My students need Sculpty and clay tools fo a more permanent material for sculpture. Without the resources of a kiln, Sculpty is an efficient way to let them create more durable works.
Giving students a chance to experiment with quality durable products, like oven fired clay is a great opportunity to explore 3D creativity. Adding the personality of color, even in limited amounts, expands the individuality of these kinds of projects.
Our school is a Title 1 school that is fortunate to experience a great deal of community and administrative support for the arts.
All this support can still be limited by budget. Offering students the broad range of experiences is still a priority for the teachers in the program. Our students have a thirst for creative and expressive projects that offer a variety of venues in materials and processes. We have spent several weeks working with non-drying clays and have seen a great deal of success. The plan is to offer added experiences by applying the techniques developed into another media that allow for permanent record of student endeavors.
Our hope is students will be able be expressive, using skills explored and developed through the additive sculpture process already explored using Plastalina.
My Project
These art students qualify for the program through assessment and exhibit creativity, determination and focus on exploring and creating high quality work. The capturing of student work with photographs helps maintain a record of projects, but unlike keeping the tangible product, it is difficult to reinforce the efforts and successes.
Several students have discovered the ideas and concepts of artists like Marilyn Levine, whose projects emulated materials like leather using clay. The success these students are having sculpting projects that contradict expectations should be shared in a more permanent medium. Ceramic clays would be a preferred medium, but when limitations of kiln access and expenses dictate, alternatives must be found. The Sculpey clay offers a reasonable cost alternative.
The ability to share creativity through a semi-permanent medium gives students a sense of pride when they have creations that can be cherished or gifted.
Students have shown wonderful success and yet have expressed frustration with how their work fails to survive even through short term exhibits. The goal is to complete works that can demonstrate how well they control form, proportions, texture and the appropriate scale for the project.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. H. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.