Our Arts & Smarts Program has only been back in session for two weeks, having had Leadership Training for our Junior Leader Team (grades 5 and up) for two weeks prior to that. Still, we’ve accomplished a lot in a short time!
Our Junior Leaders got a chance to try throwing a pot on the potter’s wheel. Then we moved on to a study of artist Robert Indiana, who you might recognize from his giant sculpture of the word LOVE. The group began their study by using watercolor paints, markers, stencils, and ephemera to create typographic collages. One big brother took his watercolors even further by painting a wonderful portrait of his little sister. He was proud of his work, grinning broadly as he posed for a picture with his painting and his sister—the artist, his artwork, and his muse.
Next, the group started creating blocky, three-dimensional letters like the ones in Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculpture. Once we finish our study of Robert Indiana, we’ll move on to creating paint pourings on canvas—it’s a project that the kids remember from last year and have been eager to do again.
In addition to all of this art, our activities have also included a visit from the Southwestern Indiana Master Gardeners who taught us about different kinds of butterflies that we can find in area gardens. The Master Gardeners highlighted monarch butterflies and their annual migration. They also took us on a butterfly’s tour of Patchwork’s garden and helped us plant swamp milkweeds to grow at home for next year’s monarchs.
We’ve also had good conversations together, made new friends, begun to learn what interests and excites each one of us, and worked as a group to establish the healthy attitudes and behaviors that are expected of us all while we’re here at Patchwork.
It’s been a great start, and we’re looking forward to finding out what the rest of the year will include!
