Check out examples of lesson plans for public and private institutes that I’ve adapted or drafted new for my fall classes at the New Art Center.
Steven Wilber Art Lesson Plans
Find out what’s happening in Mr. Wilber’s classes!
Category Archives: art education
New classes for the fall!
I’ve signed on to teach three more classes for the fall semester for the New Art Center, just outside Boston. Registration for these classes beginning in mid-late September is now open, click on the class title to register online!
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| Jann of the Jungle #16, 1957 |
Graphic Novel & Manga Exploration, Grades 6-9, Mondays:
Explore the subject of the graphic novel with comic books and manga by delving into the history of the medium and its influences on animation, anime, music, and film. Students will create their own graphic novel with focus on story structure and pencil and ink art. Sketchbook required.
Graffiti Art, Grades 6-9, Mondays:
In this class, the history and perceptions of graffiti will be used as inspiration for nique works of art completed with a variety of materials such as chalk, paint, colored pencils, and oil pastels. Students will create a final class collaborative piece for display at the New Art Center. A perfect class for budding artists who like to work BIG. Sketchbook required.
Architects’ Building Studio, Grades 2-4, Wednesdays:
Bring your ideas to life in this fun class that moves from 2D into 3D. Using architecture and the built environment as our theme, students will develop their ideas in drawings, and then use their drawings as a basis for creating 3D models and sculptures. If you can imagine a world underwater, or a city of treehouses, this class is for you!
I’ll post more announcements for future classes and events as the summer progresses!
Important article
A great article about the importance of art education in the class!
Art Education Needs To Be Protected
Being Ubuntu: the Youth Speak
Upcoming classes opening in March and April!
It’s been a VERY successful winter semester at the Worcester Art Museum with lots of laughs and amazing creativity. After a brief respite I’ll be back March 24th to start anew with two new weekend classes. Check ’em out!
Drawing and Painting, 5-7 years old
Enjoy looking at paintings in the Museum. Then, have fun learning about color, texture and line while you create your own drawings and paintings with tempera paints, oil pastels, watercolors and much more!
Express Yourself!, 8-10 years old
Get inspired in the Museum and let loose your creativity. Experiment in sculpture, printmaking, paint and other materials to develop fun, colorful and experimental projects.
And in other news —
I’ve just signed on to teach a class for 3rd-5th graders starting in April at the New Art Center in Newton, MA!
Bring your ideas to life in this fun class that moves from 2D into 3D. Using architecture and the built environment as our theme, students will develop their ideas in drawings, and then use their drawings as a basis for creating 3D models and sculptures. If you can imagine a world underwater, or a city of tree houses, this class is for you!
A student’s work in progress
A serious discussion with students on the current state of the world and the future for which we might be heading revealed some fascinating designs of transportation and homes for the year 2050. Seen here is just one example of such made 3D – a work in progress.
How involved should parents be in their child’s education?
New Hampshire recently passed a new law that allows parents to opt their child out of a class if they do not approve of a particular lesson being taught. As a public school teacher of Evangelical parents I can only imagine the discord that can be created from this! But — I’m curious as to how others feel and would greatly appreciate feedback. I heard of the development through NPR this afternoon and it is further explained, here on the radio station’s website.
I posted the following response on the Callie Crossley Show facebook page with other educators and parents.
I am a public school art teacher in Boston and I also teach at a private institution that is less censored than the average elementary, middle, or high school. I myself grew up with Evangelical parents who wished to have me home schooled, but I rebelled and demanded I be placed in public school. My parents, by the way, live and vote in New Hampshire.
As an artist I am against censorship of any kind, but as an educator I understand the need for regulations in public schools. That being said, I agree parents can and should teach their children whatever they wish at home, but should be less interfering in the classroom. I’m not saying uninvolved, not at all. But parents should embrace the idea that we are a society of free thinkers and that everyone is entitled to opinions or theories of their own. It’s one of the many great things about this country.
Also, here in Boston the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is a severe concern to teachers and principals. I’m sure NH has its own test like it that measures the performance of ALL students based on curriculum framework learning standards of the state. If a parent wishes a teacher to allow a student to abstain from one lesson or another, who’s to say that would not upset their chances for their highest possible score on the exam? The impact of this could bring the curve down for the entire class, grade, or even school. Sound ridiculous? Well, I can’t argue with you, but it’s true.
My bigger concern is that the child would be missing out on something that is the building block for something else further down his/her educational career. I like the idea of the parent being a part of the process, but I wish there was greater trust in the teacher to provide all of the necessary tools for the student.
A Resolution I Plan To Keep
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| Versace Autumn/Winter 2012 |
Last year I fully explored my love of comic books with students to show to them how the medium is absolutely Art related and opens many doors of the world. I’ll admit, there was some hestitance from the female population of classes, but nearly as much as I anticipated. Thankfully, my fandom of Wonder Woman helped build a bridge and throughout the year, both boys and girls were producing incredible graphic novels with thought out stories and incredibly detailed work (focusing on foreground, middle and background, pen & ink, etc).
It’s a new year and to build on a popular theme in many of my lessons, fashion, I intend to do much of the same, though reversed, as I had with comics. Let me explain. Girls, ages seven to eighteen, immediately seem drawn to clothes — the majority anyway. Well, I want boys, seven to eighteen, to understand that they too can express themselves through their form of dress. Alright, so maybe it won’t be as important to them as it is to girls, duly noted, but I do want them to experiment and have fun with the idea. In the coming months I will be broadening design and color lessons to utilize a more fashion athstetic. The inspiration comes from an article I read online in British Vogue. If I teach my students anything beyond the Art fundementals, I want to broaden their perception of their day to day life in a fun way. Keep an eye on this space for results of students’ work as it’s produced.
Tentative Lesson Plan for the Semester
This is an idea of how I prepare for a semester of art classes at the Worcester Art Museum. A lot of things are missing in this early stage, like how I’ll tie each class with the Massachusetts Visual Art Curriculum and how much unspecific time I want to give each project. Even though it’s not yet written down, I already have such ideas/plans in my head that evolved as I planned. If you look close and use your imagination, you can see how each lesson is a progression of the last and loosely tied to each. For me, it all starts with a theme or final project that I want students to achieve, with each class a step towards that end direction. A lot goes into preparing a semester, not all of it is listed here — I have to keep some surprises alive!
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| Portraits, Landscapes, & Sculptures / Explore Your World |
New classes!
Happy new year! I’m pleased to announce my upcoming Saturday classes at the Worcester Art Museum. Classes begin January 14th and end March 10th.
With a variety of materials students and I will be exploring and creating landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes, and more. We’ll also be learning about famous artists from different parts of our world!
Students will be studying works of the past to inspire new works of their own with subject matter that is real, and some that is surreal. Lessons will be both two dimensional and three dimension with a final project that incorporates both.
To register for my classes, simply click on the links above.
SWart Studio 