The Student’s Studio -373R’s ART SPOT w/ Ms. Seminara

Hi everybody! I hope that you will use the artblog blogroll to access some really great sites for learning about and creating art. The museum sites are great and have fun activities. Please feel free to post comments!

Students have been learning about the Mexican holiday known as “El Dia de los Muertos” which takes place on November 2nd. On this day, Mexican families decorate their homes and schools with skeleton figures, called Calaveras, and remember their deceased relatives. Rather than be a day of sadness, the holiday is one of celebrating the person’s life. Often the figures are dressed in clothing and accessories that remind us of the person when he or she was alive. To celebrate and learn about this interesting cultural event, students created their own calaveras figure, which could be in honor of a relative or of a ficticious person. Afterwards, they have introduced their “person” with a brief “remembrance”. Look for these in the coming weeks!

Have you seen some of our Khamsas (Hand designs) hanging around the building? They are inspired by Northwest African Khamsas, which are symbols of peace and welcome used for centuries by various tribes. Each tribe or family has their own design, which is often hung by an entryway to welcome visitors and identify the family. Students read about the history and meaning of the khamsas, and were asked to create a pattern on their own hand design. They then completed a biography poem to introduce themselves.
Take time to read our poems and learn a bit about who we are.

Lady Liberty (aka Ms. Daniels from the Noble Maritime Collection) stopped by recently to talk to some of our students about herself and the harbor that is such an important part of our city. Students were able to ask her questions about how the Statue of Liberty came to our country, what it means to people, and about what we find in New York Harbor today as well as centuries ago. Students from Ms. DiMeo’s, Ms. Caputo’s, Ms. Madino’s, and Mr. Mac’s classes are participating in a workshop series with the Noble Maritime Collection of Snug Harbor, which will continue On October 23, 2007, when a visiting artist will come and work with the students on seascapes featuring ships and vessels found locally. The workshop will end with a gallery exhibit at the museum.
Look for our paintings and prints!

Students from Ms. Gunderson and Ms. Lestan’s classes have been sketching around the building, observing the changes in the garden and the surrounding neighborhood and drawing from their experiences. Visit the first floor bulletin board to see some of their sketches and paintings.