What Happens Here Matters
Art Conversations
This past year, Professor Mary Ann Reilly had the opportunity to partner with Cynthia Slotkin, principal of Jefferson Elementary School in New Rochelle, the fifth grade teachers (Stephanie Arrington, Holly Bruni, Theresa DeLorenzo, Jose Rosa, and Leonette Taylor-Brown), and the school’s art teacher, Paolo Fiorino in an arts-infused literacy project. They collaborated in the implementation of a unit of study designed to deepen students’ understanding of diversity and respect—a curricular topic taught at the fifth grade level. The Fifth graders explored issues of diversity and respect through examination of global multicultural picture books, visual collages, and film. Students discussed and charted similarities and differences they noted in the visual images in the picture books and collages to their own lives with respect to diversity. We augmented these discussions by considering what respect might look like and sound like.
Students concluded this portion of the engagement by viewing a section of Godfrey Reggio’s (1983) Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance. After seeing the film clip, students engaged in art conversations. Art conversations are non-verbal discussions two or more people have using paint as a medium. During an art conversation, pairs “discuss” a particular topic or experience by finger painting with a partner while not talking. Seated opposite one another, with only a palette of paint and a sheet of glossy white finger painting paper (12” x 18”) between them, the partners engaged in a 15 to 20-minute conversation letting the movement, selection of color, use of line, employment of form, and the inclusion of images and icons speak.
Professor Reilly modeled for students how to use the painting as a source for a poem. In each session, she borrowed one pair’s art conversation (See Banner Photo) and asked a student to display the painting for everyone to see. Along with the class, Professor Reilly looked closely at the painting, wondering aloud at what she saw going on and commented on some aspect of line, color, form, value and movement. She also reminded students that we were investigating the question: How are we similar and different? How do show respect in situations where difference is present? Students followed the model and wrote their own poems (See linked poem).
The work continued during the next several months by conferring and helping each fifth grader to revise and edit their poetry, as well as the photographs of their original paintings. Then, using Photoshop software, the work was set in a camera-ready format for the school to reproduce. The students’ work was displayed for the community to view at Jefferson Elementary School on June 4, 2008 at The Fusion Fair and Showcase. Daniel Gonzalez, the Instructional Technology facilitator, reproduced the work students composed as artists and poets on large 44” x 36” posters. These stunning art pieces and literature were displayed at the school for community members, students, and staff to view.