GAEA Conference Fall 2024

Meet at the bottom of the ramp in the Atrium at the High

In this workshop, we will sit with some of the work in the High Museum galleries. The practice will improve your ability to use art as a form of meditation which will in turn improve your artwork. This practice is both relaxing and helps you identify to direction your artwork needs to take. **Supplies needed are minimal. Just a sketchbook, pencil, and open mind are all that is needed.**

For a family-friendly Earth Day activity at the local art museum, students in a Museum Studies course planned a papermaking activity that incorporated eco-friendly recycled paper and native Georgia wildflower seeds to create seed paper and seed bombs that children of all ages could enjoy making and later planting at home. Learn about the process of making seed paper and seed bombs to share with your students, and take home your own samples that you've created!

The workshop begins with a step-by-step guide on preparing paper for artistic use. Participants learn techniques such as staining, texturing, and priming to enhance the paper's surface for different mediums.With a focus on mixed media, drawing, painting, and even embroidery, attendees discover innovative ways to elevate their creative expression even when traditional canvases or quality watercolor paper aren't readily available.

This presentation will delve into the integral role of arts education in fostering literacy skills among students. By exploring the connections between visual arts and literacy, we aim to demonstrate how art classrooms serve as rich environments for nurturing reading, writing, thinking, communication, and creativity. Through research findings and practical examples, we will showcase the transformative power of art education in improving literacy rates and enhancing overall academic achievement.

Purpose is to present creative, cost-effective curriculum-based solution to common art program material challenge of limited budget/surplus materials (paper/paper scraps) with student-centered focus on creative problem solving, encouraging more risk-taking in creation approach. Participants will be provided a variety of papers similar to what they may have in their art rooms (newsprint, construction, copy, magazine) and challenged to create 3D sculptures. Lesson plan will be provided with invitation to adapt and scaffold to personalize to own practice.

“We Want To Do More Than Survive” We want to do more than survive is the title of the best seller written by Bettina Love. Her research centers around the study of the inequalities in the educational system. The ability to have the difficult conversation about the shortcomings of the educational system regarding minority students and their failing hopes and dreams. The discussion and hands on activities allow space for anyone who wishes to make a genuine change in our current systemic failures. The activities and discussion invite participants to engage in the journey toward healing, justice and revolution. Examination of both We Want To Do More Than Survive and Punished for Dreaming is an invitation to listen, critique, heal, and fight for the schools and world we deserve. This opportunity provides space for reflection, rage, sorrow, dreams, and questions.Difficult discussions encourage you to feel, think deeply, and engage in meaningful dialogue and action. To address the inclusion aspect more specifically, We will also examine how neurodivergent children are valued and seen. The goal is for participants to leave with a renewed sense of hope and ideas to address equity, diversity, and inclusion in their personal lives and educational forums shedding the fear of having those difficult conversations that foster systemic change.

Using contemporary works of art as starting points, learn how you and your students can visualize data using a variety of sculpture materials, including basket reed, yarn, paper and wire. Participants will create small assemblage sculptures using a variety of media after learning strategies for visualizing data in creative ways.

This workshop is designed to give you all the knowledge and teaching resources to complete a "Textile Landscape" with your students! In this lesson, students will learn the parts of a landscape, and how to create depth using the foreground, middle ground, and background, but they will also learn how to sew! I teach my students a simple running stitch and whip stich to complete the project. Once they get the hang of it, they never want to stop! I still have students come in with ripped hoodies every now and then and ask if they can borrow a needle and thread to sew it up. More advanced students can also learn more challenging embroidery stitches to add detail on top of their landscapes as well. There are tons of opportunities in this project to differentiate for different skill levels. This project came about because I had a LOT of small scrap fabrics and fabrics with irregular cuts that could not be used for our more traditional fiber arts units, and I felt that they were going to waste. I was sorting through them when I found several pieced that reminded me of mountains and other landscape features. Since that day, I have done this project several times and it is always a huge success! The students have gotten more and more creative with using fabric with pattern and texture, and adding buttons, ribbon, and embroidery. It is always fun to see what they come up with. So, please join me if you are interested in receiving those resources and want to come make some beautiful fiber art masterpieces! Lets sew some scraps together to make something greater than the sum of it's parts!

We will start by sharing how altered books can be used in a beginning art classroom in order to introduce (or enhance) students’ knowledge of the elements and principles of design. I will share how I utilize altered book lessons to introduce a larger unit focusing on an element or principle of design and share examples. Then, we will create a 2-page “altered book” spread with a sample element of design so teachers can take a finished page home to use as an example in their own classroom.

Participants will explore what a secondary art curriculum using contemporary art can look like, focusing on contemporary art processes and learning as an ongoing artistic exploration rather than an end result driven process with a distinct beginning and end. Through recognizing the benefits of teaching with contemporary art (Hamlin & Fusaro, 2018; Scott, 2020; Marshall et al. 2021; Sickler-Voigt, 2020; Gude, 2013; Bae 2023; Thulson & Stewart, 2021; Tuazon, 2011) as well as the challenges (Bae, 2023; Marshall & Donahue, 2014), this session will provide resources and guidance in developing a semester’s curriculum that directly connects to contemporary artists and practices. Session participants will receive planning materials including a sample curriculum map, curriculum outline, contemporary artist lists, and time will be spent collaboratively developing individual curriculum outlines.

Discover a new twist (or stitch!) to mixed-media collage. An introduction to basic collage techniques -- combining paper and found materials with drawing and painting -- is followed by the additional element of stitching and embellishing. Participants will explore abstract and narrative compositions while experimenting with the opportunity to mix materials in surprising ways. Opportunities for differentiation to include all grade and skill levels is an important element of the workshop. Participants will create their own small canvas mixed-media artwork.

This is Middle Level sharing lesson session where each participant will bring a lesson they want to share. All participants will meet in quick 3 minute elevator pitches to share their lessons and trade them. Bring one lesson, take home a bunch of them ready to teach in your own classroom.

For over 30 years, Cosplay has been an avenue of connection and creativity for fans of media, anime, movies, video games, theatre and pop culture. Across the world, cosplayers gather at conventions to show off incredible handmade costumes that feature robotics, metalwork, sculpture and sewing. Cosplay can offer an enjoyable and inclusive experience for students of all ages, fostering self-expression and camaraderie. Learn the basics of EVA foam, thermoplastics, mold making and more!

This presentation will provide examples of art integration lessons that incorporate art standards as well as content standards. The lessons will be easily adaptable to multiple grades. The presentation will include an introduction to art integration as we see it impactfully practiced in our schools today. We will discuss the benefits of including other content areas in our art instruction such as: helping students to make personal connections to the content, increased overall academic achievement, developing student’s ability to apply learning to other experiences, and many more. Presenters will walk through specific lessons which integrate art with math, language arts, literacy, science, and social studies so that they will leave with relevant lessons to implement immediately. All lessons will support art standards as well as content standards.