A truly inspirational form of art is not always displayed on gallery walls. It can be found by looking out the window, down the street, at the edge of town, or even on the train tracks. This teacher finds it rare to hear people--except graffiti writers themselves--speak about graffiti as a form of art. Graffiti writing is usually equated with…

It is always interesting to observe a wide range of creative results when students begin a project with the same subject and materials. The lesson described in this article on stitching challenges students to design a turkey on burlap using colorful yarns and a small variety of materials. Each feathered Tom emerges with a unique personality, which…

Photography is often overlooked in schools. Elizabeth Sio secured a grant to pay for disposable cameras and processing so she could introduce students to photography and the multiple viewpoint photographs of David Hockney. This article describes a lesson in which student would become an expert in one area and then impart that knowledge to their…

This brief article describes artist Henry Farny's oil on canvas painting, "The Last of the Herd." It highlights the most notable historical, cultural, and artistic elements in the painting. The article also describes significant details of the artist's life and provides questions to consider.

One way to increase awareness of endangered national heritage is to teach youth the importance of the land through the study of selected works of art. This article describes a lesson, in which students will study the work of Thomas Moran and create a mountain range collage. A short biography of Thomas Moran is included.

Did you ever wish that you could give students the experience of displaying their work in a gallery setting or attending a gallery opening? It can be done, and for an investment of about fifty dollars. Once organized, the gallery can continue to be maintained at minimal expense. As an elementary principal, the author believed that an art gallery…

Each time John Senz starts an art lesson with tattoos, the frenzy of fun is predictable, even for staff. Senz looks forward to a busy day when he reaches for the airbrush and cosmetic paint. Students pick up the technique of airbrushing quickly and can't wait to paint designs on their skin. Although topics such as history, design, business, and…

Louise Berliawsky was born in Kiev, Russia. In 1905, she immigrated to Rockland, Maine, where her father established a lumberyard. Often she worked on collages with wood scraps from her father's lumberyard. Although interested in dance and theater, Nevelson always knew she would be a sculptor. In 1920, Louise Berliawsky married Charles Nevelson,…

History is alive and well in Lebanon, Missouri. Students in this small town in the southwest region of the state went above and beyond the community's expectations on this special project. This article describes this historical journey which began when students in a summer mural class reconstructed a mural that was originally created by a…

In this article, the author discusses how many art educators today are expected to make something from nothing and to exist on a bare-bones budget. Innovative art teachers can turn such a limitation into opportunities to explore the world of throwaway materials--materials that can be recycled into rewarding art experiences. Besides using recycled…

Trees burst with color in the northern states. Autumn leaves dust the ground. Painting the fall landscape is nothing new. Teachers have been doing it in classrooms for decades. The approach, however, can make the difference between whether the fall landscape is simply painting for fun, or a real learning experience. Students learn best when they…

One of Michele Curio's favorite art lessons is creating a resist using oil pastels under black tempera paint. The process produces dramatic and creative results with a high success rate even for the most art-challenged students. The artworks have a sophisticated, painterly quality that is achieved with more control and less mess than direct…

In this brief article, the author describes a lesson plan on Mola art she used in her elementary classroom. Using four examples of Kuna Indian molas, the teacher introduced students to the beautiful, colorful, creative art form of molas. The Kuna women have been making these layered pieces of cloth for more than one hundred years. They use a…

In this article, the author describes how she introduced the mola designs of the Kuna people of the San Blas Islands to her fifth grade class. The students became excited by the tropical imagery; the wildlife, intertwined with the flowering plant life and the ocean, in colorful and black and-white patterns, because it brought forth such…

This brief article describes Winslow Homer's oil on canvas painting, "Sunday Morning, Virginia." "Sunday Morning, Virginia" depicts a group of African-Americans learning to read in a slave cabin after the Civil War. A young teacher, wearing a crisp dress and apron, sits surrounded by three children as she teaches them to read…