Art Club Update + Fav Artist Friday

At our last Art Club meeting, we had a chance to Skype with Nashville-based landscape architect Matt Scott! He took time out of his busy day at Hodgson & Douglas to give us an awesome presentation about the history and process of landscape architecture, environmental art, and the importance of parks and planned outdoor spaces in our community.

Afterward, students got to interview him in real time from 250 miles away! Such a cool experience. Thanks, Matt!!

Now, check out this week's fav artist after the jump!

The Color Wheel

Here's an awesome color wheel video I came across when I visited Fun Art 4 Kids, another Art teacher's blog!

 

I like it almost as much as this OK Go cameo on Sesame Street (thanks to fellow FCS Art teacher Kim Muhlheim for sharing this one):

 

Have a great week!! See you back here on Friday for another Fav Artist!

Art Club

We had our second Art Club meeting on Wednesday and it was a blast! We talked about a couple of cool art contests club members can enter--Georgia's own Dream Art Contest and the PTA's annual nationwide Reflections contest--and students got their first sketchbook assignment . . .

to be completed in their very own, brand new, fancy schmancy hardbound sketchbooks! Special thanks to my favorite local art supply store Binders for having a ton of these in stock at a great price.

Check back next week for more updates and a new Fav Artist!

Art Club Reminder

Next Art Club meeting is tomorrow--Wednesday, October 17th--from 2:45 to 3:45. Don't forget to bring your completed Artist Trading Cards to swap with your clubmates!

Google Art Project

While I'm sure all of you are familiar with the search engine Google, what do you know about Google Art Project? If you've always wanted to see the world's most famous masterpieces up close but didn't have the time or money, Google Art Project is the next best thing to real life! It's an amazing tool that lets you visit museums virtually, examine paintings much more closely than you ever could in person, and even curate your own gallery.


Watch the video to find out more or click the links above to start exploring!

Fav Artist Fridays!

Allow me to introduce you to Jean-Michel Basquiat, a famous American artist with an uncanny ability to infuse emotion and movement into his work. Jean-Michel was born in Brooklyn, New York to a Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother. He was very smart and a great artist even as a kid. By age 11, he could speak, read, and write fluently in Spanish, English, and French.

Unfortunately, as talented as he was, he still had a difficult childhood. His mom encouraged him to draw and paint but his parents separated when he was eight, so his father raised him and his two sisters. That same year, Jean-Michel was hit by a car while playing in the street and suffered some pretty serious internal injuries. He also ran away a few times and dropped out of school in the tenth grade, at which point he was forced to sleep at friends' houses and sell t-shirts and handmade postcards to make ends meet. A little while later, he began writing graffiti under the pseudonym SAMO (pronounced same-oh, short for the phrase "same old") with his friend Al Diaz. This was the start of his career as a real artist.

SAMO graffiti on a building
in Lower Manhattan

SAMO graffiti with the trademark copyright
symbol Basquiat and Diaz used

SAMO graffiti found in NYC from 1976 - 79

After the dissolution of Diaz and Basquiat's friendship,
SAMO IS DEAD tags appeared throughout the city

After their friendship ended, Basquiat began participating in art shows like The Times Square Show in 1980. His primitive-style paintings incorporated text with images--a throwback to his days as a graffiti artist--and he became an important figure in the Neo-Expressionist movement. Artforum magazine published his painting The Radiant Child and he quickly gained recognition throughout the art world. He even became friends with another Fav Artist--Andy Warhol! Jean-Michel was also featured on the cover of The New York Times.



Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump (fire hydrant) 

by Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1982



Untitled

Trumpet by Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1984

Sadly, Basquiat suffered from depression and drug addiction. After Andy Warhol died in 1987, Jean-Michel became very sad and isolated himself from his friends and family. He died of a drug overdose later the next year. He was only 27.

Jean-Michel has a painting in the High's permanent collection, just like his friend Andy. Contact the museum and go check it out! For more information about this prolific African American artist, a gallery of his pieces, some of his famous quotes, and a collection of artworks dedicated to him by his closest friends visit www.basquiat.com.

October is Nat'l Arts and Humanities Month + First Art Club Meeting!

President Obama has declared October National Arts and Humanities Month! Mr. President has to say about fine arts:

"Artistic expression and memorable ideas can resonate with us, challenge us, and teach us important lessons about ourselves and each other. At their best, great works of literature, theater, dance, fine art, and music reflect something common in all of us. They open dialogues between cultures and raise poignant questions about our world. They are also vital components of our children's education and our national growth -- not only teaching our youth to observe closely, interpret creatively, and think critically, but also bringing new cultural experiences to our communities and helping drive economic progress."

What will you do this month to celebrate the Arts? Click on the picture above for a link to the full presidential proclamation and read about our first Art Club meeting after the jump!

Art Club Reminder

Remember, our first Art Club meeting is next Wednesday, October 3rd from 2:45 to 3:45! If you haven't yet, be sure to send your student's permission form and $20 fee back by tomorrow.

Art Club Adopt-A-Kid!

You may have noticed a new widget over in the sidebar there.

THAT, friends, is a new way to support the Art Club! Some of our students just don't have the money to pay the club fee--if I had it in the Art department budget or in my own bank account, believe me it would be covered. If you would like to Adopt-A-Kid and donate his or her $20 fee, you can do so via PayPal or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, Discover) using the DONATE button on the widget.

If you choose to sponsor a student, be sure to leave your name and address in the comments so that she can send you a handmade thank you card! You can also share our cause on your own website by clicking Add to site.

As always, THANK YOU for your support!!

House Resolution 1162 + Fav Artist Fridays!

November 6th is fast approaching, voters! If you haven't yet familiarized yourself with House Resolution 1162, please click the apple below and read about the proposed amendment to Georgia's constitution. This issue directly affects your kids, their schools, and teachers like me.

As is often the case, the language being used on the ballot just doesn't tell you enough. Get to know what you're voting for (or against!!) before you hit the polls in a couple months.

Now on to Fav Artist Fridays! (after the jump)