Learning opportunity for teachers
Below is an invitation from Maine artist Mike Libby! Mike is a graduate of Bangor High School and is an amazing artist who established INSECT LAB. Now, he’s sharing his ideas with teachers. I encourage you to respond to Mike and join him on zoom during one or all of the sessions. What a super opportunity to consider how Insect Lab could be part of a lesson or perhaps your school curriculum.
Sculpture Park and Museum
In 1939 Harvey Fite, born in 1903 and died in 1976, started to create an outdoor space to display his sculptures. Thirty seven years later it was completed and somewhere along the way he realized that it was a work of art without any sculptures in it. Fite is a self taught artist who used dry keystone masonry without any mortar hand carving the components. It is called Opus 40 and is a 6.5 acre sculpture gallery in the middle of the outdoors located near Woodstock, NY. You can learn more about Fite and the sculpture park. The public is welcome, although it is not open year round.
I was reminded of Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers where Gladwell claims that it takes 10,000 hours of “deliberate practice” to become world-class in any field. Fite’s work is amazing – check out the video to see it up close without traveling there.
Troy Howard Middle School
I recently received an email from art teacher Lynnette Sproch describing exciting description of the artwork just completed with 13 students who are involved in “art enrichment”. The students meet with Lynnette during a time that is set aside for homework and some also meet during their scheduled art time to go beyond the planned curriculum.
Students pondered and determined that they wanted to collaborate using papier mache to create large sculptures. They created tightly wound newspaper armatures that are held together with masking tape and covered with strips of paper dipped in papier mache solution. One is a man that was hanging in the art room during the time of covering. The student who created it then took home clay and molded a face which was attached. His problem solving skills were enriched while working on the leg angles, so that once hanging against the ceiling there would be no gaps and he would appear to be bursting through the ceiling.
Lynnette had to use a ladder with a “bucket” to get high enough to install the artwork in the foyer 15-20 feet from the ceiling. She said that the goose and the guitars were fairly easy to hang and added brilliant color. The blimp is hanging down the art hallway and no one has touched it (low enough to jump and hit).
She took the students on an in-house field trip to the foyer and on arrival they looked up in amazement. One student wrote a huge sign that says LOOK UP! It took about three months to complete the sculptures. To celebrate the completion of the sculptures they took an out of school field trip to the Farnsworth Museum. Before their departure from Belfast to head south on route 1 to the Farnsworth they had a yankee swap and breakfast at McDonalds first. (does this sound like middle school?!)
Lynnette said: “What a lovely treat to work with this most excellent group of kids.”
You might remember the Mt. Rushmore that Lynnette’s students created last year https://meartsed.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/mt-rushmore-in-belfast/.
Thank you to Lynnette for sending me the information and pictures of the artwork. Perhaps you have an idea that you’ve been working on that you’d like to share. Please email me the information.
Galloping bronze sculpture
Read in the Living section of the Bangor Daily News today, May 17th, about the work of sculptor Forest Hart and how he is connecting with students from Hampden Academy to create the sculpture for their new school. Article written by Robin Clifford Wood. Click here for the article.
Troy Howard Middle School
Last summer Troy Howard Middle School, Belfast art teacher Lynnette Sprooch traveled out west. She was inspired by Mt. Rushmore and brought that inspiration right into her classroom. During the last 2 months Lynnette’s 8th graders spent time recreating an over five feet tall and over six feet long Mt. Rushmore. Lynnette emailed including the photo below and said: this wonderous piece of art is permanently displayed in the hallway of the school for all to see.
Lynnette started an art enrichment team and it was this group of students who worked during their study halls, lunches, and after school to create the large sculpture. I look forward to stopping and seeing it for myself when I have a few minutes. There is nothing like monumental creations for students. They will never forget the event. Congratulations Lynnette and 8th graders!
Please tell us about large projects you have done or are doing. Send photos, and a blurr describing the work.
me arts ed 