smART Program Profile

Partners for Arts Education annually presents $1000 stipends to four  CNY programs that exhibit best practices in partnering, meeting standards, and maintaining artistic integrity. The program partners apply and are selected by a panel of arts education peers.

Franklin Arts Magnet School & Aduke Watts Branch
“Reflections of Me”

Partners:  Aduke Watts Branch, dollmaker, 2nd-5th grade faculty, magnet facilitator, assistant, and Everson Museum of Art.

Students: 500  2nd-5th graders

BIG IDEA:  To develop a sense of community connected by unique, proud, individuals through planning, creating, and completing personal dolls.

Action: Students will create soft sculpture dolls representing people in their lives that they respect.

Planning: Three initial sessions including the artist, school faculty, and museum staff; spring 2000, September and October 2000. Frequent mini-sessions to update and adjust as program evolves.

Implementation:  Inclusion of the art teacher to integrate art curriculum in costumes / accessories. Worksheets and writing in classrooms and at home on family traits, cultural heritage, personal characteristics. Social Studies integration through cultural representations.
The artist works with each student at least five and as many as eight times from October to June. Connections to portraits through the Everson Museum and prior curriculum.

Evaluation: Assigned project evaluator. Student, parent, teacher surveys.  Student ‘Artist Statements’ for reflection, CD portfolios for long term measurement.