Sixth Grade

The 6th grade course emphasizes the process of art making as well as the students ability to make connections to their own personal history as they transition into adolescence. As US students, 6th graders are asked to take greater responsibility for their art and to begin to understand their personal creative process. The program touches upon a wide variety of media and artistic styles, ranging from printmaking to papier-mache masks (which are used in an in-class performance), from Andy Warhol-inspired portraits to Chinese brush painting. In all of their work, students will be exposed not only to the skills needed to communicate visually, but they well also develop an awareness of art as a pervasive and powerful part of our world.

Our Curriculum is Inspired by...

Artists and Art History, Past and Present

Andy Warhol Inspired Portraits

We began this project by first looking at and discussing the artwork and some philosophies of Andy Warhol. Both engaging and at times controversial, his work was part of the wildly “popular” Pop Art movement. For this project, students began by underpainting on several sheets of paper using watercolor paints and choosing either warm or cool colors. They then used a photograph of themselves (at any age) as the foundation for a print, created by painting on Plexi glass with acrylic paint. They then printed this onto their underpainted paper.

Art from Around the World

Chinese Ceremonial Vessels

We began this project by looking at examples of ancient Chinese ceremonial vessels. Although these elaborately carved vessels were made in bronze, many of the forms were based in traditional clay forms. For this project, students created one of these traditional forms, but then adjusted it to accommodate a current-day ceremony that has meaning to them. From opening day at SBC Park to a candlelight ceremony at summer camp, the vessels were covered with images and symbols that highlighted their personal ceremony.

Integrating with Classroom Curriculum

Chinese Brush Painting

Connected to their study of China in their Humanities class, students learned about the ancient method of Chinese brush painting. We began by looking at examples of traditional brush painting and discussing its close connections with calligraphy and poetry. Students then chose a subject from the natural world and used the bamboo brushes to paint that subject focusing on the wide variety of line and texture attained by manipulating the bamboo brushes. They also chose two words that described their subject and wrote the Chinese character on the painting. To finish, students mounted their paintings on black paper that they decorated with fabric-like forms, a substitute for the traditional silks.