Tell A Story Through Your Art
Artist: Howardena Pindell
Art Work: Lehman College Environs, 1992, glass tile mosaic
Location: Lehman College, Apex Building, basement level
Grades: 2-4 and Special Needs
About the Art: The artist researched the Lehman photo archives to get a sense of the history of the campus and the Bronx. The mosaic wall was fabricated by a company in Italy according to Pindell’s design, which she made from photos of students playing sports, historic buildings in the Bronx, and scenes of the campus and the swimming pool. The shimmering light on the glass tiles and the vibrant colors emphasize the vitality of the subject, campus life.
Questions for Discussion: What do you see? What clues are there to tell us what it is made of and how it was put together? What did she leave out, if anything?
Sample Art Activity: Each student makes a tile to show his/her family history, places and life events. Combine individual tiles so that "Me and My World" becomes "Our World."
Purpose: To demonstrate understanding of the responsibility to communicate to the community with art. (Art is not only for our amusement.)
Materials: sketch paper, markers, crayons, pencils. White drawing paper, 6" x 6". Family photos if available, and glue.
Teaching Strategies:
- Before the visit, read or listen to This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie or I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman.
- Discuss with children what they will choose to show in their worlds, and how they will show it? Limit things they can include to about five.
Closure: Display tiles together with the title, "Me and My World Become Our World". Hold a "Celebrate Our Origins Day" during which students display their work and serve foods from their original cultures. Invite parents and friends to a special unveiling of the mural.
Extensions: For linguistic learning: Find other literature which is based on personal history, such as Faith Ringgold’s Tar Beach and the Madeleine series. Read aloud to the class.
National Art Education Learning Standards:
- Understanding and applying media, techniques and processes
- Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols and ideas
- Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
- Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others
- Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
