Arts US 2015

So far it has been a very amazing summer working with the group of first-graders through eighth graders in St. Paul public schools Arts US program.  We're currently working on The creation of portraiture through sculpture and painting,  this process is very satisfying on how students are creating the images through papier-mâché it allows them to actually have-hold-squish and mold the materials. It allows the material to breathe into itself so that they will become their own portraits.  I think I'm always trying to allow students to see the materials for what it is without taking away from the knowing of what it could look like it gives more appreciation for the art being created. Youth are smarter than usually given credit for. The influences that they draw from is exactly what we present to them. I wanted the young people to express themselves through how they perceive themselves with the most basic instructions.  I don't care much for the traditional instruction where the result has to be a certain way it takes away from the integrity of the individuals too much in my opinion.  As the students used glue and cut newspaper on foam core panels they sculptured their perceived head shape. (Some are funny while others are interesting and create an examination in their own).  After a few days we painted our portraits and these are a few of the ones that we have so far.