Schools

 

We offer interactive programs for children, as well as for teachers in your school or educational organization, using an interdisciplinary approach that addresses New Mexico Teaching Standards. Programs can be offered as independent workshops or in a series of sessions, in which we deepen the ideas and themes during an extended period of time, such as 3 or 6 visits. They can be taught both in English and Spanish.

 

Programs for Children

This interdisciplinary program integrates different artistic disciplines such as art, dance, and poetry for children in preschool, kindergarten and elementary school classes. Students will look at artwork that addresses themes such as Community, Traditions, Celebrations, Play, and Learning among others. Through fun art discussions, using the Visual Thinking methodology* from the Museum of Modern Art (NYC), and creative movement activities, the students will engage their verbal, visual, and critical thinking skills to understand, appreciate, and enjoy art. They will write their own poems or stories, develop their own dances, and create their own artwork to take home with them at the end of the day. Our programs integrate New Mexico Teaching Standards, and can be coordinated with classroom curriculum. Each lesson plan has a Title and a Subject Area linked to the school curriculum, Objectives, Resources, Classroom Activities, Follow-up Activities for the teachers to implement in the classroom, as well as Assessment Criteria and Outcomes. It also includes a variety of fun props and art supplies. The programs could include a visit to an art museum, and a performance or art exhibit can be arranged at the conclusion of the program. Programs are offered in both English and Spanish.

 

*An inquiry-based approach to learning that encourages students to use evidential reasoning skills to talk about art through group discussion. Questioning strategies are used to facilitate the students’ exploration and interpretation of works of art.

 

Some examples of possible programs:

 

Bring to Life a Painting through Art, Dance, and Poetry

Specific themes within the paintings are discussed using the Visual Thinking Methodology. The students’ comments and opinions in relation to the works of art are used to deepen the exploration of movement and group poetry, bringing the art to life. Students then create their own artwork using different art supplies and techniques. Some examples of themes are: Real and Imaginary Places, Cities & Villages, Communities, Traditions, Portraits, Contrasts & Opposites, among others. Programs and themes can be tailored to fit your students’ interests and needs, as well as classroom curriculum.

 

Zoetrope: Create Your Own Story

The students experiment with a succession of movements, gaining an understanding of how to develop a sequence in dance, and comparing the steps to those of writing (beginning, middle, and end). They then look at paintings and create stories by connecting the different images using the Visual Thinking Methodology. All this inspires them to design their own movies. They draw pictures on a movie strip and watch them in action with the fascinating Zoetrope machine.

 

Program Goals

-The students will be exposed to different artistic disciplines in a fun and educational way.

 

-They will learn to look at art and express their own ideas using their visual, critical, and thinking skills, using the Visual Thinking Methodology.

 

-They will develop intellectually through group discussion and creation.

 

-They will learn about composition by discussing the artist’s choices as well as some art terms.

 

-They will make connections with their school curriculum.

 

-They will discover their own voices and a unique creative process through the powerful integration of art, dance and writing, which they will be able to apply to their academic classes in school.

 

-This program will enrich the students’ understanding of different artistic disciplines and deepen their self-knowledge.

 

-This program will provide a space for students to actively transform their life experiences into art.

 

-The students will learn about different artists, cultures, traditions, and celebrations that they will compare to their own families experiences.

 

Workshop/Program for Teachers

Through hands-on activities, using the Visual Thinking Methodology from the Museum of Modern Art NYC, teachers will learn an array of ways to talk about art with students of different ages, and will gain the ability to make interdisciplinary connections, creating ties to classroom curriculum. Teachers experience a workshop or long-term program as the students do, and the activities and art exploration inspire them to create their own lesson plans with their students. Ideas on how to prepare the classroom for an art museum visit are given, as well as suggestions for implementing the follow-up lessons. Taught in English or Spanish.