the idea: create puppets with my students and then have them put on a quick play Today, as I continued my class inspired by Asian art in the museum, I made animal puppets with my kids inspired by Chinese shadow puppet shows. Not only did this group make some great puppets, we also all made a …
the idea: teach a class with the supplies in my apartment I am sick. Again. It’s awful. As such, I haven’t had the most energy. On Tuesday, when snow caused my morning class and therefore my reason to go to the MFA to be cancelled, I had some quick thinking to do. I could either take …
the idea: learn how to make a tessellation so I can teach it the next day My job is full of a surprising amount of these moments. Googling information on artists or artworks minutes before I have to teach a tour on them, learning how to do an art technique the night before I have to …
the idea: make art while you teach art This may seem like a fairly obvious idea, but not that many people do it so I’m going to put it in anyway. As an art teacher, I find that it’s really important to make art while you teach art. Children relax when they see you making art …
the idea: photograph the watercolors running down the sink I love liquid watercolors. I had never used, seen, or heard of them before I worked at the MFA but now I use them all the time. They are incredibly bright and make everything look amazing, especially when used in combination with oil pastels. Today I …
the idea: connect the Calder-inspired wire sculpture activity with the Samurai exhibit. This idea takes a bit of explaining. When I teach off-site for the MFA I have to take a bag of art supplies with me. When I teach at two different places in one day I try to use the same activity so …
the idea: have my current group of kids come up with their own project As one project for one of my many jobs at the MFA I am working with a group of kids to create something for the opening of their music clubhouse. This is a little different from what I normally do when …
the idea: make a story out of Japanese symbols drawn with sumi ink I’ve been doing a lot of classes on Ancient Greek, Rome, and Egypt in my off-site after school groups recently. However there is one boy who has repeatedly asked to look at Asian art. I haven’t taught as much from the Asian …
the idea: do a drip painting, let it dry, then drip again. And again. And again. This is the last idea in a series inspired by the MFA’s February Vacation week. There have been art activities and children all over the museum and it has been wonderful. Tiring, but wonderful. Although I’ll be working again …
the idea: take a drip painting and cut it out Running a drop-in activity at the MFA means that sometimes there are so many people you can barely keep up and sometimes you’re sitting around waiting for someone to come around. For the past three days I’ve been working at the Free Moving Paint station …