Students learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Maya Angelou and African-American artists in art class in January and February.  Each grade had a different project.

Art teacher Thankful Davis focused on Dr. King and the heart-themed work of Jim Dine for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. Students created their own wax and paint versions of heart paintings in class to mimic Dine's diptych encaustic works.

First graders learned about Faith Ringgold's books and illustrations, particularly her story quilts. Students created their own story quilt squares. "As students worked, we learned about the challenges that Faith Ringgold faced and how she used art as a vehicle to overcome them," said Mrs. Davis. "Her story resonated with many of our children and was a source of inspiration for them to continue developing their artistic voices." Librarian Elizabeth Oakes collaborated with Mrs. Davis on this project by showing students a video during library time.

Second graders learned about the Adrinkra symbolism of Ghana and created a series of prints of at least two symbols. These symbols represent aphorisms and big ideas such as patience, unity, justice and democracy. Classes also learned about traditional Southern folk tales, many of which originated in Africa.

Third graders read the book "The Patchwork Pathway," a historical fiction about a father and daughter using the Underground Railroad to journey to freedom. Quilts were used in the Underground Railroad to signal safety and direction. Students made their own version of a freedom quilt. In Technology class with Renee' Kropff, students recreated their quilt squares with special coding.

Fourth graders explored the powerful words of Dr. King and reflected on ideas that they would like to share with others. Students drew self portraits of themselves holding a piece of paper with their big ideas.

Fifth graders learned about the poety of Maya Angelou and the symbolism of "Still I Rise." Students created monoprints with the element of text with polymer transfers.

Black History in Art