Artist Study

Over the last two weeks, students began learning about two new artists. In Art, Mrs. Kane is teaching the children about Pablo Picasso and they are completing unique masks in his style. In our classroom, we are learning about Faith Ringgold as an artist and an author. Focusing on her life and the artistic techniques she uses, we have been quite keen observers while looking closely at her work. Faith Ringgold is best known for her painted story quilts - art that combines painting, quilted fabric, and storytelling. We are learning to look closely and replicate intricate artistic details through a study of her work, Tar Beach. This artist and her rendition of Tar Beach is reminding us of the setting used in Ezra Jack Keats' stories. We've been looking closely at what life is like for his characters (Archie, Louie, Jennie, Peter, etc) living in a city and noticed similarities when looking at the buildings and life in NYC, where Tar Beach takes place. You may get a sneak peak of the art we are creating below, but we will be saving them for your viewing pleasure at the Art Show. The tentative scheduled date for this evening show is Thursday, April 16th. More details and confirmation to come!

Here are some questions to inquire about with your child!
What is a tar beach?
Why is the George Washington Bridge important to Cassie?
Why does Cassie fly in the story?
What do her parents do for a living?
What time of day and what time of year does the picture/story take place?
What is the purpose of the quilt patterns and the quilt border around the art?

After break, we will be doing some response and opinion writing directly connected to Cassie's dreams in Tar Beach.