 Collage by a third grade student |
Welcome to the Art Room Mrs. Blum |
Collage by a third grade student |
Philosophy Statement |
| The Visual Arts Department of the Ipswich Public Schools believes that studying the visual arts is fundamental to human development and the human experience. The visual arts nurture and validate inspiration, intuition, creativity, and the recognition of beauty through study, practice, and reflection. Contributing beyond their intrinsic value, the visual arts benefit a range of learning environments, the local community, and the society at large. Students are challenged to develop their aesthetic sense, to problem solve, and to better understand and respect themselves and others through their study of the visual arts. The visual arts program of the Ipswich Public Schools explores essential questions of art while integrating problem solving, critical thinking, art history, and technical skills. It fosters appreciation, passion, and understanding of the visual arts while nurturing the students’ artistic confidence and expression. |
Student Work |
 Texture Tile by a Kindergarten student |
| In this project Kindergarten art students explored the Element of Art 'texture'. After identifying texture in their environment and creating two-dimensional representations of texture through various texture rubbings, the students pressed objects into clay to create three-dimensional textures. The pieces were fired in our kiln, then glazed by the students, and fired again. The results were all quite wonderful! |
 Collage by a first grade student |
| First grade art students explored the use of the Elements of Art 'color, shape, and texture' while using a subject from the natural world. This project made a connection to the work they do in their classrooms for their Insects and Metamorphosis themes. |
 Clay Sculptures by second grade students |
| Second grade students explore the Element of Art 'form' in several projects. In addition to clay sculpture, students also work three-dimensionally with various shapes and sizes of wood pieces and other ''found objects''. Throughout their explorations, students discover the differences in working both two-dimensionally and three-dimensionally with the same subject. It is a ''lightbulb moment'' when art students understand that a sculpture must be viewed from all sides to be fully appreciated. |
 Expressive Self-Portrait by a third grade student |
| Third grade student artists explore the relationship of emotion and color. This is one of several projects within a unit on self-portraits. |
 Tempera painting by a fourth grade student |
| Fourth grade art students explored various ways that artists create and express spacial relationships on a two-dimensional suface. They also explored color-mixing to create contrast and value changes while mixing tints and shades. The final project resulted from a connection to their classroom 'Objects in Space' unit. The painting that each student created was based on his or her research project within the fourth grade classrooms. |
 Illuminated Manuscript Initial by a fifth grade student |
| Fifth grade students viewed reproductions of visual images from the Middle Ages while using magnifying glasses to see the intricate designs and imagery. They reflected on the Essential Question, ''How does art reflect as well as shape culture?'' as they viewed the art created from that time period. Using one of their initials, each student created their own illuminated manuscript initial with imagery of their choosing but reflective of that art style. |
Field Trips |
 Students contemplating a sculpture. |
| Students take various field trips to enhance learning throughout the school year. These photographs show second grade students exploring several of the sculptures at the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln, Massachusetts. The above photo shows Joseph Wheelwright's sculpture ''Listening Stone''. The photo below shows sculptor Jim Dine's ''Two Black Hearts''. It was a grand day out! |
 The DeCordova Sculpture Park is one of the few places where students are allowed to touch the exhibits! |
| Click here to check out more of the wonderful sculptures at the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park. DeCordova link |
Collaborations and Connections |
| Within the Visual Arts program we have our own curriculum, essential questions,and vocabulary to work on throughout the year. However, it is a delight to make connections with the classroom teachers and the other specialist teachers on projects and themes. Much of the art that enhances the musical performances is created in the artroom during our class time. The field day banners for every individual classroom in the school were also created in the artroom and resulted from a collaboration with the Physical Education teachers. Watch this space for photographs of future collaborations. |
Art Show The Art Show is held each spring at Doyon, generally in May and in the evening from 6-8 pm. Each student has at least one piece on exhibit, although most often each student has both a two-dimensional piece and a three-dimensional piece of artwork on display. A wonderful team of parent volunteers help to put up the displays. The F.R.I.E.S. suppy the refreshments and the elementary String Quartet has provided music to enhance the evening. Students from the Student Leadership Team assist during the set-up and throughout the evening. This year the Art Show will be held on Thursday, May 8th, from 6 - 8 pm. We hope you will mark your calendar and make it a family event. |
 A display for the annual Art Show |
Just for Fun...Famous Artists' Birthdays Do you share a birthday with a famous artist? |
 Collage by a first grade student |
| June Paul Gauguin June 7, 1848 Frank Lloyd Wright June 8, 1867 Gustave Courbet June 10, 1819 John Constable June 11, 1776 Peter Paul Rubens June 28, 1577 July Marc Chagall July 7, 1887 Rembrandt van Rijn July 15, 1606 Edgar Degas July 19, 1834 August Andy Warhol August 8,1930 September Hans Arp September 16, 1887 October Faith Ringgold October 8, 1930 Pablo Picasso October 25, 1881 Roy Lichtenstein October 27, 1923 |
 Collage by a third grade student |
| November Claude Monet November 14, 1840 Georgia O'Keeffe November 15, 1887 Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec November 24, 1864 December Georges Seurat December 2, 1859 Wassily Kandinsky December 4, 1866 Paul Klee December 18, 1879 Henri Matisse December 31, 1869 |
 Kindergarten color-mixing project using warm and cool colors |
| Take a look at these Art websites! Boston Museum of Fine Arts |
National Gallery of Art |
Peabody Essex Museum |
The URL of this page is http://users.freshpond.net/l/lblum/doyonschoolartroom.html E-mail this Web page to a friend Last updated 12/13/2007 9:33:35 PM |