What Do Vickery Artists Think About Choices in Art?

5th Grade Lego Sculpture

The first year I tried TAB, I gave an end of year survey, and have given a survey each year since.   It seems that no matter what we do during the year, it is the end of year reflection surveys that are the most surprising, honest, and informative about the artists overall progress.  This year, one of the questions was, "Should kids have choices in art?  Why?"  The following are some of my favorite responses, written by students in 3rd - 5th grade.  For the most part I have left the original spelling and grammar in tact.

Should kids have choices in art?  Why?

Yes because if we all just do the same thing then we can’t learn anything.

Yes, students should have choice so they can love art how they want to.

I like that I have many ideas and turn them into real creations because of all the choices

Yes, because its good to have your own ideas or choices because like that we will have awesome ideas like for example a island that it calls Mako Island where mermaids live fairys or mermaids or other drawings.

Yes because if you tell them what to do they can’t be creative and your bored all the time. 

Yes because art is expressing yourself. 

Yes, because if you give kids the option to do what they want, you’ll see what a lot of kids are capable of, amazing artwork.

I like the way you can choose something that makes you happy also you can discover your inner art.

Yes we should have choices because students are just as important as grownups

I like having choices for the freedom and range of doing what we want.

I think kids should have a choice because if kids have choices then their mind could be free to draw, or build anything they can think of. 

Yes, because if we don’t have a choice, we don’t have control of the pencil. 

I feel so grateful that we can actually choose anything because some people have different perspectives.

I like it because you don’t have to worry about getting in trouble.

Yes, because they will be more creative.

1st Grade Landscape in Pencil

Happy Artists and Proud Moments

A girl in Kindergarten drew this picture of the Vickery Art Studio in the last week of school.   I love that she captured all of the kids actively engaged in their activities, sharing space, and smiling!

The school year has come to a close, and and I would like thank you all for reading over the past year.  Thank You!  My goal has been to share my excitement for TAB, and I hope I have done at least that.  I plan to continue to blog over the summer, and into the next school year, as I implement ideas that I have been developing.

This year was my first experience with planning, creating, selling, and distributing the yearbook.  I am happy to say it was on overall success, and I sold out of books in the last week of school.  I had several deadlines for the yearbook this spring, and right in the middle was the school art show.  It was overwhelming, and though I managed well, I would have liked to been more active here as well.

I used the company Artome for the school art show for the second year in a row, and plan to again next year.  I mount the student work (unfortunately has to be 2D) on Artome's special paper, fill in the label, and they do the rest.  Two weeks before the show, they pick up the paper, take it to their shop, and frame each piece.  On the night of the show, they bring their own stands along with the framed art work and set everything up.  It is a fundraiser, but I emphasize the show aspect, that it is not necessary to buy anything.  The unsold artwork is taken back to their workshop, the papers are taken out of the frames, and they are returned to the students.  This year we gave away a sample of model magic to each student, as well as a family night spirit stick on the night of the show.  The turn out was good, and I heard so many kind words, that alone made my night.  The kids and parents were so proud and loved seeing the professionally framed artwork.  Here are a few of my personal favorites from the show:
(I'm sorry I don't have titles for these.  I didn't record them when I took the photo, but it is goal for next year)

4th Grade Printmaking, Finn from Adventure Time

3rd Grade Tempera Paint with Sharpie, Butterfly

1st Grade Tempera Paint on Black Paper, Horse

4th Grade Pencil Drawing

2nd Grade Sharpie and Tempera Cakes.  This painting was a breakthrough for this young artist.  I have known her for several years, and all that time she painted until the paper was muddy and soaked through, but something clicked here.

2nd Grade Sharpie and Tempera Cake, Bunny in Space

Kindergarten, Cave, Tempera

3rd Grade Printmaking with Sharpie, Unicorn

2nd Grade Sharpie and Tempera Cake, Penguins

1st Grade, Dinosaur, Tempera

1st Grade, Outer Space, Printmaking with chalk pastel

4th Grade, Printmaking with Marker

Third Grade, Printmaking, Crayon, and Tempera

4th Grade, Watercolor

4th Grade, Watercolor

3rd Grade Radial Designs

2nd Grade Sharpie, Watercolor, and Chalk Pastel

3rd Grade Printmaking

4th Grade Oil Pastel.  Another case of an artist breaking out of his shell.  All year he seemed self-conscious, but suddenly one day he started building up layers of color, until he completed this.

4th Grade, Crayon and Sharpie Drawing

Other fun projects from the last few months:

 
     Submarine!

This comic was drawn by a native English speaking student in a Dual Language classroom.

I have featured this student's paper sculptures MANY times on my blog.  He loves it so much, even when the sculpture center is closed, he finds a way.

Lego Hideout Sculpture

5th Grade Origami.  I let this student take one of my origami books home, not quite sure if I would see it again, but he came back with the book the next week and was able to create everything from the book in one class period!

On one Kindergartener's first day of school, he led a troop of kids to create this amazing block sculpture.  The following week, they created the one below.

At the beginning of May, I collected a bunch of boxes for kids to play with.  The kids loved it.

Castle

Robot

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at the kids' artwork, I am so proud of them!  Have a great day!