It's Going to be an AWESOME Year in Art Class!

I am so glad to be starting another year at Union Elementary School in our wonderful Art Studio! It has been a busy start to the school year with all the exciting changes at our school this year. Here are some photos from our first week back - check out the teamwork by these fourth graders as they painted community paper using the primary colors and white!



Please check out our updated pages with highlights of the art curriculum for each grade level. Visit our blog again soon for more photos, event info and stories from our studio!

We LOVE All The Colors That We Are!

Union Elementary School artists in Kindergarten through fourth grade worked on an all school community project in their art classes as a surprise for our city for Valentine's Day!  Our quilt was finished just in time to go up in City Hall.  Happy Valentine's Day, Montpelier!

In this project, students were challenged to mix their own skin colors with tempera paint using the primary colors and white.  Students enjoyed experimenting and mixing their skin colors! We read the book All the Colors That We Are: The Story of How We Get Our Skin Color.  We talked about how even though people say “She is black” or “He is white,” all of us have skin that is a different tones of tan or brown.  We learned that our skin color comes from our ancestors, the sun and melanin.  What would you like to call your skin color? Chocolate?  Caramel?  Coffee? Cinnamon? When they were ready, student artists painted one of their hands and printed them onto the canvas or the colorful border of fabric.  There are over 400 handprints on our quilt!  

Students were invited to share how they say “love” in languages spoken in their homes.  These words were written on the canvas after the handprints were dry.  Can you find the word “love” in Turkish? Spanish? Telegu? Japanese? Hindi? Arabic? Ga?  Mandarin? French?  English?  There are over two dozen languages spoken by families in our community!  Please let us know if you would like to add the word “love” in another language that you speak at home.

         Thank you to Paul Gambill and Montpelier ArtSynergy for inviting us to take part in the Valentine’s Day art projects.  We appreciate the donation of the canvas for the quilt by The Drawing Board.  This quilt was sewn by UES staff member Janet Burke - who donated her time and talents as well as the fabric!  A group of third and fourth graders sewed the border fabric during their recess and free time – thanks for volunteering and helping!  Thank you to UES ELL teachers Sylvia Fagin and Hannah Barden for the translations, as well as helping with writing, along with Marita Frey, Samantha Lafleur, Morgan Lloyd.  Thank you to Community Connections teacher Kevin Marlier for helping with the finishing touches.  Thank you to the staff at Montpelier City Hall for this wonderful opportunity to share our artwork with the Montpelier community!  Thank you to the Montpelier Valentine's Day Bandits who put up our paper hearts all over town!  This project was inspired by a lesson designed by art educator Patty Bode. 

Future Architects Design a New School Playground!

Professor Tolya Stonorov and a team of her architecture students are working on new designs for our elementary school playground!  They visited our UES art studio last week to teach a lesson that the college students designed and prepared for a lucky group of first grade artists!  First graders were asked to imagine a character from a favorite book or movie with whom they would like to play. Then they each designed a treehouse where they could play together on the playground!  This visiting group was from the NESt project by 802LAB School of Architecture + Art, Norwich University. 

 Photos by Tolya Stonorov!

Second Grade "Where in the World?" Concert and Art Show

Memory Collage Inspired by Romare Bearden

Figure Inspired by Keith Haring

Self Portrait Inspired by Frida Kahlo

Self Portrait Inspired by Frida Kahlo

Self Portrait Inspired by Frida Kahlo

Figure Inspired by Keith Haring 

Self Portrait Inspired by Frida Kahlo

Memory Collage Inspired by Romare Bearden

Figure Inspired by Keith Haring

Self Portrait Inspired by Frida Kahlo

Memory Collage Inspired by Romare Bearden

Figure Inspired by Keith Haring

Figure Inspired by Keith Haring

Memory Collage Inspired by Romare Bearden

Second Grade "Where in the World" Concert and Art Show - This Thursday!

Concert begins at 6:00 pm in the UES Auditorium.  Following the concert, please join us in the UES Cafeteria for a 

STUDENT ART SHOW featuring...

Inside Me, Outside Me Self Portraits

What do you look like on the inside?  We learned about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who is very famous for her self-portrait paintings.  She was able to show who she was on the inside, and what she saw in her heart and imagination, as well as what she looked like on the outside.  Students were invited to paint what is important to them in the backgrounds of their self-portraits.  They were challenged to draw their faces as they observed them in the mirror, and along the way student-artists made some discoveries about their own faces!

Memory Collage of My Special Place

What makes a place special?  What does a memory look like?  Romare Bearden is a collage artist who created visual stories from his memories.  Just as most people can picture only certain details of past events, Bearden assembled bits and pieces of fabric, photographs, maps, magazines and newspapers to show his memories.  Students were each invited to create a collage that tells a story of an important memory they always want to treasure.  To learn more about Romare Bearden, please visit https://www.metmuseum.org/content/interactives/the_block/index_noflash.html

Happy Places, Happy People

What do you do that makes you feel happy in your Where in the World Place? We discovered the bright and simplistic dancing figures in artwork by Keith Haring.  Students took turns posing in different actions for the class and drawing quick gesture drawings!  Students then each chose their favorite sketch as inspiration for a colorful collage figure.  We thought about how all people have feelings, and people around the world can feel happy for many of the same reasons.  Each student artistically lettered a word that describes something they do that makes them feel happy in their special place in the world.  To learn more about Keith Haring, please visit www.haringkids.com

Upcoming UES Art and Music Events!

Thank you to the entire UES community for all of your support with the Lantern Parade!

We hope you enjoyed a wonderful evening with family and friends.

The fun never stops - May is going to be a wonderful month here at UES!  Please note the new dates for these performances and art shows:

May 3rd “Animals”

6:00 pm UES Auditorium

A 2nd Grade Performance & Art Show paying tribute to the animals of honor!

 

May 10th “Vermont Variety Show”

6:00 pm UES Auditorium/Cafeteria

Celebrate Vermont Studies with a 4th grade variety show performance with a gallery walk to follow!

 

May 17th Kinder Celebration

6:00 pm UES Auditorium/Gym

Join us to celebrate our wonderful year of learning in our first Performance and Art Show!

 

May 25th “Wing It!”

6:00 pm UES Auditorium/Gym

Our first grade takes flight in a wonderful night of aviation!

A musical not to miss! Bird art extravaganza to fly home with after!

If you walked into the art room this week, you would find Kindergarten Artists painting “Mixed-Up Me” Portraits inspired by Pablo Picasso.  First Graders are working on realistic bird drawings inspired by John James Audubon.  Second Grade Artists are sculpting fantastical animals from their imaginations, inspired by Manuel Jimenez and artists from Oaxaca, Mexico.  Third graders are creating abstract compositions of flowers with glue and chalk pastel inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe.  Fourth grade sculptors are working on creating clay figures inspired by their favorite stories and books.   They are learning about the life and work of clay artist Helen Cordero.

The art room is an exciting place to be these days with all of these artists working hard to prepare for their upcoming  shows!  Please let us know if you would like to help us with setting up for the art shows on the afternoons of 4/3, 4/10, 4/17 or 4/25, or with building a giant nest for  the first grade performance on 4/19. Please email Kristina Kane at kristinak@mpsvt.org or call 225-8227 for further information.  

Parade Details!

Getting Ready for the Parade:

Please arrive between 5:15 - 5:30 pm to collect your lantern, your light & a pole.

• Third Grade and Fourth Grade Students: go to the BIG GYM to pick up your lanterns, which will be organized by class groupings.

• Kindergarten, First Grade and Second Grade Students: go to the hallway near your classrooms.

All lanterns will be marked with students’ names so take a minute to make sure you have the right lantern.

Instructions on how to turn on the lights will be supplied. You will also be given a bamboo pole to use for the duration of the parade (please return the pole at the Upper Playground)

By 5:45 pm at the latest, please make your way to Park Avenue. A steward will help to direct you to a place in the parade where you can wait until we start.

Child Supervision:

Students must have a responsible adult accompany them on the parade route. If you would like to have one adult be responsible for a small group of students, that would be okay. BUT students CANNOT be dropped off at the parade site to be met at the end. If your child becomes separated, they should find a steward (stewards will be wearing bright yellow vests.) The hot chocolate table on the UES Upper Playground will double up as the meet up spot.

What to Wear:

Please do dress warmly! You will be outside for a while. Waterproof shoes, thermals, gloves,hats, etc. Gloves are especially useful for carrying the bamboo pole.

The Parade Route:

The parade route will be: straight on Park Avenue, then left on Loomis Street, right on School Street, left on Main Street, Left on East State Street, left on Cedar Street, left on School Street, left on Loomis Street, right on Park Avenue to the UES Upper Playground.  

Lantern Parade Etiquette:

To make this a safe and fun event for everyone in the parade, please go over the following lantern etiquette with your child before the parade:

- Stay with your family or responsible adults

- No running with lanterns

- No swinging the lantern about

- No overtaking the band or stewards with the banner at the front. The band will set the pace!

- Hold the bamboo pole firmly with two hands – with the lantern out in front of them and not back over the shoulder. Please be aware of the people around you and hold your lanterns as high as possible, where it can be seen and enjoyed by all.  

- Keep in tight formation

- Have FUN! Remember to take care of yourself, your friends and your community!

Playground Finale/Celebration:

Hot chocolate and cider will be served and there will be music and entertainment. When you arrive at the playground, please HAND YOUR POLE TO A STEWARD (who will be wearing a yellow safety vest). The lanterns and lights may be taken home.

The celebration will end at 7:00pm.  You may go home directly from the playground.  

Please instruct your children to meet you at the hot chocolate table if you become separated. This will double-up as a meeting spot.