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Blog post #4

For now while this remains hypothetical, next semester I do have a job lined up at the Milwaukee High School of Information Technology. So with that in mind I will proceed to cater to their demographics as it is most relevant to me & how I have been thinking about teaching. This school has not had an art teacher in a long time & has a focus on the developing technological world which may not stress the importance of art in our ever growing technological society. I use these texts in a hypothetical lesson that would turn into a project on portraiture. When teaching portraits I think that it is important to teach the history of portraiture, how it has been used in societies throughout history as well as more modern ways that it has been used since the development of the photograph. For students to see this importance can be a great way for them to be actively engaged during the project portion of this lesson with the significance of what they are doing historically fresh in their minds. They can then use this information to inform their project planning & what they want to convey/represent within their work. 

Print Media Resources: 

“A Very Brief History of Portrait Painting.” Artist Christina Carmel, artistchristinacarmel.com/blog/a-very-brief-history-of-portrait-painting

In this first text students will begin to learn about the history of portraiture, which has been around for the last 5,000 years or so in the traditional ways we see influential to society today. They will be introduced to the different ways that artists have used a variety of media (such as sculptures, photos & drawings) to portray a specific person in history. This is done in a variety of examples such as the murals of pompeii & the photography of David Slater. 

I want students to learn about the  purpose of portraits throughout history with this text & how different movements that exist within art history have used the characteristics of their art movement to make significant portraits. If students find an art movement or artist that peaks their interest this is a good launch point for doing further research independently. 

Question for students after reading: 

What are the largest differences in portraiture that you notice between 2144 BC & Modern day? 

Text Complexity: 

On the Qualitative scale for informational texts this text falls mainly under the “slightly complex” on the rubric. The purpose & text structure is simple. It could be moved into the next category for Language features & Knowledge demands when it comes to the knowledge of art history & its vocabulary or historical context. I would supplement this with both the vocab sheet where I highlight some of the contextual information needed as well as weaving art history into my overall curriculum. 

When using StoryToolz to check the quantitative scoring of this text I got the following results which aligns with my grade levels I would teach this course to: 

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Grade 9.7

Automated Readability Index Grade 12.0

Coleman-Liau Grade 11.8

Flesch Reading Ease 61.9/100 (plain English)

Gunning fog index Grade 12.1

Laesbarhedsindex (LIX) Formula 47.4 = school year 8

SMOG Index Grade 10.7

Average grade level Grade 11.3 (mean of above)

Vocabulary for this article: 

Portrait- A pictorial representation of a person usually showing the face 

Representation- An artistic likeness or image 

Indicative- to be a sign, symptom of index of 

Impressionism- A style of painting especially among french painters around the 1870’s where they depict objects with dabs & strokes using unmixed colors to simulate reflected light

Social Realism- A practice in painting using appropriate representation & symbol to express a social or political attitude

Psyche- Soul or Personality 

Tate. “Portrait.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/portrait. 

This resource from the Tate in the UK goes further into the history of portraiture. If I were using these texts in a class I would give the students an “A La carte” menu of articles to reach in which they could choose either the previous article or this one depending on their prior knowledge. I like this method when it comes to prior text since highschoolers are coming from multiple different schools & all have vastly different prior knowledge depending on their middle & elementary art experiences. This article covers similar topics throughout history however goes further into the historical contexts of the self portrait & uses different examples of portraits throughout history (despite covering mostly the same artists) 

Questions for the students after reading: 

Which famous artist self portrait do you see yourself in? What elements or techniques do they use to lead you to feel that way? 

Text Complexity: 

Using the Qualitative PDF I would determine that this text uses moderately complex structures across the board between purpose, text structure, language feature & knowledge demands. 

When using StoryToolz to check the quantitative scoring of this text I got the following results which aligns with my grade levels I would teach this course to especially since this is the text id recommend to students who have a slightly higher than average knowledge on art history:

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Grade 9.7

Automated Readability Index Grade 12.0

Coleman-Liau Grade 13.8

Flesch Reading Ease 54.9/100

Gunning fog index Grade 12.9

Leesbaarheid’s index (LIX) Formula 50.5 = school year 9

SMOG Index Grade 11.8

Average grade level Grade 12 (mean of above)

Vocabulary for this article: 

Virtue-  conformity to a moral societal standard which varies depending on era

Portrait- A pictorial representation of a person usually showing the face 

Flourish- to achieve success

Revelatory- relating to revelation; serving to reveal something

Representational- An artistic likeness or image

Composition- the way an artist chooses to arrange their art to the viewer 

Multimedia Resources: 

“The History of Portraits.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Oct. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-XvGWFXQ0I. 

This 4 minute youtube video is a brief summary of worldly portraiture from the perspective of the Art gallery of South Australia. In this video they talk about “why portraits are such a big deal” throughout history as well as the origin of the word portrait. The second half of the video discusses the changes in the portraiture scene when photography was invented & further how the accessibility of cameras changed who could take a portrait. 

I would show this video to my students after they read the previous articles as an add on to the photography aspect of this which the previous articles do not cover extensively. This video will also help them think about how modernization of technology changes art & who had access to creating it. 

Questions for the students after watching:

Has the modernization of portraiture affected you? 

Text Complexity: 

Unlike the previous sections this is a video that has closed captions which makes it more accessible if students struggle with retaining written information. It is a straight forward video that could be digestible to students within the 6-12 grades. 

Vocabulary: 

Middle ages- a period in european history from 500 a.d to about 1500

Renaissance- a transitional movement in european history between the medieval & modern times 

Likeness- a copy in appearance or resemblance 

Memorializing- to commemorate or eternalize 

Centuries- a period of 100 years 

Relevant- having a significant bearing on the period at hand (such as modern day) 

“Maggi Hambling – ‘every Portrait Is like a Love Affair’ | Artist Interview | Tateshots.” YouTube, YouTube, 3 Aug. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4-4Syn1pmE. 

The Tate museum in the UK has a variety of fantastic resources for students to learn from. In this short 6 minute documentary about Maggie Hambling we hear some of her thoughts on her renowned portraiture as well as experiences she has as an artist & in her artistic process. 

The purpose of this video is to take a closer look beyond the broad topics that have been covered within portraiture so far & look more at the experiences of a modern portrait artist. Learning about the multitudes of different processes that artist use to create can help inspire their own process 

Question for the students after watching: 

What was a process that Maggi Hambling uses that interested you? 

Text complexity: 

This video is a little more abstract in terms of the artistic documentary style that Tate uses. It features a lot of empty air shots and the artist rambling about artists that the student might not know prior. While I have included the two more prominent artists in the vocab sheet this one is a little less straightforward than the last video. 

Vocabulary: 

Landscapes- A picture representing a view of natural inland scenery 

Contradict- to imply the opposite of a denial od

Francis Bacon- A British figurative painter known for raw & unsettling imagery

Henriette Moraes- A British artist & model during the 50’s & 60’s

Requiem- a solemn chant for the repose of the dead

“The Portrait Society Gallery: Contempoary Art: Milwaukee.” PSG, www.portraitsocietygallery.com/pastexhibitions. Accessed 14 Dec. 2023. 

This resource is from the Gallery of Contemporary Art. It talks about two artists one of whom is a local to Milwaukee & attended MIAD, LaNia Sproles. In the article they talk about two bodies of work for an exhibition that took place in 2019. Who Built the Burning House a body of work from Sproles features a variety of stylized portraits with deep meaning relating but not limited to slavery, survival in a new society & oppressive realities. 

I choose this article because it is important to highlight local artists within the curriculum as often as possible. While the big names that exist in art history have their place and purpose showing students that there is success here as well & what those artists do for our local community. LaNia Sproles is a great example of that as she is an active artist & community member. 

Question for the students after reading: 

What is a theme that you hope to incorporate into your portrait project? What symbols will you use to achieve this? List a minimum of 3. 

Text Complexity: 

According to the qualitative measuring graph this article falls under the slightly complex category. With the expectation of knowledge demands where a case can be made it falls into moderately complex just with the general incohesive curriculum surrounding critical race theory it is hard to gauge where the students are at when it comes to background knowledge of the effects on a societal scale of white supremacy particularly in regards to slavery.  However this does fall within the grade levels I would be teaching this lesson plan to. 

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Grade 11.5

Automated Readability Index Grade 14.2

Coleman-Liau Grade 13.7

Flesch Reading Ease 51.4/100

Gunning fog index Grade 14.2

Laesbarhedsindex (LIX) Formula 52.8 = school year 10

Vocabulary: 

Contemporary- marked characteristics of the present period

Contingency- an event (such as an emergency) that may but is not certain to occur 

Abstraction- an abstract composition or creation in art

Illustrative- serving, tending or designed to illustrate 

Mosaic- a surface decoration made by inlaying small pieces of variously colored material to form pictures or patterns

Gesture- capturing the movement of the body or nature through broad lines or marks within an artwork 

Cascone, Sarah. “Earliest Known Portrait of an African-American Slave Comes to Yorktown.” Artnet News, 9 June 2014, news.artnet.com/art-world/earliest-known-portrait-of-an-african-american-slave-comes-to-us-36514. 

This article talks about one historically important portrait. It is significant not because of the technique or painter but rather subject matter. The painting depicts an African slave circa 1733. The portrait is of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo who was well educated due to his status in a family of Muslim clerics. He was kidnapped and sold into slavery to be sent to colonial Maryland. 

The purpose of my students reading this is to both get historical context of who could & would not have oil portraits done of themselves at this point in history as well as how significant those figures were who broke those societal rules. 

Questions after reading the article:  

What do you think the significance of the portrait of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo is? Why was this portrait significant historically? 

Text complexity: 

This article is overall moderately complex with the exception of knowledge demands when it comes to historical contexts within the slave trade during the 1700’s but a lot of the background you would need to know is implied throughout the text. But overall this would fall in the age level I would be teaching the lesson plan to. 

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Grade 11.8

Automated Readability Index Grade 13.7

Coleman-Liau Grade 13.7

Flesch Reading Ease 47.4/100

Gunning fog index Grade 14.7

Laesbarhedsindex (LIX) Formula 54.1 = school year 11

SMOG Index Grade 13.0

Average grade level Grade 13.4 (mean of above)

Vocabulary: 

Acquired - gained by or attained by

Prominent- readily noticeable 

Clerics- the official or sacerdotal class of a non-Christian religion similar to priests

Misgivings- a feeling of doubt or suspicion especially concerning a future event.

Constituted- to set up or enact 

Abolitionist- a person who wants to stop or abolish slavery 

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Visualizing Understanding of Zines- Blog Post #3

As a teacher of the Arts, I think taking into consideration what visuals can add to your lesson plans is always a good idea. I personally am a visual learner & a story based learner so I wanted to utilize a visual timeline for this lesson on zines.

Below is a decade by decade explanation of what zines were utilized for. As we all know knowing your history helps you not to repeat it but within art, knowing your history helps you to be inspired by it. So using a visual history tool I thought would be helpful to any future students who would be learning from me.

Included in the timeline I have covers & pages from the zines mentioned in their given decade. When teaching a lesson that will ultimately lead to the students creating themselves I like to include historical & student examples whenever I can. This both helps them see what is possible within their level of creation as well as what can be possible within any given medium. Often I find that students are inspired by a visual & use that to fuel their creativity in the project or in their personal work.

Beyond learning history visually within the art world, learning the technical processes can be equally as important & providing a variety of ways for students to receive that information is how to best set them up for success. When doing a lesson on zine making for example, folding paper can get really complicated especially when accuracy and decisive folds are important to create a pristine zine. With this is mind I included this slide in my presentation:

On the left there are two folding strategies for students to look at as visual reminders of the steps that go into zine making. With most zine types cutting is just as important as the folds themselves & having a visual representation of where to cut to get the outcome you desire can be nothing other than helpful.

On the right side there is a link to a video that shows color coded step by step instructions on how to make this expiremetal zine format. This color coded factor can be a very important visual for students who get lost in all the moving parts that comes with that particular zine format. The artist in the video also walks through verbally what she is doing & why. This is a good resource for after class when students don't have direct access to me but still need those visual steps when working after school.

All in all visuals are a very integral part to my lesson planning as an art teacher. They help both understand concepts as well as technical processes with any art practice. It's not really a new concept for me to include in my lesson plans as most art students check off visual learning as one of the key ways they process new information & it doesn't hurt students who don't have visual as a main way they learn, win-win either way.

Here is a link to the full lesson plan integration to see how it would be used in my classroom:

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Where am I?+ Where I Want 2 Go? Blog #2

An interest that I have in art is accessibility.

There are a number of ways to make art accessible to all. Historically in my education I have focused on financially accessibility. Often there is a financial barrier for students when it comes to the fine arts. This happens for two main reasons that I have observed:

Students and their parents cannot afford the supplies that are necessary for art making in the home. It's not cheap to maintain an art practice.

Students have unsupportive families who are unwilling to put time/effort/money into something they don't deem as worthy of their students time.

Often the arts have systematically been discredited as a good career path or something worthy to feed into. I say systematic intentionally. Art is a way to understand the world around us. It is engrained into our society. There is nowhere you can go in the vast world we live in where you will not find art. So if it is everywhere why is it not a 'viable path' for these young minds?

Because to know art is to know the world. Knowledge is power and power is something scary to those who want to maintain it as a tool for oppression. Art is a tool in resistance again and again in history & into modern day. We see this in posters in times of protest, in murals in cities being ravaged by capitalistic greed and in photography highlighting the impact that our society has on human beings.

Above is an example of a photograph that had a powerful + meaningful impact on the world. During the Hong Kong protests this photo and others like it cemented umbrellas as a symbol of the people & resistance from a fascist government.

Outside of the reasoning for why the arts are the way that they are and moving into how we as the community need them to be, attached below is a resource for free infographics teaching how to illustrate a multitude of subjects.

Having resources like this is really important because in the days of the internet things are more shareable than ever, which can translate to more accessible than ever creating less and less of a barrier between artists and creating their art.

Resources:

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Welcome! Blog Post #1

Hello Hello

My name is Sav Canales & I am a senior in college in the Art Education department at UWM.

As an art educator my focus will be on creating community in the classroom in the ways that are needed for my students & school that I am working in. I have a decent about of experience teaching under my belt. Currently I am incharge of pre-college workshops through ArtsECO where we provide artistic techniques & facilities that are usually not available to high school students. In some spaces community could mean resources & tools and in others community could simply be a room that's low stakes in a otherwise rough environment. The power of having somewhere to go and just be.

A lot of my focus comes from what I needed as a student who was going through it. Within the art community in Milwaukee I have found solace. Everyone deserves that.

attached is a fantastic resource for educators looking to create safe space within their classroom through art. As well as a picture of me hard at work as an artist in the community.