Body Project #2

In mid-January I had the great pleasure of teaching an art class with Grade One students who were learning about and discussing ideas of "community".  It was a Campus Calgary session, and I had three mornings with them.  

First we briefly talked about what community means, discussing concepts like Sharing, Mastery, Generosity and Belonging.  

Then we made a body project.  It was a really big project!

 

Working with a partner, the students took turns laying on large sheets of cardboard and traced one another's body shapes with crayons.  Their teacher, parent volunteers and I cut out the body outlines.

    

Then the students painted one side of their body cut-out, and used collage techniques to glue coloured papers, fabrics, yarn and beads on the other side.

 

On the last day we hung them from the ceiling, with their feet just above the floor, to create an art installation.  The body shapes could move and twirl on their strings, creating a kind of dance.  It was a whole community of colourful dancing figures!

I delight in creating large art projects with students who come out for the Campus Calgary sessions at the Arts Commons.  

Any creative process spanning several days is an opportunity for more in-depth reflection of ideas and processes.  And if you think of creativity as a problem-solving tool, well then "sleeping on it" is an important element, n'est ce pas?

Many thanks as always to the supportive people at Arts Commons, to Mrs. G, the parent volunteers, and to the kids who are invariably eager and expansive thinkers and doers.  

Working together, we create what I hope are memorable learning experiences, and that is a type of community worth being involved in.