Keith Haring

Look what I found in Vegas!  A Keith Haring print!!!

Keith Haring is one of my personal favorite artists...and his art is so easily integrated into the art room.  His colorful, cartoon style of art makes it so adaptable and accessible to people of all ages.  Born in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, Haring is one of Pop Art's most recognizable names alongside Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein and was such an integral part of the New York city art scene in the 80's and early 90's!
I always start the year with a Keith Haring project with my sixth graders, and this year is no different!  Kids will be creating the annual "I'm a Keith Haring" project which will also serve as the sixth grade Art to Remember project.  It's probably the only art project that I actually repeat year after year with little modifications!

Art to Remember

I will once again be participating in the Art to Remember fundraising program.  This is a fantastic program that allows me to raise funds that go directly to the Creekview Art Department.  In years past I've been able to use these fundraising dollars to buy a SmartBoard and ceramic clay.  I've saved my money over the past few years and will be purchasing a set of ten iPads for my art room this fall (more on that another day...).  As I said...it is a GREAT fundraiser and I'm very happy to be participating in it again.

For those of you who have never heard of Art to Remember, basically your student will create an artwork in the art room and that artwork will be sent to "A2R".  You can then purchase a variety of items with your student's artwork on it; anything from matted prints, coffee mugs, t-shirts and the ever popular iPhone cases just to name a few! 

Given my odd schedule this year, I've had to break up the program just a bit to fit certain deadlines, but I promise at some point this year you will have a chance to purchase A2R merchandise.  I'll send out more specific e-mails and reminders once I actually get a little closer to the time frames!

PAINT, PAINT, PAINT!!!

The mural design for the art room entrance!

After teaching in my art room for the past 13 years, I have decided that I am tired...VERY tired...of the white walls.  So...with the permission of Mr. Kannally and Mrs. Wells, I am going to work with the kids this year in painting a mural at the entrance to the "Studio" room.  Now...I'm guessing I'll have to make a few minor color modifications here and there, but I'm going to try to keep it as colorful and bright as the above example shows.  But...to do it...I need paint!  LOTS and LOTS of paint!!!

I'm currently on the lookout for grants that would allow me to purchase the paints and I REALLY want to paint this mural this school year.  So...to get things started (and while I hunt down possible grant funding)...I'm asking our very wonderful Creekview parents (see how good I am at buttering you up?!? :)) if you have ANY house paints that you just don't use anymore, I will GLADLY take them off your hands.  Obviously, I'd love to have a ton of primary and secondary colors, but I'll take whatever I can get.

So...please let me know if you've got something you think I can use.  Or just drop it off in the front office.  They'll get it to me!!!  Thanks in advance!!!  Let's get this mural painted!!!

SKETCHBOOKS!!!

All sixth grade students will be asked to work on and complete a variety of sketchbook assignments over the course of their six week daily art class!  Please, do NOT buy the most elaborate sketchbook you can find.  The sketchbook needs to be 9x12 in size (nothing smaller, please) and they need to have them ready on their first day of art class.  I'm asking that my first group of sixth graders (Mrs. Cotner and Mrs. Orr's homerooms) have them ready to go this Thursday, August 21st.  If you have any questions at all...please let me know!  I'll be happy to help!  THANKS!!!

2014-15 Art Schedule!

My pet skull Bob and the Golden Toilet...all ready for 2014-15.

So...after talking with many parents on "Meet the Teacher" night, it occurred to me that many were not aware of this year's changes to the Unified Arts schedule, or even how it works.  So, with that...here's a quick guideline to how art will work this year for fifth and sixth grade.  If it still seems confusing...or if you have ANY questions, please don't hesitate to contact me!!!  I'll be happy to answer and explain anything you may be wondering about.
SIXTH GRADE
Sixth graders will go to the same unified arts class on a daily basis for roughly six weeks...and then rotate through all six unified arts departments through the school year.  Here's the breakdown for visual arts for the year:
Aug. 18th thru Sept. 26th - Mrs. Cotner and Mrs. Orr
Sept. 29th thru Nov. 5th - Mrs. Latham and Mrs. McChesney
Nov. 6th thru Dec. 19th - Mrs. DelaHostria, Mrs. Conley and Mrs. Hicks
Jan. 6th thru Feb. 20th - Mrs. Rausch, Mrs. Graham and Mrs. Weixel
Feb. 23rd thru April 15th - Mrs. Gilliland and Mrs. Fleece
April 16th thru May 28th - Mrs. Shaffer and Mrs. Terzis
FIFTH GRADE
Fifth graders will come to art for a semester on an A, B, C day rotation.  Students that have Art the first semester will switch to Technology in the second semester; first semester Tech students will switch to Art in the second semester.
1st Semester - Aug. 18th thru Dec. 19th - Orange and Blue teams
2nd Semester - Jan 6th thru May 28th - Yellow, Green and Purple teams

Again...if you have ANY questions...please don't hesitate to ask.  I'll do my best to get back to you in a timely manner!
Thanks!  See everyone on MONDAY!!!...THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!  WHOO-HOO!!!

WELCOME BACK!!!

Like it or not, the 2014-15 school year is upon us!  I know that I've had a great summer and am highly anticipating the start to another great year in the art room here at Creekview Intermediate!!! 

I'd like to thank everyone that stopped by the art room last night to say hello and introduce themselves!  It was great meeting lots of this year's fifth graders and seeing some returning sixth graders.  And for the first time ever, a fifth grader came into my room and took a selfie with the Golden Toilet!!!  How great!!!

Blog updates will be DAILY this year.  Last year I tried to do one per week, and then occasionally I'd do multiples per week, but this year I'm holding myself to daily updates.  So please make sure you check back often...or daily...to see what's going on in the art room!

So...WELCOME BACK!!!  I hope everyone is as excited and energized as I am for the 14-15 school year!!!  Let's get this started!

CIS PERMANENT GALLERY

Additions to the 2013-14 CIS Permanent Gallery!!!  Artworks created by (L to R) top row: Claire Kuhnle, Emery Bates and Jacquelyn Witt; middle row: Jenna Rioch, Nathan Faust, Ethan Turk and Skyler Lawson; bottom row: Cole Pullen and Nina Kise

Each year a few artworks created by our CIS 6th Graders are selected for what is known as the "Permanent Gallery".  These artworks are framed and displayed in our commons throughout the year and it certainly brightens up the school!  This year, nine sixth graders have agreed to allow me to keep their artworks for display in the gallery.  

Artworks being retired from the permanent gallery created from 2001-2003. 

In addition to the artworks being displayed, I'm hoping to start a new program where students come back to receive their artwork near the completion of their senior year of high school.  So...in essence I guess the gallery is now semi-permanent, rotating through CIS student work created each year.  Works will be displayed for roughly the six years after students leave CIS, and then...hopefully...handed back to them when graduating.  Of course...I'm not entirely sure this will work, but I'm going to give it a go anyway.  And...I'll let you know if it works in six years when this year's batch of gallery participants graduate.  :)