The best way to illustrate learning is by doing.

All students must demonstrate understanding of three stitches in The Ugly Doll Project before moving on. After they were done, I made this artwork from thier samples as a professional reminder: tests come in all shapes and sizes!

The lines are text, words describing the items drawn.

Judy Chicago Art Education Award, 2018: The Honor of OUR Mother

This project funded by the award required some 3rd and many 8th graders to interview their mothers, mother-figure, or selected caregiver to interview. The goal was to learn about the adult lives “BK” (before kids) and to further understand the humanity of their parents.

After the interviews each student had to select a word or phrase to describe their mother and add it with an icon to the 12x12 quilt block.

The Cycle of OUR Lives is a multi-grade and school installation. Students worked with wet felting, sewing, construction of found objects to make the installation. Focusing on the life cycle of a butterfly, students made connections between themselves and the insect.

• not all eggs (or babies) get the care they need (and are in the corner)

• some larvae get squashed, some influences are bad and hurt while others sooth and make children feel love while in the chrysalis.

• Not all kids grow wings, some die early in life not becoming adults and some get entangled in the marginalized intersectionalities of their lives——unable to progress.

• some children get their wings singed.

• some kids have love and care and flourish!

• Some kids have incredible wings that illustrate their talents, skills and possibilities.

Art, Science,and Math

Influenced by the work of enslaved quilter Harriet Powers, this story telling quilt was made by third graders who wrote about their best and worst days. Selecting one, they made icons to tell their story.

Maintaining a limited palette like Powers they constructed 12x12 quilt blocks.

• one girl was upset because her iPhone went through the laundry

• one student recalled a wonderful birthday celebration with cousins at the park, dinner and cake

• one recalls the day he had to put his dog down and the tears

• one recalls getting a shot at the doctors office and kicking the doctor

works in paper: line to shape to form; cognitively impaired students manipulating paper to make 3D works; The Weaving Project—a yearlong emotional dumping ground for high school students post-COVID; Painting, cutting, and weaving to make a 70 foot long installation piece secretly expressing their emotional content.

Robots that would remove a chore or job from student’s moms/parent/caregiver by grade 3 students.

T-shirt design to capture anger, distrust and future hope by a student in alternative education in Flint, MI, as he desired the release of his older brother from incarceration.

After watching a live feed in NYC with rehabilitating birds of prey elementary students drew what they saw.

Explorations of Jean-Michael Basquiat

High school kids picking social issues tied to United Nations Sustainability Goals to make art. Speaking their minds they discuss: Protecting and cleaning up the Great Lakes, United Nations SDGs, care for animals,mental health and self care, care of the planet and natural resources while engaging in conversations of what it takes to be a better human beings.

Found object works by college level non-art students in an art appreciation class

The Ugly Doll Project

High School students working, chatting, and socializing with a cognitively and physically differntly-abled student to accomplish creative goals. Why do we make kids work alone? Collaboration can be so much fun!

College level Drawing I and Life Drawing I student works.