Study pollinators found in your school gardens with arts educator and scientific illustrator, Karen Talbot. Practicing careful noticing in the galleries, educators will fine tune their observations through drawing activities and consider the environmental contributions of local pollinators. Together we will collaborate on arts-integrated lessons connecting school gardens, curricular standards, and art.
Investigate the art of encaustic painting in this very hands-on workshop using pigmented wax, and a heated palette! Let's drip, pour, drag, layer, and heat this molten beeswax paint! Explore a rich variety of painterly marks and employ your flat collections of drawings, collected papers, pictures and incorporate found objects into the wax. Classroom modifications will be discussed and together we will collaborate on an arts-integrated lesson connecting this beautiful medium with sustainability, science and even the Ancient Egyptians. Class time will be divided between demonstrations, individual work time, and discussion about historical and contemporary practices. We will also touch on proper studio ventilation, wax safety, and how to “finish” artworks in terms of framing and care.
Crazy quilts were a Victorian textile art phenomenon that encouraged playful engagement with materials and visual spontaneity. Come notice, document, and discuss the many compositional aspects of the Crazy Quilt, part of the Farnsworth’s permanent collection. We will make note of various mark-making techniques, dynamic compositional and material elements, and color and pattern combinations. In the studio, educators will be encouraged to play and compose three-dimensional “quilt blocks” using a variety of materials. Participants will practice collaborating with peer teachers to compose an ever-evolving interactive sculptural piece inspired by the quilt.
Practice dynamic exercises in character study, creative storytelling, and movement in this workshop with David Troup, accomplished actor and Everyman Repertory Theatre’s Production Stage Manager. For inspiration, we will look at the expressions in Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/ Zodiac Heads: Gold (on display at the Farnsworth through December 30, 2018). Delve into performing arts strategies, discover your inner thespian, and with museum educator, Andrea Curtis, consider how character study can connect to studies of theatre, literature, animals, creative writing, and beyond!
Snow date: January 23, 2019
Cozy in and join artist Anneli Skaar in exploring works in the Farnsworth Collection to discover the use of color to describe “white” snowy and icy landscapes. Studio practice will include color mixing and color theory, observing shadows in winter that capture not only the character of snow and ice but also clue us into brushwork, and blending skills which can illustrate refracting light with simple techniques. Collaborate with museum educator, Andrea Curtis, to connect this work in your classroom.
Snow date: February 27, 2019
Create one-of-a-kind valentines with artist Margaret Rizzio and learn about the surprising world of ephemera and mail art. She will show examples of her own personal mailings, including handmade postcards, envelopes, and even a piece of toast! Spend an evening learning unique collage and assemblage art projects to bring back to the classroom.
Snow date: March 27, 2019
Artist Greta Van Campen will join us in the galleries for a study of lines and shapes within American art. Following our careful noticing, we will loosen up a bit and explore various techniques of creating texture, form, and movement with India ink in the studio as participants practice self-portraits. We will review best practices and share tips for using the unique material – one simple material, endless possibilities!
Create a unique booklet that contains both painting and prose. Taking inspiration from both figurative and abstract paintings in the Farnsworth galleries, we will make small paintings that incorporate a solid composition, value structure, and color sensibility. After assessing the completed paintings, participants will use a technique of “free association” to find words and phrases that come to mind, using one of their paintings as inspiration. Using collage, we will arrange the text in a way that describes the mood or sense of place created by the painting, and combine the text and image into a small book format.
