At the end of the school year, I want to to empower students through art. I want them to have an appreciation for the arts and for them to build self-confidence through the arts. It is my ultimate goal for them to be exposed to various artists, styles, cultures, and mediums.
My students come from a very low-income, inner city area.
Eighty-eight percent of the students at my school are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Most of our students have very rough home lives and come to school every single day with baggage. They are in need of even the most basic things such as food and clothing. Our students desperately need art. It is their therapy!
My Project
My students will be be learning about the glass artist, Dale Chihuly. Dale Chihuly is an American glass sculptor from Tacoma, Washington. Chihuly has presented exhibitions all over the world. He said, "I want people to be overwhelmed with light and color in some way that they have never experienced."
Chihuly is one of my favorite artists and I can't wait to teach this lesson to my students!
We will begin this lesson with a PowerPoint about the life of Dale Chihuly. Students will learn about how Chihuly was involved in a head-on car accident and was blinded in his left eye. This did not stop Chihuly from doing what he loved. Students will also view a video clip of Chihuly working in his glass studio as well as my own personal pictures of Chihuly exhibits I have experienced in various states. We will discuss the art terms of: form, organic shapes, three-dimensional, glass blowing, sculpture, and color. Students will then use Sharpies to color a hard plastic plate. This plastic plate will then be melted with a heat gun to melt into an organic form. These plates will then be displayed together to create a Dale Chihuly inspired mural. This is such a fun project and I know the my students will absolutely love it!
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