Students, ECC-8th, have been working thoughtfully and creatively to put together a show that shares the art-making, process learning, art history study, innovation, inspiration, and civic engagement that happens every day in the art studio. This year’s show, called “Intersections: constellations of young artists seeking change through art,” features artwork inspired by civic action, science, local history and culture, and much more. The show documents how artistic themes and techniques overlap with academic content and across grade levels.
Middle schoolers curated their own artwork throughout the campus. Through the curation process, middle school students were able to collaborate with each other, and students from the elementary grades, to envision an engaging art show for the entire school community. They started by discussing what elements of museums have sparked their interest or engaged them in a new way. They did this through thinking about past museum visits they have experienced and exploring virtual reality exhibits at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, The Louvre and the Museum of Computing. Through these discussions, students were able to speak about curation, both as an intention and as a career.
To get diversity in the voices designing the show, middle school classes surveyed lower school classes about the art show and what they would want to see at the opening. Using a mind-mapping activity, middle school students facilitated brainstorming around the question “what would make the art show fun for the school community?”. This prompt elicited responses ranging from different food choices to hands-on activities that could accompany the art pieces. This project-based learning process contributed to the integrated activities that the middle school students chose for the art show opening night.
