Run for President Tour, Part Three

Do you recognize the people in this photograph?  Surprisingly, several students recognized the actor Mr. T.

First Lady Nancy Reagan and Mr. T at the White House Christmas Party

During this stop of the tour, the students learned that the woman in this documentary photograph, First Lady Nancy Reagan, invited Mr. T. to the White House during Christmas of 1983.  Why would Nancy Reagan invite Mr. T. to the White House?  The First Lady and the famous actor had something in common - they were both children's advocates.  So, Mrs. Reagan may have invited Mr. T. to the White House with the hopes of bringing more attention to their shared cause. (Remember that the artist of this exhibition, Kathryn Andrews, lives in Los Angeles and is very aware of how much attention actors and actresses receive from fans.) 

2nd grade

3rd grade

We also talked about the concept of a person's "brand."  What do you see in the photograph that is part of Mr. T.'s brand?  His mohawk, the sleeveless Santa costume that showcases his big muscles, and the many gold necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Do you have your own personal brand?

2nd graders showing off their muscles

3rd graders showing off their muscles

Then we turned our attention to the sculpture by Kathryn Andrews in front of the photograph, titled Gift Cart.

Gift Cart by Kathryn Andrews

We talked about the relationship between the photograph and the sculpture, and possible reasons why they were placed near each other.  We also talked about the relationship between this sculpture and the sculpture inspired by the Bozo bop bag seen at the beginning of the tour.

4th grade

As we left the gallery, the students, Mrs. Stegall, and parent volunteers showed off their best red carpet poses.

2nd grade

2nd grade

3rd grade

3rd grade

4th grade

4th grade

4th grade

4th grade

4th grade

5th grade

5th grade

**I had originally planned on exploring the Kathryn Andrews exhibit with four stops in the Run for President Tour.  What I did not anticipate was just how much the students would have to say about the role of the U.S. President, and how strong their opinions would be on who would and would not make a good candidate for President.  In some cases, the conversations on the first two stops were so rich that we found ourselves with little time left on our one-hour tour. Some groups visited the third stop during their first tour, some on their second tour, and some not at all.  But everyone walked the red carpet!