Art Adventure: Marshmallow & Toothpick structures

The Art Adventure Program through the Minneapolis Institute of Art introduces K-6 students to works of art from a variety of cultures. Trained school volunteers visit classrooms with posters of art relating to a common theme, such as animals, celebrations, or relationships.

After learning about the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, students talked about what an engineer does and how they design bridges and structures.

They learned about the types of bridges and worked in teams to build a structure.

Art Adventure: Abstract Collage

The Art Adventure Program through the Minneapolis Institute of Art introduces K-6 students to works of art from a variety of cultures. Trained school volunteers visit classrooms with posters of art relating to a common theme, such as animals, celebrations, or relationships.

Students learned about Billboard by Grace Hartigan, and practiced the art of abstract collage on the National Gallery's website.  

Art Adventure: Kpele Kpele Masks

The Art Adventure Program through the Minneapolis Institute of Art introduces K-6 students to works of art from a variety of cultures. Trained school volunteers visit classrooms with posters of art relating to a common theme, such as animals, celebrations, or relationships

The kpele kpele mask represents the junior male element in a series of four mask types that appear in pairs in the Goli ceremony.The Goli dances are performed at elders' funerals and as village entertainment. The dance was introduced to the Baule by the neighboring Wan people around 1900. The four sets of dancers are symbols of the structure of society and the inter-relationships of men, women and the social order.

4th grade students used paper plates, raffia, egg cartons, and other mixed media for their masks.

Art Adventure: Family Crest

The Art Adventure Program through the Minneapolis Institute of Art introduces K-6 students to works of art from a variety of cultures. Trained school volunteers visit classrooms with posters of art relating to a common theme, such as animals, celebrations, or relationships.

The images they saw this lesson:

Place du Theatre Francais, Rain by Camille Pissarro

The Tudor Room, c. 1600

Students in 4th grade learned about family crests (coat of arms) similar to the family crest seen in the Tudor room.  They saw a few images of famous family crests, and then learned a little about the symbolism used as they created their own.