Spoiler alert:
Student-made ceramic jewelry has been backed, strung, and wrapped. You may find it soon under a Christmas tree near you.
Ms. Sandy and the students put on the finishing touches.
Three pendants for three special people.
Coordinating bead work
Choosing tissue paper
Wrapping: Step One
Wrapping: Step Two
Voila!
Have a happy holidays and we’ll see you after break!
At The Neighborhood Academy, it’s not just the art classrooms that are engaged in creative enterprise. This semester, Mr. Cody’s computer class designed and constructed their ideal structures.
Here’s a sampling of student work. Enjoy!
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Portraits on the Street
Among other skills, art students at The Neighborhood Academy have been learning about shape, form, and line through contour drawings. Contour drawing involves drawing only the outside lines of an object.
Recently, a group of students and staff set out to do blind contour sketches of people on the street. Blind contour drawings help the artist focus on what she is seeing. The artist cannot look down at her hands, but must focus on the subject of her drawing.
In addition to being blind contour, these portraits are continuous line drawings, in which the artist’s pen cannot lift off the page This technique creates a portrait out of one continuous line.
Can you tell which students were able to to use continuous line?
Arts Connection students working with teaching artist, Sandra Moore have been shaping the ongoing ceramic installation project. See the students in action!
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Just in case you haven’t had the chance to experience Art in the (Neighbor)’Hood’s interactive installation at the Union Project…
Ray says go!
You only have 2 more days!
The installation is complete!
Lataja and Ms. Michelle are excited that the installation is complete!
Art in the (Neighbor)’Hood Arts Connection students wrapped up their big project at the end of the month. The project took weeks of preparation, planning, and great art making.
Keep reading to learn about the group’s creative process and individual artworks.
Alicia + Mariah
Working as a team, art students Alicia and Mariah co-created a Truth or Dare box that encourages audience interaction.
Alicia installs their Truth or Dare art mailbox.
Mariah kneels by the finished piece
Installed directly to the left of the Negley bus stop, their bright box invites people to choose from either the truth or dare side of the box.
The truth side asks the reader a question. The dare side challenges the reader to perform an action (like jumping jacks).
These students dare you to jump in and get involved with their art!
Truth or Dare
Alexis + Charlie
While planning out her design, Alexis came up with a very creative (and eye-catching) solution. Drawing from her love of octopi (aka octopuses), she used felt and batting to finish off her advice box.
Notice the transformation…
Before Charlie
From mailbox…
to sea creature…
After Charlie
Thus octopus Charlie was born!
Mikayla with help from Ray
Mikayla found her inspiration from words of inspiration.
Ray and Mikayla writing inspirational messages for Mikayla's art mailbox.
After writings cards and cards of inspirational messages, Mikayla created an art box where people can take an inspirational message while passing by.
Installing Inspiration (with help from the crossing guard)
Just in case passer-bys are subsequently inspired, she installed pen and paper so they can leave a message of inspiration as well!
Installed!
Lataja + Jokes
Lataja also took an inventive approach to creating her box. Being the jokester that she is, she decided to create a mailbox with funny jokes (and punchlines) for anyone to read and re-share later with friends.
Jokester Lataja poses with her box.
So that makes me wonder…
…why did that lobster blush?
Last but not least…
Cherice!
Cherice!
Cherice took her mailbox idea extremely out of the box.
Instead of personalizing an individualized box, Cherice decided to think big picture.
***
Ms. Emily helps install the arrows.
Her bright arrows attract attention and give the overall group art installation continuity.
Cherice came up with the idea of using red, orange and yellow yarn to craft large arrow shapes.
In just a couple weeks time Cherice learned and perfected the art of knitting. With help from Ms. Michelle and Ms. Amanda, Cherice created and installed three attractive arrows.
The arrows in action
More images below!
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(Guest student bloggers, Mariah and Alicia revisit the Arts Connection field trip to The Mattress Factory.)
Mariah and Alicia had so much fun in the glow in the dark room. All the colorful dots on the floor were neon.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Interviews about The Mattress Factory
Raymond & Alexis
Mariah: What was your favorite art installation inside of The Mattress Factory?
Raymond: My favorite art installation was “The Room” installation because it told a story.
Alexis: My favorite art installation was the room with the purple fog inside the open window.
Mariah: What was your least favorite installation inside The Mattress Factory and why ?
Raymond: I didn’t have a least favorite because there is no such thing as good or bad art. There’s only things that you cannot comprehend.
Alexis: My least favorite installation in The Mattress Factory was the room with the hole built into it because it made me feel like I was going to fall through.
Inspired by recent workshops by areaDANCE at The Neighborhood Academy, Arts Connection student, Lataja choreographed some new moves.
For more photos of the areaDANCE workshops, check out The Neighborhood Academy’s facebook page.
As previously mentioned, students at The Neighborhood Academy’s Arts Connection Art in the (neighbor) ‘Hood class have been invited by the Union Project to create an onsite art installation.
The Union Project Installation Site
Located exactly one mile round trip from our new North Aiken location, the Union Project is a 30 minute walk both ways.
In an effort to cut down on time spent in transit, while still maintaining a neighborhood-centered approach, Arts Connection teaching artists went in search of a fun and safe alternative that would be both environmental and community-friendly.
Enter MGRF and UPMC Children’s Hospital!
Arts Connection classes have received tremendous support from the MGR Foundation (MGRF), a community organization whose Pittsburgh office is located in Lawrenceville. MGRF has generously lent out a small fleet of bicycles for student use.
After a day of practice and safety workshops and helmets donated by Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Arts Connection students were ready to get on their bikes and ride!
Above, the group is biking to the installation site. In the video below, you can watch the beginning of the journey back. The students conquer the Black Street hill daily. (And it is quite a hill!)
Good work students! Who says artists can be athletic!
Art in the (neighbor)’Hood Arts Connection students tried out some of their installation skills with some of the basic building blocks of life… LEGOs!
After mapping their school community on paper, the students designed mini installations appropriate for their school community, space, and message as artists.
While Cherice and Mikayla represented the daily cafeteria scene (above and right), Alexis worked through one of her dislike of stink bugs (below).
In a collaborative effort, the group created giant letters to install above the main entrance to the new school.
Welcome!
