Africa is so rich with ancient cultures, crafts, and traditions; a source of artists' inspirations and their works of art. A vast array of Africa's tribes and regions produce their own art specific to each tribe's culture. Masks and sculptures are two of the most common types of art produced. In addition to Africa's art, the terrain is home to…

In this article, the author profiles Pierre-Auguste Renoir and describes Renoir's work of art, "Woman with Parrot". Renoir gained a reputation among peers for taking exceptional pleasure in painting, and his style was said to celebrate beauty and sensuality. He is recognized for showing significant empathy for the sitters in his portraits, and for…

Children are incredibly interested in the idea of flying and the lesson presented in this article is based on that interest. In this article, the author discusses the creation of a digital presentation that could give an overview of the different types of air travel. Motivational questions teachers can use in their classroom discussions are also…

This article presents a brief history of glass-making. This article also provides a brief description of the Pilchuk Glass School, one of the largest glass workshops, and features Einar and Jamex de la Torre, two brothers who are both glass artists. Several activities to engage students in the art of glass-making are also presented.

High school students often feel ineffective; they feel that they are stuck in between ages and have little ability to change situations and feel useful. Many people feel that drawing ability or talent is a random gift, not an accomplishment that they can use to affect the world. The author, in her class, presents her idea of drawing a portrait of…

When a student passes away it is difficult for the entire school community. Teachers, students, and staff all feel a sense of loss and the need to do something to mitigate that feeling. Desiring a different kind of memorial, the author wanted her students to learn that they could use art to help others, as well as themselves. The author came up…

The authors describe how they started a holiday mural project for students in different grades. They discuss how Gustav Klimt became the inspiration for this project. Klimt is an artist known for his "painted mosaics." The authors decided to use a theme that was decorative and enchanting, containing all of the jewel-like qualities that a holiday…

Christopher Adejumo identified community-based art as "works of art produced by people living within the same locality, and defined by common interests such as shared concerns, cultural heritage, traditions, and language patterns." Community-based art has the potential of heightening students' sense of personal responsibility and generating…

One of the author's earliest recollections is going with her mother up into her grandmother's bedroom to look in a very old chest. The chest contains quilts that have been in the family for generations. Fascinated by quilt colors, designs, and tiny stitches, the author shares this with her fifth-grade classes by making a paper quilt at school.…

This article describes the 100 People Project and how the author integrates the project in her class. The 100 People Project is a nonprofit organization based in New York City. The organization poses the question: If there were only 100 people in the world, what would the world look like? Through the project, students were taught about ethics in…

Teaching in a Jewish Day School provides opportunities to explore curricular, cultural, and historical subjects that are not necessarily covered in public middle school art curricula. This article describes how the author taught a group of students to create an installation piece for the community wide Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)…

Successful teaching involves continuous learning, stimulation, motivation, and networking with other art educators. To help art teachers improve themselves, SchoolArts magazine recently organized the Folk Art Traditions and Beyond Seminar at Ghost Ranch in Santa Fe. In this article, the author describes the highlights of the Folk Art Traditions…

While visiting the classroom of an English teacher on campus, the author noticed a large number of literature textbooks that were being replaced with a newer edition. In this article, she describes a project, which was inspired by these discarded literature textbooks, designed to introduce students to an art form based on ideas rather than…

Each August, third grade artists at Apple Glen Elementary in Bentonville, Arkansas, start the school year planning, creating, and exhibiting a clay relief mural. These mural projects have helped students to acquire not only art knowledge and techniques, but an even more important kind of knowledge: what it means to plan and successfully complete a…

The idea of story time is music to a kid's ears, a reminder of days gone by when it was okay to leave the world behind, even if for a few minutes, to travel in the imagination. Telling stories has spanned centuries, cultures, and age groups, surviving the test of time, globalization, and technology. Whether in the form of books, movies, computer…