Art Center Sarasota

Art Center Sarasota’s virtual Connecting Art and the Solar System exploration is for 3rd grade science classes studying the solar system.  This exploration is part of Art Center Sarasota’s community programing. Art Center Sarasota’s community outreach program was created in 2006 for art teachers in the public schools and in the summer to youth clubs and organizations to visit the Art Center, see artwork, learn to discuss it and create art.  Since then we have expanded the program into an in-classroom experience and as a virtual experience.

This exploration is lead by Art Center staff educators, Elizabeth Goodwill and Barbara Gerdeman over Zoom.  Teachers will be given handouts and supplies for the students ahead of time.  All art materials are individually bagged so each student has their own supplies.  This exploration is two class periods long.  Usually on back to back days.  This exploration is grant funded.  Due to this we will only have one free tour per school, cost to students will be $7 after the free tour.  We are happy to teach this for multiple teachers at a school or a whole grade level, but teachers/school will need to get supportive funding. This program is inspired by Teaching Artist Pam Sumner.

Day 1:

We show a PowerPoint presentation to the kids that has photos of art in the current juried exhibition at the time of their Virtual Field Trip. We are able to be interactive with the students during the presentation. They can ask/answer questions, give feedback and participate in discussions. Our talking points include basic elements of art, how to talk about art, how artists tell stories through their art and how to look for visual clues. We tie many of these things into the third grade science curriculum such as light, color, experimentation and observation.

Day 2:

We create a “Star Field” artwork using images from the Hubble Space Telescope for inspiration.  The students use pastels (an art chalk medium), black chipboard and their fingers. We take them step-by-step through the project and refer to the terminology and discussion from Day 1.

Art skills addressed:

–       Composition and Balance: most importantly focal point, placement of objects, leading lines and experimentation with layout.

–       Value and Light: Lightness and Darkness of a color.

–       Objects: using observation to look for visual clues and the objects the artist has incorporated into their art work.

–       Color: Color wheel; Primary, secondary and complementary colors; warm and cool colors; how color conveys emotion; experimenting with different colors and mixing colors.

–       Observational skills will be emphasized for hand-eye coordination and creative problem solving.

We make direct correlations with the terminology and processes that both Art and Science share and some that are opposite. We also encourage teachers to participate in the discussions.

Watch the Connecting Art and the Solar System Video with Dr. Asplen and Ms. Hoermann’s class at Ashton Elementary.

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