Art at Ray Together
As you walked through the multi last fall, you may have noticed some bright colourful prints along the wall. This was the Romare Bearden Gallery, part of the Art at Ray Together project.
For the past several weeks, Grade 5 students have been leading tours of this special gallery. Groups of students observe and learn, ask questions, and then get to try their hand at producing similar art in a special project area set up in the Music Room.
Each year the PTO sponsors this docent program for 5th grade students. The students learn about a specific artist, brainstorm interesting learning points which the parent-leader uses to write a lecture. They hang a gallery of artist reproductions, and then the 5th grade docents give a lecture to all the elementary classes in their school. From planning the lecture, to practicing the lecture daily, to its final delivery, the students work about 6 weeks. They work in pairs to practice, to amend their lectures to suit the age of their audience, and to deliver their final lecture.
It is a rich opportunity for them to expand their appreciation of visual art, to develop their critical thinking skills, to speak publically, and to practice the research and presentation of relevant information regarding the chosen artist.
This year, 20 5th grade students began coming for docent training in late September. They were expected to come between 11:30 and 12:30 several times a week for as long as they could. Leaders Robin Henry and Neely McNulty were there each day of that month. Training ran for about a month. Two weeks of that training month were spent practicing their guide talks with their partners. They would take a packet of reproductions and run through their talk while the parent leaders walked around and critiqued them.
Lastly, the project culminated in a group art project for the docents. They made a group self-portrait in the style of Romare Bearden using their class pictures. This hangs in the multi next to the gallery.
This project is sponsored by the Ray School PTO, and led by dedicated parent volunteer and arts advocate Neely McNulty, with the support of Art Teachers Ellen Haun and Robin Henry.
More information about the 2007 Frida Kahlo / Diego Rivera gallery
More information about the 2006 Romare Bearden gallery
Collage produced by the Grade 5 students, in the style of Romare Bearden
Click on photo to enlarge