a lesson that was a bit unusual for the elementary art room.  I practiced a bit of art therapy with my students to bring out their positive emotions when producing art.

 First, I asked my students to write out a list of people, places or things that made them happy or supported.  I asked them to assign a color to themselves and to each of the items on their list. They were given an outline of a body shape and were asked that they color it in with the different colors of the items on their list.  They were to begin by drawing a heart on the chest to represent themselves and work outward, using the colors of the things that they loved.

 
This activity placed them into a reflective state so then the students were invited to share their thoughts about their drawing
 with their classmates.
Here are some of their presentations.

The students were very willing to share their illustrations and describe how each color represented someone or something that was important to them.

But it was the last presentation that stole my heart.  It was performed by a sweet 2nd grade boy who shared his innermost feelings about his friends who moved away.  He stated that he missed them and missed how they supported him.

CRES Student Exhibit and Artwalk

So proud of my student artists! Please enjoy this virtual tour of my student art exhibit at Central Riverside Elementary School​  featuring 100% participation - that's over 400 pieces of artwork - at least one from every student.        

Our opening reception for families is Thursday, May 11th from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

CRES Students at VSA Festival At the Cummer Museum

My Deaf & Hard of Hearing (DHH)students from Central Riverside Elementary attended the VSA Festival at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. 

  

 The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is home to the Jacksonville affiliate of VSA, an international organization that provides opportunities in the arts for individuals with disabilities. The annual VSA Festival, which takes place in the spring of each year, invites Jacksonville-area students with disabilities to visit the Cummer Museum for a chance to experience art through all of their senses. Over the course of four days, nearly 1,800 children, 700 teachers and chaperones, and 1,300 volunteers fill the Museum to engage in art viewing in the galleries, movement, music in the gardens, and art-making activities throughout the entire Museum. The event allows each student to participate in the creative process and to demonstrate their own artistic abilities.

                   

Each year, the Cummer Museum uses 1,300 volunteers to help staff Art Stops, hands-on activities throughout the Galleries, and to guide groups of students through the Museum.  Here is my dearest friend, Sherry Goble and her colleagues from Blue Cross Blue Shield, taking time from their busy work day to volunteer at the VSA Festival. Thanks, Sherry!

Award Winning Student Artwork from CRES

Congratulations to students at CRES who created masterpieces for exhibit at DCPS Celebration of the Arts, the Annual Library Shows, Best of ElementaryExhibit and the Florida Art Education Association Digital Exhibit 2017.

Music, Color and Lines Evoke Feelings

Art students at Central Riverside Elementary painted while listening to a variety of music styles allowing the music to move their brushes across their papers, using their feelings create the lines.  They painted fluid, curved lines when the music was slow then painted quick, shorter brushstrokes when the music moved to a faster beat. 

After teacher lead conversations about how colors can evoke feelings, students used warm or cool colors to complete their paintings. Later, they compared their paintings describing their work as active, hot, or cool and relaxing. They also noticed that the warm and the cool colors are grouped together on the classroom color wheel.  

Check out this short video to hear some of the songs chosen to influence my students as they created art.  The Active Lines project was a success!