I have an exciting collaborative project coming up with 5th graders. They are studying the Civil Rights era, and will have sevral guest speakers as well as doing their own research. In our collaborative planning sessions with 5th grade teachers, I was thinking about the subject of "identity" (again) and how to incorporate that, maybe in a biographical painting. The suggestion was made to have kids work collaboratively in a team and use a cereal box to put the portrait on...and then my brain took off. The ideas had to marinate for awhile...The cereal box idea made me realize that I wanted the 5th graders to do artwork that was in keeping with the multi-media, off-the-wall (literally) approach of a lot of contemporary artwork that is pushing the boundaries.
The elements that I wanted to include were text (writing--explanations plus feelings), artifacts, and a portrait. Our librarian brought up the book, Dinner at Aunt Connie's by Faith Ringgold. In it, the pictures/portraits talk to the kids about their impact on African American history. Now the ideas begin to simmer!! The portrait would be on the front of the cereal box, and the box mounted on a larger size posterboard or foamboard. Surrounding the box would be a paper quilt square, evoking the book and Faith Ringgold's work. !What if the cereal box were to open up, and there's a written paragraph (written in 1st person) about that person's influence on history! The box with the story inside symbolizes the stories that we all keep inside of us. Also in the box could be artifacts (found or created) having to do with the events surrounding that person's history.
Students could cut out text (words) from magazines describing the events, the person, their feelings. These could be mounted on small rectangles of foamboard, to push them forward and provide the look of a relief.
The final element would be the historical events from that person's story. They could be drawn, and ---wait for it--what if they were attached to the foamboard with a wire coathanger so that a mobile-like effect was created? Now we're cooking.
The last 21st-century element--which also teaches 21st-century skills--students would make a postcast recording their voice (in 1st person) telling the writen story that's inside the box. The podcast could be played in a loop during the exhibit. Wow. Can't wait to get started!!

I stumbled onto to an interesting young artist, Talia Chetrit, as I was reading the New York Art Beat blog, http://www.nyartbeat.com/nyablog/2009/08/young-curators-on-the-art-of-new-ideas/. Check Talia out at: http://www.taliachetrit.com. A lot of optical effects, perfect for incorporating into Op Art units. A newer take on Bridget Riley. Her methods use Photoshop as well as traditional darkroom procedures, calling into question whether her work can truly be called "photography." These are great questions to pose to older elementary students about the blurring of the lines of traditional process by using technology...

This week I'm teaching a unit on "Pinwheels For Peace" (www.pinwheelsforpeace.com) in collaboration with our Peace assembly to be on the International Day of Peace, Sept. 21. Instead of just teaching about design elements like line, shape, and pattern, it occurred to me (as I sat down to write this) to wonder if there are any visual artists participating in the International Day of Peace. This is what I found so far: nada. Then it occurred to me to enlarge my serch criteria to include words like "human rights" and "Amnesty International." Findings: http://www.artistsforhumanrights.org/test/artistexhibitny06.htm shows images of artwork with descriptions!
http://www.witness.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=88&Itemid=239 six prints by contemporary artists like: Kiki Smith! Cai Gou-Qiang! William Wegman! Great images, only one not suitable for kids. Just what I was looking for.

Ok, so here's the thing: introducing Gerhard Richter and doing abstract paintings about color mixing using scrapers is easy. It fits into the elementary curriculum, and uses a contemporary artist as an example. Also, Wolf Kahn. Landscapes with alternative colors. Almost Fauve-ish. I use sculptors like Mark di Suvero and Richard Serra in a "monumental sculptures" lesson at 5th grade. I like to add Janet Fish for still lifes and Anselm Kiefer for using texture under paintings.
But what about Michele Oka Doner? Check her art out at: http://www.micheleokadoner.com/home.html. Her sculptures are very intriguing, but how do you use her in elementary school?
How do you use Tara Donovan? http://www.acegallery.net/artistmenu.php?Artist=8#
Also, German conceptual artist Mario Reis. http://www.fassbendergallery.com/Reis/index.html It would be fun to try to replicate his work in a nearby stream in a unit combining science and ecology. maybe I'll think about that one.