Show Me the Art!

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

I teach art at a wonderful middle school, grades 6-8, we are a high poverty, Title I school. One of the most exciting aspects of my school is how everyone’s goal is to provide our students with new learning opportunities and experiences everyday to make their education exciting and meaningful. My students are enthusiastic, talented learners who are always eager to discover more about the world. Art is a class where they have the chance to see the world in so many unique and creative ways while at the same time being encouraged to develop their own artistic interpretation of the world to share with others. I am fortunate enough to teach very talented, creative students who are always ready for new artistic inspiration. My goal is to be able to provide my students with knowledge and inspiration about art and the world in order to fuel their desire for exploration. To do this I need to incorporate art history images into my lessons. Studying art history provides glimpses of significant works of art by various artists, techniques, mediums, artistic styles, and also requires the exploration and understanding of historical events, places, cultures/societies, and people. Students are able to see and discuss how artists can communicate important events and ideas through their art in a positive, meaningful, and creative way. Through studying art history students will develop a base of understanding which will allow them the tools to develop their own unique, personal artistic style. The obstacles faced when trying to present art images to students involves struggles with a shortage of funds and technology. Buying art prints is very expensive especially when trying to build a comprehensive selection of images. Fortunately, the Internet provides many resources for art educators to retrieve and present valuable images for lessons. Unfortunately, to properly present these images to a class a quality LCD projector is necessary. Currently, in such a large school it is a challenge to secure an available LCD projector as frequently as needed. Additionally, many of the LCD projectors are dated and do not have a high quality resolution so the images are blurred making it difficult to identify details when observing works of art. To make the world come alive in my classroom and inspire my students through art a quality LCD projector, that is always available for use, is necessary. Having a quality projector will allow my students to further explore works of art, details and all! Discussions will broaden, inspirations will flow, imagination, and creativity will expand beyond the walls of the classroom. The world will be our museum! Your support will allow my students the chance to view the world past and present while creating their own unique images and ideas that can shape their futures and possibly our own. Art is a common tool of expression throughout cultures and time, what a wonderful gift you will provide for my students, the chance to truly experience the world through art.