Extended blog for the week of Nov. 12-16

     I recently received some disturbing news in relation to the art education world in our area. I won't go into details but I will say I quite disappointed in how districts can use & abuse the arts in general. I am excessively lucky to have taught/been apart of districts that appreciated what I did, let alone, the arts. Granted, some districts have showed more support than most. My current school district has been nothing but supportive and understanding in relation to my program. It hurts us all, artist-teachers, when any district can supposedly support every facet of athletics & academics but yet take opportunities away from students when they need them. Furthermore, then said districts point fingers at US for being 'uppity' programs and left-leaning when they do nothing but feed their own sociopathic views on what holistic high schools are & suppose to be. The role of public schools are to educate the masses. EDUCATE. The nerve of some districts to cut & tinker with students opportunities to be educated, whether it is what YOU feel is appropriate, is beyond mind numbing. I am so glad, we have people in governmental places that keep these neanderthals in check. The field of status quo and mediocrity is alive and well. I, for one, will not stand for it. Testify.

    This week we will be dealing with Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving? Yes, thanksgiving. For the most part a lot of people see thanksgiving as a throw away holiday and several days to get out of school. I, however, look at Thanksgiving from a much different perspective.
     Thanksgiving as a child was a lesson in lies. Yes, lies. The 'original' Thanksgiving story was far from truthful. I don't hold any of my teachers to blame for this. They simply taught what they had been taught. Our indigenous friends also have a much different perspective than us: http://www.nativecircle.com/mlmThanksgivingmyth.html

     Let's be real frank about this. The original concept of Thanksgiving by the colonist was a celebration of exploration and the conquering of a foreign land. It is easy to see why a lot of Native Peoples dislike our version of Thanksgiving. In all honesty, we are looking at an inadvertent celebration of genocide. I for one, would like to see the holiday transformed into what John Two-Hawks envisioned it.

     It took over a hundred years before any sort of American President would acknowledge what we have done to the indigenous peoples. I for one am happy he did, however we have a long way to go to better relations and conditions for our native friends.
     Needless to say, this weeks projects will have a Thanksgiving slant. New Media was given an assignment last week in relation to creating a video based on the subject. All other classes will be dealing with this subject, with the exception of Art I.

RHS art students can----->

1: 2D/3D- Thanksgiving project: What am I thankful for? Students will be asked to create an image, using media of their choice, dealing with what they are thankful for. This can be multimedia in nature. This needs to be serious. Humor will be tolerated within reason.
BREAKFAST
2: New Media- finishing the previously assigned lesson
3: PLANNING
4: 2D/3D- Thanksgiving project: What am I thankful for? Students will be asked to create an image, using media of their choice, dealing with what they are thankful for. This can be multimedia in nature. This needs to be serious. Humor will be tolerated within reason.
5: Advanced Art- Thanksgiving project: What am I thankful for? Students will be asked to create an image, using media of their choice, dealing with what they are thankful for. This can be multimedia in nature. Photography can be used. However, use of the 'collage app' is recommended.
This needs to be serious. Humor will be tolerated within reason.
6: AP Art Studio: ç
7: Art I: Color Theory 3- Rainbow Objects. In this lesson students are to fine a simple black and white line image. Then recreate this image on standard gray paper. Then starting from left to right create rainbow on the interior of the object using acrylic paint. After this is done, details are to be placed in using black. This lesson will take a bit of time. Day of critique TBA.


As always,
Our Week Beats Your Year.
Mr. Jeremy Grizzle