Arts & Activities articles from October 2008

Arts & Activities archives from October 2008

Editor's note.
October 1, 2008... Our theme this month, "Expressions In Paper and Collage," means students will be engaged in creating with a very versatile medium. To get an idea of what can be done with paper beyond the typical uses, turn to "Learning From Exhibitions: Pulp...

Earth's favorite color.(arts update)
October 1, 2008... Crayola is calling on students to think green! To inspire them to become environmentally conscientious and follow the "4 Rs" (reduce, reuse, recycle and renew) Crayola is launching the 2008-09 Annual Children's Art Exhibition with the theme,...

Automotive art contest.(arts update)(Children's Organ Transplant Association)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The Grand Prize winners of the Sixth Kid's Automotive Art Contest were announced by The Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation (CSCF). The contest challenged children to draw or paint the car they would like to drive when they grow up. Jake...

NEH picturing America educational resources.(arts update)
October 1, 2008... The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is accepting a second round of applications for Picturing America online through Oct. 31, 2008. This free educational resource helps teach American history and culture by bringing some of our...

Do your students have a future in Fashion Design?(arts update)
October 1, 2008... The Art Institutes' Passion for Fashion Scholarship Competition provides an opportunity for high-school seniors to earn a scholarship to one of The Art Institutes' schools, with over 35 locations offering fashion programs. In addition to the...

It's time to be wonderful!(arts update)
October 1, 2008... Sakura of America announces that the 14th Annual Cray-Pas[R] Wonderful, Colorful World Contest is underway. Entries will be judged by professionals in the art and craft material industry based on originality, creativity, use of oil-pastel...

Fulbright Teacher Exchanges.(arts update)
October 1, 2008... Since 1946, the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program has provided nearly 23,000 teachers and administrators the opportunity to contribute to mutual understanding between countries. If you are a full-time teacher or administrator in the United...

Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... STUDIO THINKING: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education (2007; $24.95), by Lois Hetland, Ellen Winner, Shirley Veenema and Kimberly M. Sheridan. Teachers College Press. If only books could realize the promise implied by their titles....

Dropping in on Romare Bearden.(Brief article)(Video recording review)
October 1, 2008... DROPPING IN ON ROMARE BEARDEN. VHS or DVD/20 min./ Teacher's Guide/$29.95. Level: Kindergarten through Middle School. Crystal Productions. Dropping In On is a series of animated films featuring insights into the lives of famous individual...

Starting Art Series: 123 I Can Paint! and 123 I Can Sculpt!(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... STARTING ART SERIES: 123 I Can Paint! and 123 I Can Sculpt! (2007; $5.95 each), by Irene Luxbacher. Kids Can Press. These books are intended for preschool and early elementary-school grades. They demonstrate an openness and encouragement...

Bookbinding: A Traditional Technique.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
October 1, 2008... BOOKBINDING: A Traditional Technique. DVD/63 min./$14.95. Level: High School and Adult. On Air Video, Inc. In an age when we are inundated by electronic communication, the notion of hardbound books is struggling to survive. The art of...

Pulp function.(LEARNING from EXHIBITIONS)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The use of paper in the creation of art is a common practice that goes all the way back to the invention of paper itself. The development of it can be traced to the early second century in China when fibers were...

Unique expression ... through Surrealist collage and mixed media.(Cover story)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Looking at some old National Geographic magazines that were donated to the art department, I was reminded how visually striking photographs, advertisements and magazine illustrations can be. I next thought of...

Artwork that measures up.(INTEGRATING the curriculum)
October 1, 2008... Have you ever taught an art lesson that leaves everyone wondering about the process students followed to create their work? This activity will definitely arouse curiosity and have them guessing. In addition, this lesson provides a wonderful way...

Colorful desertscapes.
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] I was looking for an art project to tie in with a desert theme. For me, there were two important considerations in creating this art lesson. The first was that the lesson could be completed in a short amount of...

Clip & save art notes.(Critical essay)
October 1, 2008... ABOUT THE ARTIST This month's featured artist, Socialist Realist painter Viktor Ivanov, was born in Moscow in 1924, the same year that the revolutionary and Soviet leader, Vladimir Lenin, died. Ivanov attended art schools in the Soviet...

Classroom use of the art print: Viktor Ivanov (Russian; b.1924). The Afternoon Snack, c. 1966. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THINGS TO LEARN Viktor Ivanov was born in Moscow in 1924, five years after the Russian revolution, which gave birth to the Soviet Union. After completing art school, Ivanov created propaganda posters during the...

Young artist: Ami Calo.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] In school, art is my favorite subject. I like it because you get to be creative and express your own ideas. Sketching is my favorite thing to do in art. I like this because I can show the details in the picture. It...

Op-art-self-portraits.
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] My fourth-and fifth-grade students recently studied / the work of Hungarian-born, French abstract painter, Victor Vasarely (1908-1997). This remarkable Optical-art (Op-art) painter distorted shape and used colors...

Barn dance.(LITERATURE in the art room)
October 1, 2008... Some of my favorite projects have begun in the children's section of our local bookstore. It was fall and I was looking for a seasonal art project for the second grade. I came across Barn Dance!, a Reading Rainbow book by Bill Martin Jr. and...

Fun with coffee on cardboard.
October 1, 2008... What should students make for the first project of the semester? I have noticed this question plagues teachers continually, whether they are a novice art teacher or highly seasoned. In my "Introduction to Sculpture and Ceramics" class, I...

Idea artists.(CHILDREN'S art diary)
October 1, 2008... My daughter Ana was 8 years old when she wrote and illustrated her first book, "How to Play with a Paper Bag." A response to a school assignment, she wrote about her favorite collection--paper bags. I share the text to demonstrate how children...

On creative thinking in the classroom.(FORUM: Thoughts to Share)
October 1, 2008... If some of the current school-supply catalogs are an indication of what goes on in third-or fourth-grade art classes right now, I believe the state of teaching creative thinking is facing a cruel and tacky fate. In any field of education,...

Duncan Enterprises.(shop talk)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Aleene's[R] Crafting Adhesives introduces Collage Pauge, designed by Tracy Bautista, featuring three finishes of decoupage medium--Matte, Glossy or Sparkles. The acid-free formula has less odor and causes less...

Crayola.(shop talk)(Color Surge pen and paper)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Color Surge[TM], new from Crayola, takes drawing on colored paper to a whole new level of bright. Children can create extraordinary art on colored paper that, according to Crayola, is "brighter than ever thought...

Paragon Industries.(shop talk)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Paragon Industries has added a patented switch box to their front-loading Dragon pottery kiln. The switch box, which houses the digital temperature controller and other electrical parts, opens sideways. It is hinged...

Pumpkin Masters.(shop talk)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pumpkin Masters[TM], creators of the world's first pumpkin carving kit, present their 2008 Halloween offerings. Halloween Hardware (above) features carving tools with screwdriver-inspired, heavy-duty handles. Also...

Sharpie.(shop talk)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sharpie[R] introduces the first-ever Sharpie Pen. The Sharpie Pen offers a smooth, high-quality writing experience with specially formulated permanent ink that delivers bold colors without bleeding through paper. The...

Canon U.S.A.(shop talk)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Equipped with a 1.8-inch TFT color LCD display and easily navigated control panel, the Canon PIXMA MP480 Photo All-In-One combines elegant design with easy operation. Canon has included Auto Photo Fix and Auto Scan...

Wausau Paper.(shop talk)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Originally developed in the 1970s, Astrobrights[R] is Wausau Paper's flagship brand, seen as the industry standard for bright, neon-colored, uncolated papers. Astrobright's colors are consistent side-to-side and...

Creative Industries.(shop talk)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Complete Artista[TM] Studio for Home & Classroom and the Complete Boss Studio for Home & Classroom bring together the Artista pottery wheel (including legs) or the Boss wheel, along with The Cink, a...

Swingline.(shop talk)(Swingline SmartCut EasyBlade line)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new SmartCut[R] EasyBlade line from Swingline offers an easy-push rotary head trimmer with a completely concealed blade. A blade wear indicator lets you know when it's time to change the blade, which takes three...

Unotron, Inc.(shop talk)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Unotron's line of SpillSea[R] washable data equipment makes worries over classroom accidents a thing of the past. With SpillSeal technology, data equipment such as mice, keyboards and smartcard readers can be safely...

Paper and collage.(tried & true tips for art teachers)
October 1, 2008... This terrific issue highlights paper and collage--an especially exciting area to teach! Paper is often taken for granted, as it is usually the starting surface for almost everything we do, but it is also a medium we can use to create art. ...