MASK EXHIBIT AND MASKS PART 2
ART EXPERIENCE
Project Description:
For this lesson our group will be visiting the Fort Collins art museum to view the exhibit on masks made by members of the community. We are going to teach students about the purpose of creating masks in our culture as well as others and encourage them to express their own ideas through decoration of the plaster cast masks they made last week. Our students have expressed a lot interest in expressing their identities through art so our lesson will focus on the juxtaposition of disguising one’s identity with a mask while still expressing that identity through embellishment of said masks.
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Essential understanding:
Students will understand how other members of the community have used masks to express their own identities.
Students will be able to transfer information gained from viewing the work of other artists into inspiration for their own artwork.
Students will understand how to use found materials and media to express their identities in a 3D mask.
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Objectives:
Students will be able to choose appropriate media to decorate their plaster casts masks in a way that expresses their own ideas about what makes them unique.
Students will be able to observe the work of other artists and understand how their artistic choices determined the outcome of their artwork.
Students will be able to transfer this knowledge of artistic communication to the creation of their own artwork as they participate in a genuine artistic experience.
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Skills:
1. Work on observational skills
2. Applying inspiration into their own art
INSTRUCTION
In this class students will have a chance to explore the museum and look at masks. Students will be able to reflect the art as well as the artist process. In doing so students will them be able to continue on their masks that they made prior to this class.
Journal Entry
REFLECTION
What worked well for this art experience? Why?
The museum worked really well for this class. All of the students were very interested in all the masks hanging up and each wanted to comment and point out the ones they liked and why. I really do believe it helped the creativity of them adding on their masks. I thought they would just be painting the masks but to my surprise they made it very multimedia and added much more besides paint, and it was great. I also think because we just had all the supplies out it helped students explore all the supplies and make what they wanted.
What didn’t work well for this art experience? Why?
Some times the museum seemed rather distracting for certain students. One student worked on their mask for a little while but then wanted to look outside or explore the building as a whole, it was rather hard trying to get them back to work. Also one of our students liked the mask they made but didn't want to take it home because they didnt want it to fall of their wall and break and they also said they have limited space for their art so they didnt want their masks. It was kind of sad to watch a student work so hard and be so excited about something then just change their mind.
What would you do differently? Why?
Next time I might try to add movement to the classroom/ the work they are working on. The student who seemed to want to look outside more is very interested in movement so maybe incorporating that into the project would hold their engagement. Another idea is make the window less likely to be looked out of, maybe with blinds, or maybe art can be made to cover the bottom half where people can see out. With the art the student did not want to keep maybe next time we can make it so the masks have holes in it so they can be hung up and find a way to where they are less likely to fall of the wall' so maybe making a stable hook.