While we had each dabbled with using natural art materials in different ways, we had yet to form a cohesive approach to the way we integrated it into our curriculum. Until now.
After years of working with the amazing Ane Carla Roveta and an inspiring workshop given by Rebecca Burgess, we decided as a team that it was time to have students learn what paint is, what dye is, what paper is by talking a walk around campus to harvest the materials necessary for creating each of these things. Understanding how art supplies are made offers us and our students the freedom to further discover the art making potential in any environment.
First, it was important to identify and assess what we would need in order to undertake this project. We came up with:
- Support from our administration
- Experts in the fields of dye and pigment plants, rocks, and trees
- A collaborative spirit and willingness to take risks and try new curriculum in our art rooms
- A budget
- a proposal of how we would like to develop curriculum around an Art Garden
Our first step was to get to know the plants around campus that are already useful for this purpose. So we took a walk with the knowledgable MCDS gardener/landscaper Jeff. He pointed here and there to the many things growing that would provide fiber for paper, color for stains, even sap for watercolor. We looked at possible places to grow even more useful plants, specifying native and non-native, paying special attention to the mutual benefit of using native species.
We concluded our first day of work on the Art Garden by planting coreopsis, which yields a yellow and gold color, blooming into November for students to harvest. With crossed fingers and a goodbye for the summer, we walked away from our garden as the summer began.
No comments:
Post a Comment