Seventh Graders Express Creativity through Final Projects
April 15, 2005

The overall theme of the Middle School art curriculum is to foster creative thinking and exploration, while simply having fun. For budding artists in the seventh grade, creativity often reaches its peak during the completion of the final group project. Last semester, each of the three talented art classes demonstrated their impressive outward-thinking skills by creating unique, eye-catching inventions – a Chinese food box, 3D painting, and an artistic take on Mt. Rushmore. One of the class section’s projects, “Chinese Food Happening,” was conceived after hours spent eyeing a large cardboard box. This unadorned form was soon transformed into a Chinese takeout container, complete with much-greater-than-life-size noodles, shrimp, rice, duck and soy sauce, chop sticks, egg roll, fortune cookies, broccoli, and peppers. The students used foam rubber, chicken wire, and fabric, among other supplies to replicate each piece of “food.” The happening then took place during lunch, where the students unveiled their work to the school. Equally as majestic is the other seventh-grade section’s work – a contemporary 3D painting of Lawrence Beale-Smith’s original painting, “Frolic.” The class’ version included an 8-foot-tall tree covered in brown paper and real branches that the students collected. The children that are seen in Smith’s painting were replaced with two moveable characters. Colorful, impressionistic-like brush strokes decorated the background. The third section’s project, “Mt. Artmore,” mimicked the famous landmark with the exception of the presidential faces. Instead, relief portraits of famed artists Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, George Seurat, and Pablo Picasso were used. Each artist’s image was painted in their style and incorporated their most well-known works, with Dali’s face adorned with melting clocks from his “Persistence of Memory” and Van Gogh’s face formed by a “Starry Night.” The four-foot square mount was made out of wood and chicken wire, and the faces were constructed out of styrofoam covered with papier-mâché. The seventh grade art classes are taught by Ms. Jane Edwards. The criteria for the projects includes a choice of five areas – mask-making, mural, textile design, sculpture, puppetry, or a combination of the various types. Each student is encouraged to present a well thought-out proposal to their class, and the class (of about 15 students) agrees upon the type of project and the way it will be executed. Through the assignment, the students are able to learn about cooperation, compromise, and the joys found in artistic expression. The group projects are currently on display at the Hostetter Arts Center. © 2005 The Pingry School