Arts & Activities articles from October 2006

Arts & Activities archives from October 2006

2006-07 NFAA talent search.(arts update)
October 1, 2006... The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) is calling for applicants for its renowned Arts Recognition and Talent Search[R] (ARTS) program, with individual awards up to $10,000. The registration deadline of Oct. 1, 2006 is upon...

Company promotes well-being through art and culture.(To You, Being of the Future: Part L Leonardo da Vinci, Universal Genius)(Movie review)
October 1, 2006... SophiArte--combining two words meaning wisdom and art--is a production company that comprises writers, teachers, dancers, scientists, musicians and film directors, all working from the observation that art and thought have always been vehicles...

Visual Culture in the Art Class: Case Studies.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... [PRINT] VISUAL CULTURE IN THE ART CLASS: Case Studies (2006; $25, $20 NAEA members), edited by Paul Duncum. National Art Education Association, 1916 Association Dr., Reston, VA 20191; www.naea-reston.org. Anyone attending the National Art...

Amazing Dioramas: Insects, Spiders and More.(Video recording review)
October 1, 2006... [VHS/CD/VISUAL] AMAZING DIORAMAS: Insects, Spiders and More. Video/56 min./$19.95. Level: Middle school. Crystal Productions, P.O. Box 2159, Glenview, IL 60025, (800) 255-8629; www.crystalproductions.com. If you are seeking a way to...

Advanced Origami: An Artist's Guide to Performances in Paper.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... [PRINT] ADVANCED ORIGAMI: An Artist's Guide to Performances in Paper (2005; $24.95), by Michael G. LaFosse. Tuttle Publishing, 364 Innovation Dr., North Clarendon, VT 05759; www.tuttlepublishing.com. Creating origami art takes more than...

Skutt.(shop talk)
October 1, 2006... Every SKUTT KilnMaster and GlassMaster kiln is now equipped with a Current Sensor, which allows remote technicians to troubleshoot kilns over the phone. The sensor reads voltage and amperage with a few easy keystrokes accessed from a redesigned...

Liquitex.(shop talk)
October 1, 2006... LIQUITEX, the innovative brand leader in acrylic products for artists, has introduced eight new mediums and has made significant improvements to seven existing acrylic products. "These materials have been developed and refined by artists for...

Milliken & Company.(shop talk)
October 1, 2006... According to MILLIKEN & COMPANY, its new Play 'n Wash Paint is the first line of truly washable tempera premium paint for children. Advanced chemistry devised by research specialists at Milliken gives Play 'n Wash Paint unique properties that...

Harrisville Designs.(shop talk)
October 1, 2006... HARRISVILLE DESIGNS has announced two new products to its quality weaving, felting, fiber and Friendly Loom line. First is "Knot Your Scarf," with which children age 6 and older can make their own brightly colored "looped" scarf. The knotting...

Chicago Canvas.(shop talk)
October 1, 2006... CHICAGO CANVAS' Quilt Painting Kit is for teachers seeking a creative group project. The kit includes one 29" x 31" piece of canvas, 30 brushes, six small acrylic paint sets and 30 canvas patches measuring 4" x 4". Children can draw or trace a...

The Clay Lady[R].(shop talk)
October 1, 2006... THE CLAY LADY[R] has two new books: How to make a Stegosaurus... The Clay Lady Way, How to make a Frog... The Clay Lady Way (both pictured here), and How to make a Bug... The Clay Lady Way. Intended for independent study by elementary-level...

Elmer's.(shop talk)
October 1, 2006... ELMER'S has redefined watercolor painting with its new Bienfang[R] Watercolor Brush Pens. Available in 30 vibrant colors, the pens provide the look and feel of professional watercolors, but with increased convenience and simplicity. Bienfang...

3M.(shop talk)
October 1, 2006... Safely cut a variety of materials with 3M's Scotch paper cutter. Fast and clean, the Scotch paper cutter glides through most materials with a simple forward motion. With its protected blade, the cutter gives you freedom to cut without fear of...

Scratch-Art[R] Co., Inc.(shop talk)
October 1, 2006... SCRATCH-ART[R] CO., INC.'s Scratch Magic Light Catcher[TM] Group Pack allows students to create colorful window art. Packs include what's needed to complete 12 projects: design frames (three each of four designs), Scratch-Lite "stained-glass"...

Mossaics of us.(Cover story)
October 1, 2006... Throughout my art history training and my long ago travel to Italy, I've been intrigued by mosaics. Having seen the tiny stones or bits of glass (tesserae) on walls and vaulting was like being in a cave with jewels glittering all around you....

Antique coffee collage.(INTEGRATING the curriculum)
October 1, 2006... When planning art activities, I often struggle with two reccurring problems: how to sustain student enthusiasm and how to nurture student commitment to perform at high levels. Recently, I have shifted the focus of my middle-school art...

Paper-glass windows.(stained glass)
October 1, 2006... When they saw the stained-glass windows I was making with the older students, my 10- to 12-year-olds begged, "Please, can we do that, too?" I knew I wouldn't be comfortable with them handling sharp bits of glass, using glass cutters or...

The joys of cutting.(CHILDREN'S art diary)
October 1, 2006... After finishing a drawing, kids often ask for scissors. "May I cut it out?" With a cut, the art is freed to dance, become a doll or form a strand of play jewelry. "Now may I have some string? I'm going to wear this to show everyone what I...

Clip & save art notes.
October 1, 2006... ABOUT THIS ARTWORK This month's Clip & Save Art Print features one of art history's oldest recurring symbols: the human skull. As witches, goblins, bats, ghouls and ghosts loom large in the minds and imaginations of students during the...

Classroom use of the art print.
October 1, 2006... THINGS TO LEARN * On August 24, 79 A.D., Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the Roman city Pompeii in 25 feet of ash and stone. Thousands of people perished in the catastrophe and hundreds of works of art and objects were lost. In the latter...

Young artist.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... I absolutely love art. Drawing and creating have been a favorite pastime for me since preschool. I sit down almost every day and start drawing. I adore art because I can create whatever I want and I can express myself and my feelings. I...

Go for the gold.(Gustav Klimt )
October 1, 2006... Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was born in Baumgarten, Austria, near Vienna. At age 14, he studied at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts. At first, his portraits were very detailed with realistic backgrounds. Later, in 1897, he became a...

Reality rearrangement.(collage)
October 1, 2006... The art of collage is an age-old process that nearly all well-known artists have utilized at one time or another. Its very nature has also meant that collage is an artistic technique that has been utilized by the "untrained" or folk artist. ...

Animals with a Mondrian twist.(Piet Mondrian)
October 1, 2006... My fourth- and fifth-grade students really enjoy drawing animals, so I decided to give their drawing lesson a different twist by adding Pier Mondrian's artistic style to the design. Planning this type of lesson serves as an example to students...

The tabloids! It must be true ... we saw it in.(typesetting)
October 1, 2006... Everyone has had a laugh reading sensational tabloid headlines while standing in line at the supermarket. Nonetheless, there is no denying that tabloids such as the National Inquirer, Globe and The Weekly World News have a broad audience in the...

Imaginative instruments.(study prints )
October 1, 2006... Who would guess that a box of musical-instrument study prints would be the inspiration for an easy art project? Trumpets, drums, violins and flutes were waiting to be transformed into exciting overlapping shapes. I showed each study print...

Klee creature landscapes.
October 1, 2006... Literature is a wonderful motivator for art educators in sparking new lesson ideas. Paul Klee: Animal Tricks, Adventures in Art (Prestel Publishing, 2002), by Christian Rumelin, was such a find that I used it as the motivation for a first-grade...

Pinch-pot jack-o'-lanterns.(CLAY corner)
October 1, 2006... I have a problem with holidays. Or I should say I have a problem with holiday art projects. I strongly feel my art curriculum is a subject to be respected and not simply a time to create decorations, and yet... there are projects so beloved by...

Ahh ... paper! Tried & true tips for art teachers.
October 1, 2006... It's such an elemental, incredible surface for artists young and old. Paper comes in so many different colors, textures and weights. A great gift for us to use as we may, but that's just it... we can use paper in so many ways that we often...