How Could You Visualize the Importance of Education

Artist: Candida Alvarez

Art Work: What Do You See?, 1994, stained glass windows, 6 panels, 3’ x 3’,

Location: I.S. 206, West Tremont Ave. and W. 177th St.

Grades: 6-8

About the Art: Intrigued by the brilliance of the medium, Alvarez created a greater range of hues by layering the glass. Each piece of glass is hand painted: in some the brushwork is visible, others have been scratched to produce crosshatching. The imagery relates to the middle school curriculum, such as the 3rd floor windows which show abstracted images of the lungs, digestive system, brain and heart. The 4th floor windows relate to math, specifically, geometry. The 5th floor windows relate to environmental science including leaves found on city streets: red maple, sweet gum and white oak among others.

Questions for Discussion: What do you think the light coming through the glass means? What does light coming through have to do with enlightenment? With education we can move through life, through society. What would you like to be able to do as a result of your education?

Sample Art Activity: Students create translucent paper mobiles with elements that symbolize what individuals would like to be able to do as a result of their education.

Purpose: To demonstrate how artists use materials to solve problems.

Materials: scrap paper for drawing with pencils; colored tissue paper, glue and brushes, scissors, black construction paper, flexible wire such as floral wire or thin coat hangers; string or fishing line to hang images from clothes hangers.

Teaching Strategies:

• Help students find or invent images to represent in colored tissue paper and black construction paper.
• With pencil on sketch paper, they should consider how they will simplify reference material.
• They can bring out the luminous quality of flat shapes in tissue paper by ‘framing’ each piece in black construction paper.
• They should create two identical frames for each piece, glue tissue paper inside of one side and glue the other frame on top to hide the rough edges.
• When hanging the pieces from the clothes hanger, students should organize them so that the pieces are balanced at different heights.
• Mobiles are made to move and movement is an important part of the art concept.

Closure: Display the work with careful attention to lighting and varying heights from the ceiling. Invite family and friends for an artist’s reception or Open House event to celebrate the beginning or end of a semester or unit. Design and create invitations and serve refreshments.

Extensions: For linguistic learning: Research the art of Marc Chagall, especially his later work including the stained glass windows in a church in Pocantico Hills (Westchester County), New York. Present images and a short spoken presentation to the class, showing how Chagall’s work compares to Alvarez’ in the school. For musical learning: Record a collection of music that expresses the kind of person you want to be. Play the music to the class during the closure activity. For mathematical/logical learning: Create diagrams explaining what the parts of each mobile refer to. Post them next to the mobiles for display, or create a book with a diagram for each student’s work in the class.

National Art Education Learning Standards:

1. Understanding and applying media, techniques and processes
2. Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols and ideas
3. Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
4. Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines