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Play-based Art Education with George Szekely

As teachers, not only do we strive to make an impact on students, but we also strive to continue learning. Sometimes this means trying new methods to see what works best for us as well as the students. George Szekely is with me today to talk about his hands-on approach with teaching art and how to expand your students’ exposure to art. 

 

Show Highlights:

  • Why George says that Show & Tell should never die
  • The difference between Art and Lecture
  • The one method George could never get rid of
  • The benefits of teaching Adult Art with Kids Art
  • How to integrate more art into lesson plans
  • Why it’s important to give kids art they can physically handle
  • Advice to Art Teachers about options for showcases
  • George shares his thoughts on teaching art in high school
  • Techniques on how to connect with teenagers
  • The importance of letting students know they’re artists

Links Mentioned in the Show: 

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How to Avoid Classroom Management Problems in the Art Room

Inside: Tips for avoiding classroom management problems by creating a culture of trust and respect.

Whether you’ve been teaching for a year or a decade, you’ve no doubt learned the importance of avoiding classroom management problems. When a student doesn’t behave, it can keep the whole class from learning, and it doesn’t take long for one misbehaving student to become a whole class problem. That’s why it’s so important to establish expectations from day one and enforce them all year long.

This post was inspired by my conversation with classroom management guru Michael Linsin on the Art Class Curator Podcast. Listen to our conversation at this link or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Protect the Learning

We have a lot of goals as teachers–teach exciting lessons, mold students into thoughtful citizens, and widen their world with knowledge and learning experiences. Disruptions in the classroom do more than stress you out, they rob the students of the opportunity to learn and keep you from being the best teacher you can be.

Every peaceful classroom is built on a foundation of trust and respect that flows from both the students and the teacher. When we start with trust and respect, students are free to learn and we are free to teach.

A well-run classroom doesn’t require an iron grip. Dictatorships can be effective, but they’re not fun for anyone. Avoiding classroom management problems is vital to enjoying the day-to-day. The best way to protect the learning and the fun is to establish a culture of respect and trust, and you can do that with a promise.

Classroom Promises

Classroom management problems start when students don’t know what to expect. How do they know what to expect? You tell them. And then, you show them.

Telling Them What to Expect

Whether you realize it or not, when you tell your students what the classroom rules and consequences are, you are making them a promise. They are hearing what you want from them and what will happen if they do not deliver.

What behavioral issues do you usually face? What problems only come up every once in a while? Write them all down and use that as a guide to create your rules. You want to cover every possibility. Have clear consequences that you are comfortable enforcing every single time. Consistency matters more than what the actual consequence is. Remember, you’re making a promise. To keep their trust and respect, you have to keep your promise.

After you’ve thought about what you will require from them, consider what you will give to them and why it’s valuable. This is the second part of your promise.

Ideally, you’ll introduce your classroom promises the first time you meet your students. Here’s an example:

As your teacher, I promise to respect you and give you a classroom free from distraction and drama. I promise not to yell at you or belittle you. As a class, we promise to respect one another and our time so that we can learn and explore together.

A promise is a bond. It holds both you and your students responsible. You promised, so you have to follow through. They promised, so they know they have noone to blame but themselves when they break a rule. Putting it front and center from day one creates a culture of accountability that will strengthen every time you enforce the rules.

Showing Them What to Expect

It’s easy to stand in front of your class and say that you expect a distraction-free classroom, but what you consider a distraction is not likely to be shared by all of your students. This is where your list of rules comes in handy. Without a doubt, every classroom needs a rule restricting excessive noise. Kids are creative. They can make noise a LOT of different ways. You can’t list every single possible item that can be used to create excessive noise, but you need them to know the expectations. So, show them!

Have a student act as the teacher while you take on the role of a student. While they’re doing their best impression of you, start making noise.

Crunch a water bottle.
Tap the desk with the tip of a pen.
Whisper to someone nearby.
Interrupt!

Model all the behaviors, big and small, that are against the rules. Don’t be afraid to go a little over the top. Embrace the humor of the situation. You want to make an impression.

After that, model what good behavior looks like. Then, let all the students have a turn! Break them into groups or let the whole class act out what rule-breaking and rule-following looks like. Another benefit of this is giving the students an opportunity to self-reflect and see what their behavior looks like to those around them. You’re not only showing them how to act in your class, you’re teaching them how to be more thoughtful in their interactions with others.

Finally, go over the consequences in detail. Show them what an eye-contact warning looks like, what a verbal warning sounds like, and so on.

When the rules are defined and made clear with examples, the students know exactly what to expect. They know they did wrong, so the blame is not on you, it’s on them for breaking the rule.

Review the Rules

Art teachers have less time with students, so it’s even more critical to spend a few minutes of each class for the first few weeks of school going over the rules. Short rule reviews allow you to get more in-depth as you get to know the quirks of each class.

Do a monthly check-in and consider if there’s any specific rules you need to review with any of your classes. Even if things are going well, review the rules with your students periodically, such as after long holidays or at the beginning of a new grading period.

Life happens. When you’re stressed, things can start to slide. A rule review is a good way to reset expectations or renew your promises.

Shift the Focus

One of the biggest classroom management problems is a student thinking the teacher is being unfair when they get in trouble for breaking a rule. That’s why making classroom promises and creating a culture of trust and respect is so important–you’re taking the focus off of you as the rule enforcer and redirecting it to their behavior and how it violates the promise.

When you immediately and consistently follow your rules and consequences, there can be no cries of unfairness or favoritism. You promised your students a distraction-free classroom, and you’re delivering on that promise. You showed them the rules and the lines in the sand. They have no one to blame but themselves. When you keep your promises and hold them accountable, you can work with your students instead of battling them for control.

Student sitting at desks writing during an exam in college

Classroom Consequences

Your consequences have to be as consistent as your rules, but they don’t have to be dire. You don’t have to go from a warning to an office referral. A misbehaving student isn’t best served when left behind, and you don’t need to spend time bringing them up to speed when they return.

Besides, the simplest consequences are often the best. In my last school, students who misbehaved were required to write their names in a book. They didn’t have to list what they did wrong or anything else, but the act of writing their name down had so much power, they did not want to do it. Some would even try to bargain for detention! It led to instant changes despite the consequence not being severe.

Your Class is the Reward

Rewards work–kind of, temporarily, but they also grind down internal motivation. Students can become obsessed with the reward instead of the lesson. It teaches them that learning is work that they should be paid for, but learning is the reward!

When your lessons are worthwhile, engaging, and interesting, and your students find you charming and lovable, they’ll behave all on their own because they want to spend time with you and learn from you. Being personable doesn’t mean bending the rules. It means modelling kindness and enthusiasm. If students enjoy your class and see you enforcing the rules to protect their ability to enjoy it, they’ll do all they can to safeguard it.

This post was inspired by my conversation with classroom management guru Michael Linsin on the Art Class Curator Podcast. Listen to our conversation at this link or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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art teacher blogs

This post is a part of The Art Ed Blogger’s Network: Monthly Tips and Inspiration from Art Teacher Blogs. On the second Tuesday each month, each of these art teacher blogs will post their best ideas on the same topic. This month, we’re sharing our best ideas for the first day of school!

Participating Art Teacher Blogs:

14: Tips for Leading a Powerful Art Discussion with Cindy Ingram

Today I’m doing something I’ve never done before, and instead of having a guest, I’m going solo today. Join me as I answer frequently asked questions from listeners and students. 

Show Highlights:

  • Art Making versus Art Looking
  • How to facilitate discussion during Art History 
  • Techniques to try so your students will know you’re listening
  • How to keep students engaged
  • Why you learn to find comfort in the silence
  • How to deal with insecurities of your knowledge of an art piece
  • The versatility of teaching Art History
  • Advice on how to teach art when nudity is involved 
  • Why we need to embrace being uncomfortable
  • How to avoid copycat artwork from students 

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Links Mentioned in the Show:

(Some of the links below are affiliate links which help financially support Art Class Curator.)

Resource Library 

The Nudity Question

How to Lead Art Discussions Webinar

5 Tips for Meaningful Classroom Art Discussion

Killing Your Color Wheels with Jim O’Donnell

The rigidity of rules may be hindering creativity for young artists.

Jim O’Donnell didn’t take his first art class until he was almost graduated from high school. Jim is proof that you’re not doomed if you didn’t learn the technicalities at a young age.  

 

Listen to him share his experience with how his art painted its way into his life and, in return, has done the same for his students. Jim shares his pedagogies of inspiring and teaching future Elementary Education majors, the importance of failure, and how to get find balance with a school system focused on a grade letter. 

Show Highlights:

  • How Jim traded Advertising for Art
  • Jim explains the idea behind his blog Kill Your Color Wheels
  • How assessing art in the classroom isn’t as easy as a multiple choice test
  • Why perfectionism is the enemy of creativity
  • Why it’s important to encourage kids to fail more
  • Learn how art teachers can find the balance between imposing letter grades and nourishing growth
  • How art teaches us to slow down in a fast and furious society
  • The non-academic way of grading that’s difficult to measure
  • Jim talks about how he handles the difference between naturally talented artists vs. those who work harder
  • The importance of relaxing into what’s uncomfortable
  • Impactful artwork for Jim: Abbott H. Thayer Winged Figure, 1889 

 

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Please note, this post includes Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

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Things Said About Us: Art-Inspired Self Esteem Activity for Kids

Inside: In this art lesson, students analyze an artwork by Molly Crabapple and discuss how it relates to self-confidence and contemporary culture. Paired with art-inspired self esteem activities for kids where students compliment one another, they’ll discover the power of words.

Our students’ self-worth is under attack. Social media allows bullying and harassment to take place out of the sight of parents and teachers. Taunts and insults can be hurled with the press of a button, leaving little room to consider the consequences or the humanity of the person receiving the abuse. There is no escape because the places and times that were once safe spaces are now invaded by gadgets that we never turn off.

Things Said About Us-Art-Inspired Self Esteem Activities for Kids-Molly Crabapple-700x1000

In this cultural climate, it’s easy for educators to feel powerless to help. But we can help with art-inspired self esteem activities for kids. Looking at art can be a healing, empathy-inducing experience for an entire class. Molly Crabapple’s Portraits of myself and Lola Montes with things said about us by our contemporaries is a powerful, transfixing two-sided sculpture that confronts these issues directly.

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This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

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Molly Crabapple, Portraits of myself and Lola Montes with things said about us by our contemporaries, 2014
Molly Crabapple, Portraits of myself and Lola Montes with things said about us by our contemporaries, 2014
Molly Crabapple’s Portraits of myself and Lola Montes with things said about us by our contemporaries-detail self esteem activities for kids

One side features a self-portrait of Molly Crabapple annotated with things written about her on the internet and the other side is a portrait of Lola Montez covered by the words of her critics.

Molly Crabapple’s Portraits of myself and Lola Montes with things said about us by our contemporaries - back
Molly Crabapple, Portraits of myself and Lola Montes with things said about us by our contemporaries, 2014
Molly Crabapple’s Portraits of myself and Lola Montes with things said about us by our contemporaries - detail

The mingled themes of dehumanization, self-confidence, intimidation, and the power of words that pervade this sculpture will resonate with your students, which makes it a perfect piece with which to create self esteem activities for kids. Below are some discussion questions that will help your students explore this piece and their reactions to it.

Art Discussion Questions

  • What’s going on in this picture?
  • How does this make you feel?
  • How does the artist’s choices in media and style impact the overall feeling of this work?
  • Why do you think the artist chose to depict herself in this way?
  • What does this artwork remind you of?
  • How does this artwork relate to our contemporary culture?

self esteem activity for kids - 2

Self Esteem Activities for Kids

After discussing the artwork, complete one or more self esteem activities for kids based on The Compliments Project that will uplift your students and remind them of the power they have to do good. You can have students:

  • Anonymously write compliments about each other on paper.
  • Have students draw a self-portrait with their name under it. Then let students walk around the room and write compliments on each other’s self-portraits.

To extend the lesson, students can create an artwork inspired by the compliments they wrote. Or, they can create an artwork that merges their compliments and the negative comments inspired by Crabapple’s work.

Watching this video of people reacting to being called beautiful is a touching way to wrap up the lesson, but be warned that there is some strong language.

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Portraits for a New Century: Kehinde Wiley Art Lesson

Inside: In this Kehinde Wiley art lesson, have students compare and contrast the Kehinde Wiley stained class, Mary Comforter of the Afflicted with an earlier depiction of the same subject. Use the art appreciation worksheet bundle to further your student’s exploration of this artwork.

Kehinde wiley art lesson

I’m shining the spotlight on contemporary portrait painter Kehinde Wiley. His timely artworks are exciting to students and teachers alike as they confront the social and political issues that dominate many of today’s news cycles.

Get the Full Lesson!

This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

Find the full lesson from this post along with hundreds of other art teaching resources and trainings in the Curated Connections Library. Click here for more information about how to join or enter your email below for a free SPARKworks lesson from the membership!

Join the List
Kehinde Wiley, Barack Obama, 2018
Kehinde Wiley, Barack Obama, 2018

His powerful works are well-known in the art world and gained wider notoriety after being featured on the television series “Empire” in 2015. The recent decision to have Wiley paint Barack Obama’s official presidential portrait has no doubt cemented his popularity for decades to come.

Wiley is best known for painting young black people he encounters and placing them in revamped versions of traditional portraits. The glory, power and prestige once reserved only for white subjects is transferred to modern black men and women wearing everyday clothing. His paintings fuse the past and present in ways that force us to confront our notions of wealth, importance, race, and gender.

Kehinde Wiley art lesson At left: Kehinde Wiley stained glass, Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, 2005; At right: Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, 1801
At left: Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, 1801; At right: Kehinde Wiley, Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, 2005

Wiley’s bold backgrounds often feature flowers and greenery or intricate baroque patterns that clash with the photo-like realism of his subjects. Many of his portraits are larger than life and stand over six feet tall. Looking at Wiley’s portraits, it’s impossible to miss the gaze of his subjects. They make eye contact and hold the viewer in place, towering over and transfixing them until they ponder the decisions the artist made and the meaning he hoped to convey.

There is a political and racial context behind everything that I do. Not always because I design it that way, or because I want it that way, but rather because it’s just the way people look at the work of an African-American artist in this country.
-Kehinde Wiley

Race is an inescapable element of Wiley’s work. We experience it in light of the culture that surrounds us. We connect the meaning of the art to his race and the race of his subjects. How would our perspective change if he or the people in his paintings were another race? Regardless of Wiley’s intentions, his work speaks volumes about us and our society. This topic alone can provoke hours of conversation.

Kehinde Wiley Art Lesson

Comparing Kehinde wiley stained glass Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted I, 2016, with the original
Comparing Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted I, 2016, with the original

In the artwork above, Wiley uses religious iconography and modifies it to fit today. He replaced Mary, a symbol of comfort, protection, and virtue in Christianity, with a black man holding a child. The juxtaposition of these artworks is sure to spark curiosity in your students and invite a lively discussion into your classroom.

Discussion Questions

  • What’s going on here? What do you see that makes you say that?
  • Who is this man? What is he doing?
  • Explain the expression on his face. What do you think he is thinking?
  • What symbols do you notice in this artwork? (Note the Illuminati eye, shackles, blindfold, and the feather headdress.) What could these things symbolize?
  • What does afflicted mean? How do you see “Afflicted” in this artwork?
  • Examine each character in the artwork (or use one of the activities below). Who are they? What do they think/feel?

Activity Suggestions

Free Worksheets!

Art Appreciation Worksheets

In this free bundle of art worksheets, you receive six ready-to-use art worksheets with looking activities designed to work with almost any work of art.

Download

Classroom Extensions

  • Young Students: Have students create portraits with a patterned background. See Devon Calvert’s lesson for an explanation.
  • Older students: Have students create an updated, contemporary version of an older artwork.

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Art Worksheets to Interpret and Connect with Art

Over the past three years, I have excitedly passed out my free printable worksheets for art to all new subscribers to my email list. I love these art worksheets, and they have benefited so many students and classroom across the world. I am happy to announce that these art worksheets have just gotten a big face lift–a new redesign plus an opportunity to get 5 brand new worksheets!

In this free bundle of art worksheets, you receive six ready-to-use art worksheets with looking activities designed to work with almost any work of art.

Free Art Worksheets Printable Bundle

Just for signing up for my weekly e-mail newsletter, you can receive the 6-pack of appreciation worksheets for art free. Fill out this form to sign up to receive these art work sheets.

Free Printable Art Worksheets

The art worksheets in this document are designed to work with lots of different types of artworks, so you can just pick an artwork, print an art appreciation worksheet, and start the activity. Each art worksheet has instructions at the top and plenty of space to do the activity. If you have any questions about any of the art worksheets or want suggestions on how to use them, do not hesitate to leave a comment on the blog or contact me.

Free Art Worksheets Bundle-FB

The free e-mail subscription gift includes the following art worksheets:

  1. Art Reflections: I see I think I wonder
  2. Write a Haiku Poem
  3. Twitter Perspectives
  4. Exploring Place: The 5 Senses
  5. Write a Cinquain Poem
  6. Compare and Contrast

Free Worksheets

8 Free Art Appreciation Worksheets

includes the Elements & Principles!

Download 8 Free Art Appreciation Worksheets – including 2 Elements and Principles pages! Activities designed to work with almost any work of art. Help your students connect with art while having fun!

Download

Want More Worksheets for Art?

If you like these art worksheets, please consider purchasing the 25-pack of art appreciation worksheets for $12. This includes the 6 from the free pack, plus 19 more ready-to-use worksheets for art. Click for more information about the Art Appreciation Printable Worksheet Bundle 25 pack.

Art Appreciation Worksheet Bundle

This art worksheets bundle from the Art Class Curator includes 25 ready-to-use art worksheets for use with individual works of art. The worksheets for art in this document are designed to work with lots of different types of artworks, so you can just pick an artwork, print a worksheet, and start the activity. Each has instructions at the top and plenty of space to do the activity.

Buy Now

 I can’t wait to hear how these worksheets for art work with your students. Comment below to let me know how it goes. 🙂

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Islamic Art for Kids: Calligraphy Art Project inspired by the Islamic Tughra

Inside: In this Islamic art for kids lesson, your students will learn the basics of the Islam religion, the characteristics of Islamic art and architecture, study the ottoman tugra, and create a calligraphic design of their own inspired by an Islamic tughra.

Have you ever had a moment in your teaching that just took your breath away? Where you stepped back and looked at your students and thought… “I did that.”

This past Spring, I took an “Around the World” approach with my art classes. We studied art from Africa, Australia, Islam, and more. During our field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art, the students noticed that the museum had an Islamic art exhibit on display.

When our tour was over, we were prepping to head across the street to the park to eat lunch, but the students didn’t want to leave the museum. They wanted more art, and they asked to go in the Islamic art exhibit. They wanted to see Islamic art. They were excited about Islamic art. Can you even believe it? They poured through the art looking for tughras and Qurans and arabesques, and my heart was full of satisfaction and love and wonder. I did that.

I think it is especially important for kids to study Islamic art and the Islam religion to break down barriers and develop an understanding of another culture and religion. Through our Islamic lessons, we can build bridges of understanding for our students.

Islamic Art for Kids

Islamic Art for Kids Lesson

After we discussed what we already know and want to know (KWL) about Islamic art and architecture, my Islamic art lesson begins with covering the basics of the Islam religion including the 5 pillars of Islam, Muhammad, the Qu’ran, and the importance of Mecca.

We studied mosque architecture, arabesques, and calligraphy through discussion and interactive learning activities.

Get the Full Lesson!

This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

Find the full lesson from this post along with hundreds of other art teaching resources and trainings in the Curated Connections Library. Click here for more information about how to join or enter your email below for a free SPARKworks lesson from the membership!

Join the List

Ottoman Tugra

In preparation for our art project, we studied the ottoman tuğrâ (or tughra)–which is an Ottoman signature seal, usually of a sultan. The ottoman seal was used as a signature seal for documents, carved into architecture, and placed on coins during the Sultan’s reign. It’s basically a fancy Arabic signature with calligraphic designs and intricate patterns.

Check out the most famous of the Islamic tughras–the Tughra of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. GORGEOUS!

Ottoman Seal Tughra of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent
Tughra (Official Signature) of Sultan Süleiman the Magnificent, ca. 1555-1600

In this ottoman seal, the phrase “eternally victorious” (in Arabic) is combined with both the name of the leader and his father’s name.

This graphic shows how the words work together well. It’s fascinating to see the design at work here.

Image Credit: de:Benutzer:Baba66

Characteristics of an Islamic Tughra

Basic design elements for Islamic tughras include oval loops, vertical lines, curving arabesques, interlacing lines, and decorative fill patterns usually inspired by nature (often floral).

Image Credit: Moloch981

In addition to the name and phrase, each part of the ottoman seal has a symbolic meaning (Source). On the left side, there are two loops which may symbolize the two seas that the Sultan controlled (the Mediterranean and the Black Sea).  This part is called the beyze (meaning egg in Arabic).

The repeating vertical lines are the tuğ (meaning flagstaff) which symbolize independence.

The S-shaped lines (zülfe) that cross the tuğ point to the right showing the winds blowing from east to west.

Lastly, the lines that flow to the right (hançer) are meant to depict a sword, showing the power of the Sultan.

My students were blown away at the intricacies of the patterned designs. Take a look at these detail shots of the tughra. Painstakingly beautiful and intricate.

Ottoman Seal Tughra of Sultan Suleiman detail2
Ottoman Seal Tughra of Sultan Suleiman detail1

Islamic Tughra-Inspired Art Project

For our art project, students took the letters of their names and merged them together to make one design. Students manipulated and merged the letters in new ways.

Arabic seal Tughra Student Example

I had to model different ways of combining and manipulating the letters on the whiteboard to help the students get a better idea of how to do this.

tugra islamic art

We also studied the principle of design balance while making our thumbnail sketches to make sure we came up with cohesive and interesting compositions.

ottoman tugra islamic art for kids

Once the student came up with a design and we critiqued it together, the student drew their designs large onto white paper, traced the design with black marker, and added patterns with thin-tipped markers or colored pencils.

islamic art for kids tughra

The final products ended up being simple and bold, and the students were very proud of the work they did!

arabic signature

Try this Islamic art for kids lesson with your students, and let me know how it went in the comments!

I also did a free class about the Suleiman tughra. Watch the recording here.

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Exploring Works of Art with the Five Senses

Inside: Hone your art senses! These multisensory artworks can be explored through the lens of the five senses. Use this free art worksheet to analyze these artworks with your students.

Have you ever completely lost yourself in a painting? Last year, I was at the Art Institute of Chicago when El Greco’s The Feast in the House of Simon engulfed me. It was one of those times where an artwork grabs me and doesn’t let me go.

Cindy at Museum - art senses

When an artwork captivates me, I like to reflect later on what it was that got me–the color, the emotion, the lines, and the scale. In addition to swimming in El Greco’s unmistakable style, I think it was the overall feeling of this place that drew me in–the sights, the sounds, and the atmosphere.

Art can take us away and help us experience new places. Students can experience this journey to new places and work on their descriptive language skills at the same time through close observation and exploration of a work of art.

I have chosen five artworks that you could use to help transport you and your students to a new place through your art senses–whether it is a landscape to experience or an artwork that uses a multisensory approach.

Exploring Art with the 5 Art Senses Pin

Develop your Art Senses

Take these artworks, and use the “Exploring Place: The 5 Senses” from my free printable art worksheet bundle. The worksheet has students imagine they have entered the artwork and describe what they might experience through the 5 senses plus a bonus question about how would it feel to be in this place.

Click here to get my free printable art worksheet bundle which includes the exploring art through the five senses worksheet!

Ann Hamilton’s The Event of a Thread

Exploring art through the five senses a natural fit for installation art. The artist’s goal is to create an experience for the “viewer,” and artists usually always address most of the five senses to do this.

In Ann Hamilton’s The Event of a Thread, large swings hang from the tall ceiling of Manhattan’s Park Avenue Armory. The swings are connected to the top of an enormous and billowing white fabric. As people swing, they directly impact the flow of the fabric.

Records play discordant singing and speaking, spotlights shine down on the swing, bells ring, and the voices of viewers echo in the large chamber.

Visit Ann Hamilton’s website for a longer video of the installation without the interviews.

In the middle under the cloth, I knew it would be a really wonderful place to stand–to have the kind of turbulence and the liquidity of the cloth fall around you. But I was totally unprepared for the fact that people would lay down on the floor and stay horizontal for a long, long time. — Ann Hamilton

Ann Hamilton says one family stayed in the space for three hours to experience it.

Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)

A huge pile of colorfully crinkled, wrapped candy sits in the corner of the museum floor. Visitors are invited to take and eat a piece of candy if they wish.

Exploring Art with the 5 Senses - Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) by Felix Gonzalez-Torres Photo Credit henskechristine.jpg
Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), 1991, Photo Credit: henskechristine.jpg

The candy equals the ideal weight of the artist’s partner, Ross, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991. As museum-goers take pieces of candy from the installation, it mimics the weight loss that Ross suffered because of his illness. The artist instructed the museum to resupply the candy regularly so that it continually gives life back to Ross.

The taste connection is obvious, but you can also think about the crinkly sound of the candy wrapper, the bright colors, the way it would feel if you were to stick your hand into the pile, and exploring the emotions that come from knowing you were eating away the weight of a sick person.

Extend your discussion further and look at these Instagram posts of the artwork. How does the goofiness of some of the photos fit in with the seriousness of the work?

J.M.W. Turner’s The Slave Ship

JMW Turner, The Slave Ship, 1840 - 5 senses art
J.M.W. Turner, The Slave Ship, 1840

This painting has all of the senses covered–the taste of the salty air and water, the smell of blood and fish, the sound of the roaring storm, the feel of the sharp waves, the sight of the beautiful sunset mirrored in the red blood in the water. It’s a total powerhouse of a painting.

I use this painting in my color lesson to discuss how artists use color to create mood.

Terese Agnew’s Portrait of a Textile Worker

Terese Agnew, Portrait of a Textile Worker, 2005 - five senses paintings
Terese Agnew, Portrait of a Textile Worker, 2005

This 8’x9’ artwork is a construction of 30,000 clothing labels stitched together to make a portrait of a textile worker in Bangladesh (original photo taken undercover by Charles Kernaghan, the Director of the National Labor Committee).

The artist created the artwork in response to an interview she heard about “the appalling treatment of these garment at a plant in Nicaragua where the women were forced to work 14 to 16 hours a day 6 and 7 days a week.”

Students can consider the conditions in these factories by looking closely at this artwork and imagining what it must be like to be in that environment. In addition to analyzing the setting of the artwork, students can also connect with the character and her emotions as well. What can they tell about how they would feel in this space based on the emotions of the woman depicted?

This artwork can also be explored through the sense of touch. If we were allowed to touch this artwork, it would connect us with the 30,000 people across the world who had a hand in making these labels and the clothing they were attached to as well as the thousands of women who hand-cut these labels from their clothing.

Rirkrit Tiravanija’s Untitled (Free)

In 1992, Rirkrit Tiravanija created an art experience in the 303 Gallery in New York City. In the exhibit space, he set up a kitchen, cooked rice and Thai curry, and offered it for free for exhibition visitors. 20 years later, the MOMA recreated the exhibit to scale in its own galleries.

Invite students to explore the taste and smell of the food and the sound of the kitchen alongside the sound of the people talking.

You aren’t looking at the art, but are part of it—and are, in fact, making the art as you eat curry and talk with friends or new acquaintances. — Rebecca Stokes

As an extension, use this artwork in a discussion about aesthetics. Is this art? Why or why not?

Shen Zhou’s Poet on a Mountaintop

Shen Zhou, Poet on a Mountain Top, 1496 - art and the senses
Shen Zhou, Poet on a Mountain Top, c. 1496

Of course, I have to include one of my favorite paintings of all time, Shen Zhou’s Poet on a Mountaintop. As a staunch introvert, this is my dream painting. It is perfect for imagining setting–the quiet nature sounds, the vastness of the landscape, and the smell of morning dew, maybe the faint tinkle of the temple sounds in the background.

As you can see, you can use the five sense worksheet with a variety of types of artworks–from installation art to exploring landscapes to connecting with real people.

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This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

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Continue Exploring Art with the Five Senses

Intrigued by the idea of connecting the senses with art? Check out this exhibit from the Tate Gallery that helps visitors explore art through the five senses.

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How to Teach Abstract Art

Inside: Use this abstract art lesson to teach abstract art to your middle school and high school students. Students draw a bull four ways and look at art by the Bull Series’ by Pablo Picasso and Roy Lichtenstein to learn the process from realistic to abstract art.

How to Teach Abstract Art Lesson - PIN

My kids could do that! How many times have you heard that phrase uttered about some truly complex abstract art?

How do you get across to your students the true nature of what abstract art is and where it starts in a way that makes sense to them? Use this abstract art lesson to teach this difficult concept.

How to Teach Abstract Art, Concept of Abstraction, Roy Lichtenstein, Bull VI, 1973
Roy Lichtenstein, Bull VI, 1973

Take a look at this artwork by Roy Lichtenstein. It is non-objective art, which means it doesn’t show an image that most people would recognize. The composition is made up of lines, shapes, and colors arranged into a pleasing composition. Then it gets a little confusing because non-objective art is abstract, but not all abstract art is non-objective.

What would you think if you found out that this print was originally representing a bull?

Do you see it? No, not really.

Now take a look at all of them together. You can see that in each print Lichtenstein simplified the image before it until the bull was no longer recognizable.

How to Teach Abstract Art, Concept of Abstraction, Roy Lichtenstein, Bull Series, 1973 Abstract Art Project
Roy Lichtenstein, Bull Series, 1973

Artlex.com (may it rest in peace ?) defined abstract art as “Imagery which departs from representational accuracy to a variable range of possible degrees, for some reason other than [appearing to be true or real].” Abstract art can have identifiable things in it and still be abstract.

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This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

Find the full lesson from this post along with hundreds of other art teaching resources and trainings in the Curated Connections Library. Click here for more information about how to join or enter your email below for a free SPARKworks lesson from the membership!

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Abstract Art Lesson

To help illustrate the concept to students, I take inspiration from Lichtenstein’s Bull Series as well as Picasso’s (see the bottom of post). Before ever showing the art to the students, I have them do the following activity.

First, the students draw three or four big rectangles to fill a 9×12 piece of paper (or in their sketchbooks). For my 7th and 8th graders, I have them draw four, and the 6th graders draw only three.

Abstract Art Lessons

In the top rectangle, I ask the students to draw a realistic bull as best as they can. I show them some of the contour lines in the bull, point out how to put some shading in there, and encourage them to draw as many details as they can.

Then, in the bottom rectangle, the students draw a stick figure of a bull–as simple as they can get it.

Abstract Art for Kids

In the middle rectangle(s), I then instruct the students to think of their paper as a journey to the simplified bull. How do you get from a realistic bull to a simple one? Fill in the center rectangles with the steps between. Usually in the second from the bottom box, the bull is basic shapes, and in the second rectangle, it has the correct bull shape but with fewer details.

Pablo Picasso’s Bull Plates for Teaching Abstract Art

After the activity, I then describe to students that we were doing the process of abstraction, define the word, and then show Picasso’s Bull Series in secession from the most realistic bull to the least realistic bull.

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Here is a link to the Picasso Bull series slideshow so you can view it full-screen in your classroom.

(Yes, they are going to giggle at these a little bit, but just shut it down with some “You are more mature than this” teacher guilt, and you will be fine.)

After looking at Picasso’s bulls, I show Lichtenstein’s series, starting with the most abstract first.

To supplement this abstract art lesson, you may consider having students read this article from Art is Fun. She describes abstract art in an understandable way that would help students make deeper connections with abstract art.

Have your students try out this abstract art lesson and ask them again if their 2-year-old sister could do this. My guess is no. ?

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Super Fun Art Description and Drawing Activity for Developing Language Skills

Have you ever had a learning activity that was so fun that your students laughed until they cried and fell out of their chairs? This art description and drawing art appreciation activity is one of my go-to activities for great practice at analyzing art while making amusing art connections.

Drawing Description Art Learning Activity - Cindy Ingram - Art Description Activity

In this activity, students are forced to look closely at an artwork and notice all of the details while practicing their language and art description skills.

Video

If you prefer to watch rather than read, I did a Facebook Live about this activity early in the month. (Facebook video not working below? Click here to see it on YouTube.)

Art Description and Drawing Activity

Here’s how it goes. Divide your class into partner pairs. Each pair sits so that one student can see the artwork and one cannot. You can either have the artwork projected onto the wall or give one member of each group a printed copy of the artwork. (Hint: If you’re using your computer to project the artwork image, don’t forget to hide your screen from the students who are drawing!)

Want a document of suggested artworks for this activity? Snag a freebie PowerPoint with artworks!

Free PowerPoint!

Drawing Description Game

This incredible art appreciation game is a great way to engage students with works of art! This presentation includes several artworks plus blank sides to make playing the game easy.

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The student who can see the artwork then must describe the artwork to the other student in detail while they draw it based only on the art description. The describing student must not point to or draw on the drawing student’s paper.

As students work, walk around the room and encourage them to use their words only. Help students come up with metaphors and art descriptions when they are struggling.

For example, some of my students struggled when faced with this artwork.

Salvador Dali, Sleep, 1937 - Art Description Activity
Salvador Dalí, Sleep, 1937

Many students said it was a face but had trouble going beyond that. I asked them to think about what the shape looked like overall, and many said it looked like a whale or a fish. That gave them a jumping off point. I also modeled other metaphor ideas—like a vacuum was pulling all the skin from your head from the back. After I said that, one student said it was like a blow dryer was blowing all the skin from the head into a point. Not the perfect descriptions, but they helped students process and describe the shapes that they were seeing.

Marcel Carem, Campo de Cafe, 2013
Marcel Carem, Campo de Cafe, 2013

I find this activity to be especially great for my English Language Learners. In one artwork, I chose a painting where a tea kettles transformed into a tree. The drawing student didn’t know what a tea kettle was, and the describing student had to figure out a way to describe it using other words. It was a great challenge for her and made her push beyond the word tea kettle into describing the lines, shape, form, and function of the object she was trying to describe.

Art Description Activity


After students finish, do the final reveal and have the drawers look at what they were trying to draw. Let the laughter ensue!

In one 50-minute class period, you should be able to fit about four rounds of this activity where each student gets to draw twice and describe twice.

Artwork Selections

Want to try it out with your students? Click below to download a free PowerPoint to get you started.

Curious about the artwork that caused my 9th graders to fall out of their chairs? Check out What You See Might Not Be Real by Chen Wenling. You’re welcome.

Mentioned on the Art Class Curator Podcast…

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10 Fun Activities to Engage with Works of Art

Do you want to look at artworks with your toddlers and preschoolers, but you think they are too young? They are not! Looking at art opens kids up to new cultures and ideas, helps them learn empathy, and develops creativity and critical thinking skills.

The Art Curator for Kids - 10 Fun Activities to Engage with Works of Art

Try some of these activities out with your little one in front of any artwork of your choosing to get him or her engaged with works of art.

10 Fun Activities to Enjoy Works of Art

Free PDF

10 Fun Activities to Engage with Art

Get active with art! Here are some of my favorite interactive art activities for kids and students of all ages!

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  1. Talk about it. This can be as simple as pointing out funny things, counting objects, or discussing shapes. (Try these artworks for a great place to start. And check out these tips and these for more suggestions.)
  2. Move! Put your bodies into the position of the characters, pantomime the actions, make up a dance, or play charades. (Check out this post for some great artworks for this activity!)
  3. Play “I spy.” One person choose something from the artwork and gives hints about it while the other people guess what it is. Or, check out this I spy art book series!
  4. Make a texture bag. Place a textured object that is similar to something in the artwork in a bag. Have the child reach into the bag, feel the texture, and describe it without looking at it.
  5. Make up a story about the artwork together. What happened before the scene in the art? What will happen next?
  6. Integrate your child’s toys. Use the artwork as the spark for some pretend play. Use blocks to build the scene or use toy characters to act out the story. Take the child’s lead.10 Fun Activities to Enjoy Works of Art-Draw
  7. Draw the artwork. Drawing the artwork makes the child spend more time looking at it. The more looking they do, the more they benefit from the experience.
  8. Practice description skills. Have the child describe the artwork to someone who has never seen it before. If old enough, have the second person draw the artwork based on the description of the child.
    10 Fun Activities to Enjoy Works of Art-Museum
  9. Visit an art museum and play. Did you know that most art museums offer special materials for families to use in the galleries? Ask at the front desk if they have any family guides or resources to use on your visit. These often include scavenger hunts, discussion guides, games, and/or books to read in front of artworks.
  10. Have a museum scavenger hunt. Before you go, print a small clip from the artwork or a picture of an item from the artwork. (Check out the museum’s website to find out what is on view). Then, have the kids look for their picture in the museum.

Try it out, don’t stress, and have fun!