Congratulations Graduates!

This year marks the first year of students, now fifth-graders, to graduate from the GROW program! The GROW program began in the 2013-14 school year. I became the GROW teacher for the Nasher in the spring of the 2014-15 school year, and I feel fortunate to have witnessed these students blossom into the confident and thoughtful museum-goers they are now.  

A few fun facts about the 5th graders:

• The 5^th graders traveled 4.7 miles 14 times over 4 years.
• They viewed and discussed more than 60 works of art during their visits.
• Each field trip is made possible by 4 Rosemont teachers, 3 Nasher education staff members, 2 chaperones and 1 Nasher gallery teacher.

I'd also like to recognize the positive influence and hard work of the wonderful Rosemont teachers: Ms. Cianciulli, Ms. Lawson, Ms. Rodgers, and Ms. Stegall.  And let's not forget our super helpful parent volunteers Ms. Marquez and Ms. Pinkerton!  The success of this program would not be possible without everyone's contribution.

Below are messages and comments about the students.

Best wishes for the graduates: I am so very proud of each and every one of you! From 2nd grade through 5th, your commitment to growing as students of modern/contemporary sculpture has been admirable, your growth impressive, your unwavering enthusiasm inspiring. May it propel you into a life-long love of museums and the magical pieces within!
- Stacy Cianciulli, Art Teacher, Grades K – 2, Rosemont Primary 

Dear GROW Graduates! I can’t believe your four years in GROW are coming to a close! I’m so proud of you guys for carrying the torch and leading the GROW program. You are true leaders! I hope that you have enjoyed your journey, but more importantly grown in your knowledge and appreciation for art, sculpture, and the special places that hold them… like the Nasher.  I know it may not be clear to you right now, but I believe you will look back on this gift of a journey, and it is a special gift, with cool memories and gratefulness for many years to come. 
- Most sincerely, Kellie Lawson, Art Teacher, Grades 3 – 8, Rosemont Elementary 

I asked my son Coleman about his experiences and we had a nice chat about the Ann Veronica Janssens fog room and room with piano benches (Chalet Dallas) being his favorites. I value the high quality teaching, like the time the teacher brought in blues music to talk about the African American experience which shaped artist Melvin Edwards’s life and perspective. I also love that the children create a beautiful art journal over time. Thanks for this special opportunity, we are grateful.
- Courtney Pinkerton, GROW Chaperone and Parent

To commemorate this momentous occasion, we had a graduation party after school yesterday.  We began by repeating the same questions and writing prompts that the fifth graders completed during their second-grade audition in order to assess their progress in thinking about and expressing ideas related to sculpture and visiting art museums.  We also encouraged to them to reflect on what they learned over the past four years. Below are some responses:

How have your feelings about sculptures changed over the past four year?
- In the past, I've looked at sculptures and thought "meh" about them. Now I think "oooh" about them.
- I have learned that sculptures can be anything but they always mean something.
- I have learned a different perspective about art. I also learned that I should think about how hard artists work.
- Over the years I've begun to feel and look at art differently. Sculptures aren't always still, they can be moving or even living.

How did your GROW journey change your feelings about going to a museum?
- I feel much more excited and encouraged to go.
- I used to never want to go to a museum, but when my mom made me try out and I got in they saw something in me, kind of letting me know I'm important. I tried to learn as much as possible and it grew on me.
- At first going to the museum was boring to me because there was just a quick look at something and then on to the next sculpture, but with GROW they take their time, nothing was rushed and they tried to tell us all they could about the sculpture.

What would you tell someone who is just starting the GROW program?
- You will love it.
- It is really fun, trust me.
- Don't try too hard. They chose you because you were good and you have potential. You will love it.
- I'd tell them to really look at the art, ask questions, have fun, and get ideas.
- I would tell them I know it might be just a way to miss or get out of school but when you get there you will be opened up to a whole new world!

After completing their written assessment, the students received graduate certificates and mortarboards.

Every graduation needs pizza!

Ms. Lawson made a delicious cake!

We planted a bur oak tree in honor of our friend Tom Jungerberg.

Students personalized river rocks to adorn the tree.

Congratulations graduates.  I hope you feel proud for all you've accomplished, and I look forward to seeing where your journey takes you next!

Big hugs,
Ms. Melissa

Natural vs. Manmade Tour, Part Four

In our final stop of the tour, we entered an underwater world created with nontraditional and unexpected materials by artist Pierre Huyghe.  In this world lives three spider crabs and a hermit crab whose shell was made by Huyghe.

At the top of this sculpture is a large rock.  Students had different theories for how the rock remains at the top of the water.  What do you think?  Ask a GROW student to find out how!

2nd grade

2nd grade

2nd grade

2nd grade

3rd grade

3rd grade

3rd grade

4th grade

4th grade

5th grade

5th grade

5th grade

Students added one last symbol on their natural to manmade spectrum for this sculpture.  They also completed their textwork and read all the words that described what they saw, heard, thought, or felt throughout our tour.

*Bonus!*  The second and third-graders were unable to walk through Richard Serra's sculpture My Curves Are Not Mad during their last visit because it was too wet and muddy from the sprinklers, so we made a quick detour during our tour. 

2nd grade

2nd grade

3rd grade

3rd grade

Natural vs. Manmade Tour, Part Three

The conversations at our first two stops were full of thoughtful observations and questions that illustrated the insight and curiosity of the GROW students.  For the sake of time, everyone except for the fourth graders skipped the originally planned third tour stop and jumped ahead to the final work of art on the tour.

The fourth graders encountered the next two sculptures and were asked if they thought they had more similarities or more differences.  In lightning round fashion, we listed ways the sculptures are different and ways the sculptures are similar.  During a few quick minutes, we named more differences than similarities.  (However, I am convinced the students could add a lot more to both lists if we had taken more time.)  What similarities and differences do you see?

Zaar by John Chamberlain

Untitled by Raoul Hague

Some major differences are the materials and techniques used by the artists.  John Chamberlain is often recognized for his sculptures made of welded car parts, while Raoul Hague carves his sculptures from trees that either fell down or were cut down near his home in Woodstock, New York. 

Students finished by drawing a small symbol for each sculpture on their natural to manmade spectrum.  They added another word to their textwork, describing something that they saw, heard, thought, or felt at that moment.

Natural vs. Manmade Tour, Part Two

For the next stop of our tour, we imagined that we are archaeologists living in the year 4000.  Our team just discovered this sculpture, and through close examination we have determined it was a machine that was used in the year 2017.  

Voltri VI by David Smith

With that in mind, students wrote a story about their discovery, considering the following:

• What type of work did this machine do? 
• Did it have moving parts?  Which parts?  How did they move?
• How did the machine operate – what did it use for fuel? 
• Did someone manually operate it?  If so, who?
• Draw a picture of the machine at work. 
• Name the machine.

2nd grade

3rd grade

3rd grade

4th grade

5th grade

5th grade

5th grade

Then students shared their stories and drawings with a partner.  Our archaeological findings included an ant transporter, a Bober-shplat (giant's roller skate), a chocolate cutter, a Farmolater (plow), a Chopper 4000 (for chopping lettuce in restaurants), and The Lane (for making lanes to plant seeds).  One student was inspired to write a poem about the discovery:

3rd grade

3rd grade

5th grade

The artist who made this sculpture, David Smith, was invited to make one or two sculptures for a festival in Italy. Instead, he made 27!  He used a former steel factory in Italy for his studio.  In the factory, he found a cart for moving hot steel.  He attached a steel wedge to one end that props up the long handle of the cart.  Then, he welded two large plates of steel to the base. 

2nd grade

2nd grade

3rd grade

3rd grade

4th grade

4th grade

5th grade

5th grade

Students concluded this stop by drawing a small symbol for this sculpture where they felt it should be placed on their natural to manmade spectrum.  They also added a word to their textwork, describing something that they saw, heard, thought, or felt at that moment.