2 North American Art Projects to Try This Fall
There are some amazing art styles that have their roots in the United States—I would LOVE to take a field trip to any of these areas and really give students a hands-on experience. I think it’s great for students to remember that amazing art is being made in this country, and likely even in their own state. Here, I’ll be looking at two regions in particular and the unique art styles that can be found in each.
Pacific Northwest Haida Printmaking
While visiting the Pacific Northwest, I camped on the Quileute Reservation and was amazed by the intricate art style that permeated each place I went to. As I learned more, I found that this style was extremely calculated. Designs could be broken down into smaller “puzzle pieces” that made up the bigger picture. Local Haida artists expertly took the outline of an animal and filled it with these shapes.
When I’ve taught these lessons, I have students examine Haida artwork and attempt to “break it down” to a list of simple shapes that can be used as building blocks. They then use these simple shapes to build their own animal.
As students enter the room I play drone footage of the Pacific Northwest, and often have students watch footage of animals native to the area to be inspired by. We then watch Native American artists carve wood blocks and paint them in this traditional style.
Here’s a printmaking resource that may be helpful in explaining the process to students!
Face Pottery from North Carolina
Face pottery was originally created by throwing a vase on the pottery wheel (powered by the feet) and then sculpting a “frightening” face on it. Originally, these were placed on grave sites, but over the years it has developed into a folk art in which pots with scary faces were used to deter children from getting into the “adult beverages” inside. While staying in North Carolina, pottery studios were scattered throughout the state and each one placed their own spin on this folk art. Teeth were made with smashed plates, handles and long necks added intrigue, and expressions were pushed to the limit.
I have a lot of fun teaching this to my classes because they learn great skills in face sculpting yet are able to make their own unique versions. It’s a great way to teach the coil method, too. I’ve had students smooth or leave the coils un-smoothed, both of which turn out great.
Here’s the full lesson with vocab, full teacher instructions, and step-by-step student instructions. If you try this project let me know how your students like it!
