bringing school art to the community

National Art Education Association

Bringing School Art to the CommunityAuthor(s): Ethel TroyerSource: Art Education, Vol. 17, No. 7 (Oct., 1964), pp. 9-11Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3190612 .

Accessed: 15/06/2014 16:01

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

National Art Education Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to ArtEducation.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 91.229.229.49 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:01:35 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=naea

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3190612?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


_ -

o~~~~

C.,

? ~i ~.......--

C

I1

. _ # F ~-~iC, "p.0~ ei

.,

. :, o

C-,

*~~~~~~~~~~~ - \

P .= - * |-tw ^ / ~~~~~~*

? w. "J T I; ??

- W t. C~~---o- _- ?rrrf. g CI



THE SEARCH FOR A WAY to better inform our county citi- zens about the values of their elementary art program led to the decision to showcase the out- standing results of our creative philosophy. The teachers of Bal- timore County's 82 elementary schools revised and enlarged their plans for the biennial county- wide elementary art exhibition so as to present the forceful display they felt would be required to inform children, parents, teachers, and principals, that art expression must show depth in thought and feeling as well as skill in drawing and handling of art materials.

The exhibition was planned for two areas of the community for two consecutive weeks. The audi- toriums and foyers of a school on the east side of the county and one on the west side were re- served a year ahead; and principals cleared these areas of their schools from any other activities. The same exhibition of selected work was to be displayed in both schools. On the Saturday follow- ing the first week of the exhibit, teachers would transfer all display materials from Sussex, the eastern school, to Scotts Branch on the western side.

Early in the year, committees of art teachers began planning for the details of the spring show. Each of the 27 art teachers be- came a member of some committee or received a specific respon- sibility for the exhibition.

On February 1, the arrange- ment committee met and assigned themselves the task of assembling

any props needed for attractive display units.

1. Masonite circles of varied sizes were cut and painted;

2. Adjustable frames for flat work from the county warehouse were freshly painted;

3. Reed and straw matting was collected in varying sizes;

4. Bricks, blocks of wood, dowels, bamboo screens, drift- wood, and panels of glass were assembled;

5. Surveys were made of the schools' potted plants and inter- esting furniture pieces with an eye for using them to enhance the displays.

One teacher volunteered to do all the lettering and another teacher volunteered to photo- graph children at work, enlarge the prints to 16"x20", and tint them in oils -as another means of interpreting art activity to the viewer.

Through March and April, scheduled visits of the art supervisor and each art teacher pro- vided an opportunity to select from the year's work a diversified sampling of projects to be classi- fied in the exhibition catalog list- ing. Each piece chosen for the exhibition catalogue had a special significance and value for the individual child or the group who had produced it.

Each school received an invi- tation to the county exhibition, designed individually by children under the guidance of art teachers. Each local school then an-

nounced and publicized the exhibition in its own community in various ways. Newspapers, TV, radio were contacted to publicize the exhibition dates and places.

Monday and Tuesday of each exhibition week were required to arrange the displays. There was a "fresh" committee of six teachers to assemble the exhibit in each school, thus affording an exchange of ideas between teachers and providing varied arrange- ments for each week's showing. We were extremely grateful to the central office staff and to the school administrators for permit- ting the art teachers to give one or two days of their time to set up the exhibits.

In addition to a copy of the exhibition catalog, each principal received a time-scheduled form on which he might request suit- able hours for groups or busloads of children from his school to visit the county museum during the school day. Principals also received guide sheets suggesting ways in which teachers accom- panying classes to the exhibit might prepare their groups ahead of time for a more meaningful tour. The guide sheet included such suggestions as: Look to see how the same art medium (paint, clay, plaster) has been used in many different ways to suit each individual's style and purpose. Look to see how the "artist" showed what he was thinking or feeling. Did he tell a story? Did he express a mood-happiness, sadness, weariness, mystery? Look to see what the artist did to attract and hold your attention to his work. Was it the message?

ethel troyer baltimore county schools



Was it the striking use of color contrasts? Was it the boldness of _ forms? Look to see why you called a three-dimensional piece of work "good." Was it a sturdy form? Was it a useful object? Did the form make you want to hold and handle it? Did the work express a certain quality or character- istic?

Visits to the individual schools after the county exhibition gave one the feeling that new fires had been lighted. Display areas had been given a new face, and there was intense enthusiasm to try some experimental ideas with materials. There was much interest in the next exhibition and principals suggested ways to increase the publicity given and involve even more members of the school and community.

We felt the exhibition was a success but we will continue to search for more effective ways of reaching more parents and community members so that they, like - our show visitors, will sincerely appreciate children's art expression and be refreshed by the X_ beauty and uniqueness of their i creative spirits.

Ethel Troyer is Supervisor of Art, Board of Education- of Baltimore County, Maryland. Reproduced at *

right is a stained glass panel created ;_ by the fifth grade class of Sussex Elementary School as a decoration for the school entrance.

11



bringing school art to the community

Documents