Figure Sculpture and Drawing at School 7

Under the direction of Art Teacher Ibrahem, students at School 7 have created artworks that use as their basis the work of significant artists, but that express the students’ own creativity and imagination.

Ms. Ibrahem 's fifth grade students studied the work of George Segal, whose work uses sculptures that employ the use of plaster bandages as a medium.  The students created statues of themselves by using rolled newspaper to form shapes that were then fastened together with masking tape.  They then applied plaster bandage.

Once the plaster was set, they painted the figures.  To get the correct proportions, they had to apply their science knowledge of the human body.

At the same time the sixth grade students incorporated into their work the study of kinetic energy, activity, gestures and body language by studying the work of Keith Haring.  Each student created a figure making a gesture representing who they are.  They then added emojis to complete the figures, and to further reflect their personalities.  All the figures were then placed upon the letters A R T. 

The completed work, which gives a sense of movement, vitality, and excitement, is on display at the All Paterson StudentArt Exhibition at the Paterson Museum.  

Ms. Ibrahem’s seventh grade students created self-portraits using the grid technique developed by artist Chuck Close.  This technique incorporates math concepts of ratio and proportion, and allows student to generate large artworks from small photographs, while still maintaining important small details.

The creative artworks described above are thus an exciting combination of art history, science, math, and imagination.

GOPA, CAHTS, and SOIT continue to content-integrate and innovate using STEAM!

Art teachers and their students in three Paterson, NJ public high schools, the School of Government and Public Administration/GOPA, the  School of Information Technology/SOIT, and the School of Culinary Arts,  Hospitality and Tourism/CAHTS continue to content-integrate and innovate using STEAM! As a result new, interdisciplinary art lessons are dominating these programs with support from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and WPU STEAM Art PIR Triada Samaras.  Three of these projects are featured below

In the School of Culinary Arts, Hospitality, and Tourism, Art Teacher Vivian Reyes developed a two-point perspective, still-life painting project with her STEAM students. This project combined math and art. Students were first asked to draw a still-life from observation, using two-point, linear perspective, a technique developed in the early Renaissance by Filippo Brunelleschi.


They learned: "The three components essential to the linear perspective system are orthogonals, the horizon line, and a vanishing point. So as to appear farther from the viewer, objects in the compositions are rendered increasingly smaller as they near the vanishing point. Early examples of Brunelleschi’s system can be seen in Donatello’s relief St. George Killing the Dragon (c. 1416–17)"


 











The next part of this lesson utilized knowledge from science, i.e. color theory. Students learned how colors are mixed using acrylic paint and an extender that keeps this fast-drying paint wet longer.  They also experimented with mixing a variety of color types including complementary colors, analogous colors, and tertiary colors.  Students learned how difficult it can be to create an excellent still life painting from visual observation.  But they were thrilled with their results!

In the School of Government and Public Administration, Art Teacher Darryl Jones created a human figure STEAM project that combined math and art. In the first part of this project, STEAM students learned to create a variety of geometric solids using plasticine clay. 
 
These forms included: the sphere, the cylinder, the rectangular prism, and the triangular prism. These are 3-D forms that students also encounter in their daily math classes, especially in geometry. Mr. Jones explained how often mathematics and the visual arts form intersections using examples from this link.  When students could execute these forms with confidence, Mr. Jones asked them to combine the forms to construct a human form and to give that human form an action. 

Students could choose any type of movement they wanted for their sculptures.  However, Mr. Jones stressed the need for them to all have actual, life-like proportions.  He explained how human proportions also relate to mathematics.   For example Leonard DaVinci studied these proportions in great detail and sketched them in his notebooks. (See his sketch of human proportions below.) 

Mr. Jones placed a photograph of a figure he created himself on the computer monitor as a prompt or inspiration for the students (see image below).

Students successfully created dynamic human form sculptures with their plasticine clay that withstood the ultimate physical test:  standing up, unassisted. They also photographed and drew these sculptures with pencil and paper, thus extending this art work into other media.
The resulting figures were full of life and motion! 

 
























































At the School of Information Technology Art Teacher Marilyn Simon created a grid portrait drawing/painting project that used the contemporary artist Chuck Close as a point of departure. 

This STEAM project used math, art and technology.  First students learned about the grid technique of Chuck Close on Youtube.  Chuck Close, who has numerous physical disabilities, developed this method to help himself "create 3-D space" in two-dimensions. Students were inspired by his story (see video below).

Next students chose a portrait to draw using this grid method. Students could choose to do either a portrait of themselves, or a portrait of someone famous.

Many opted for the latter.
Next students used tempera paint on canvas boards to bring these drawings to life. With the difficult part of the project over (the grid drawing part), students were happy to use invented colors and patterns to complete their portraits.  The results were a surprise for students and teacher alike! 

An Intriguing New Steam Project in an Unexpected Medium at NRC!

Thanks to: the ingenuity and skillsets of New Roberto Clemente Physical Education Teacher Shikman, the NRC extended day program, and the Geraldine R. Dodge STEAM Grant, an exciting new STEAM project is in the works at NRC!  This student project combines art, math and science to create permanent wall plaques for the gymnasium out of lumber, paint, and epoxy.


Mr. Shikman, who teaches hands-on wood skills in the extended day program, approached Dodge Grant Manager, Dina Scacchetti, and Dodge STEAM Art PIR, Triada Samaras, with this interesting STEAM idea. The three held several planning meetings to determine the materials needed, budget, and final desired outcome for this piece.

At NRC, each homeroom has the name of a major U.S. university.  The purpose is to keep students constantly aware of the goal of the school:  that all students prepare for colleges and careers, and that they have the highest aspirations for their futures.

Mr. Shikman, confident his sixth through eighth grade students could handle tools, supervised their use of a wide variety of chisels and hammers so that the students could carve the names of their homerooms into the lumber.  In addition he provided measuring devices and stencils so they could stencil the letters neatly and evenly across the wood.  Math was used to create the spacing and placement of these letters.

After students created the letters in pencil, they proceeded to chisel out the inside of each letter.  A great deal of effort went into this work, with each letter taking considerable time. Students collaborated and took turns to accomplish their goals.
 
Next students will paint the wood and fill the letters in with epoxy.  This will be done outdoors wearing proper safety gear. Mr. Shikman and the students made this choice after considering many options.  Science was used to brainstorm which material was most suitable for their purpose.

Soon the gym will be adorned with eleven new signs.  NRC students are waiting with anticipation!

 

Paterson Student Art and STEAM Art Exhibition at Paterson Museum Opens!

On March 6, 2017, the Gala Reception for the All Paterson Student Art and STEAM Art Exhibition was held at the Paterson Museum at 2 Market Street in Paterson, NJ.  Students, teachers, families, administrators, and William Paterson PIR's were all in attendance for this fabulous event which was catered by students attending the School of Culinary Arts, Hospitality, and Tourism.

Museum Director Giacomo Distefano spoke first.  He praised the Paterson Public Schools for their high level achievements in art, thanking the art teachers, students, parents. principals, and all others involved in making the annual art exhibition and opening reception such a great success.

Ms. Cora Quince, Principal on Assignment for Fine & Performing Arts, opened the exhibition, gathering the Paterson art teachers for a warm rendition of "Stand by Me."











Mrs. Marilyn Simon, Chairperson of the Art Exhibition committee, was presented with an award for her service to the Art Exhibition and to the teaching of Art in Paterson Public Schools.  Mrs. Simon is completing her 49th year of teaching in Paterson, and is eagerly looking forward to her 50th!










A wide variety of art works in multiple media, including drawings, collages, paintings, and sculpture, demonstrated the depth and scope of the Paterson Public Schools Fine Arts Program.

In the center of the exhibition was a STEAM collaborative paper sculpture entitled "Egyptian Amulets," which was created by teachers from a variety of disciplines at the New Roberto Clemente School under the direction of (STEAM) Art PIR Triada Samaras. This project, which included a collaboration of the North Carolina Museum of Art, was done with the generous help of of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation STEAM grant.  

Another impressive work was created by students at School 7, under the direction Art Teacher Ibrahem.  School 7 is also a Dodge STEAM school, having the services Art PIR Myra Winter.  The work, pictured below, is based on the style of Keith Haring.  It is composed of many individual figures, each created by a student who was expressing something about him/herself, which together spell out A R T.

Several administrators attended the gala opening.

At right (from left to right): SOIT Principal Gaines, SOIT Vice Principal Dimartino, Art Teacher Marilyn Simon, SOIT Vice Principal Paz, and Site-Based Art Supervisor Saleem.

At left: Ms. Cora Quince and CAHTS Principal Nieves.

At right:  GOPA Principal Johnson and Art Teacher Darryl Jones.






The next generation of art teachers was also represented.

Mrs. Marilyn Simon and her WPU Practicum Student, Ms. Katie Machere.

Special thanks also go to the following Paterson Pubic School Art Teachers who helped make this extraordinary exhibition a reality:
Co-Chairperson Nicholas Livigne
Vivian Reyes
Ivan Rosa Amy Rothenberg

                                                              Danielle Earle