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In October 2002, Trinity
Elementary fifth grade students went on a field trip to the Frist Center
for the Visual Arts in Nashville. They
viewed a new exhibit of works by an artist unfamiliar to them.
The exhibition, Andy Goldsworthy: Mountain and Coast Autumn
into Winter, introduced students to the idea of environmental art.
Final museum activities included observational journaling in the
courtyard, brainstorming ways to work with natural materials and
creative writing. The following week in art, students shared their impressions about what they had seen. We talked about the idea of a “theme” in artworks and how art can convey something an artist wants to say. Through Goldsworthy’s work, students were inspired to make their own personal connections with nature through art making. A field trip to Bowie
Nature Park in Fairview followed the next week.
Students were asked to work collaborate in small groups and
create their own art from nature. They were reminded to be respectful of
their environment and construct using found materials only. Otherwise, students were allowed total freedom in creating
their designs. A digital camera was used to photograph students as they explored the park and as they worked to create their art. Final artwork was also documented just as Goldsworthy documents his work. Students had a wonderful learning experience and were responsible in returning the site to its original condition.
CLOSURE As part of the final process in this project, students completed creative writing assignments in their classrooms. Responsibility was the overall theme that students were asked to use. In addition, students determined titles for their nature art and wrote about the problems, materials and conditions that existed in the creation of their sculptures. |
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