Lesson Plan: Street Art / Chalk " A Jazzy Renaissance" A Cultural and Media Experience
 

Written by: Essex Garner 

LTC 8900: Artistic Thinking: Multimedia Applications for Teaching Art

Art Strands: Making Art, Art History, Art Criticism,
                    and Diversity. Develop Topographical Map
                    Reading skills Connect 19th & 20th Century Social
                    Issues with the 21st Century Classroom
 

Grade levels: 4 through 12
Age levels: 9 through 17
 

     The Big Idea: This unit also provides your students with a unique opportunity for in depth discussion and discovery of the artistic changes from the past to their 21^st century art classroom. Class time allotted for each lesson is one hour. The time for this lesson has to be lengthened once your students start their studio activities. Most people enjoy and appreciate Street Art or Chalk Art, Public Murals, and want to watch them be created. It takes a lot of courage to render an image onto the ground while getting covered in chalk, or recreating an old masterpiece or contemporary image on the pavement while people watch you.

Ray Charles "Play That Song"

Play Video Here "America"

         Conceptual Structure: Most people enjoy and appreciate Street Art or Chalk Art, murals, parades, and admire artistic creativity while watching artist work. It takes a lot of courage to render an image onto the ground while getting covered in chalk, or recreating old masterpieces or cultural images on the pavement while people watch you. The connected theme within this studio activity is "A Jazzy Renaissance". History has a way of reminding us of who we are, where we came from In some cases history reminds us of our phobias of other cultures, to include how we dealt with those issues as a society. America’s most successful multicultural investment came about in New Orleans, Louisiana during the 19th and early 20th century. New Orleans at the time still had French and Spanish colonial roots, mixed with a resilience of African influences after the slave era. How do we atone for the numerous cultural struggles this nation has undergone? That’s a pretty tall order, but making student’s awareness of "others" within our society and their unique struggles through artistic expression is a good place to start.

Jacob Lawrence

Boy With Kite (Heroshima Seriers)

Eample Student work

• This lesson strengthens the student’s awareness in diversity issues, art and music appreciation, explores different drawing and music media, and develops socially aesthetic concept necessary for the understanding of others.
   

• This unit also provides your students with a unique opportunity for in depth discussion and discovery of the artistic changes from the past to their 21^st century art classroom.
   

• The students will demonstrate prior knowledge of lessons learned within the Elements and Principles of Art as they go out to adorn the pavement.

• This lesson strengthens the student’s research ability. Before allowing them to draw review information on Chalk Art ideas by Artist Julian Beavers, Edgar Mueller - 3D Pavement Art, and explore indigenous New Orleans visual artists and musician like Aaron Neville, Louis Armstrong (Satchmo) or Fats Domino.

• This lesson builds on the students understanding of how public art spaces, street art, festivals, and wall graphics fit within their community matrix. The student can draw their inspiration for their work through current cultural or social issues, the performing or visual arts or conceptual issues they wish to convey as artist.

• The students will examine two-dimensional concepts that fall under art censorship, and the struggles many musicians faced either through segregation or Jim Crow laws. The students will demonstrate that their work wouldn’t be patiently offensive in public domains.

• Students will also develop their map reading skills within geographical and historical markers of information.

Dizzy

by

Essex Garner 2009

• Students can draw on their personal experiences for inspiration or external sources like; Harlem Renaissance Jazz Musicians Dizzy Gillepsi, Miles Davis or visual artist’s such as Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden or contemporary late R & B legions like Ray Charles.

• Have your students pick and artist or musician from New Orleans Ragtime, Dixie Land, R&B or contemporary jazz era for discussion and to recreate their artistic experience that would fit a chalk drawing motif on concrete. It’s better for younger students to work in a Constructivist environment our group. Usually fundamental II and III students can work independently. This lesson fosters personal responsibility and creativity in your students when they’re given supplies and equipment they will request for this project.
   
• The student will understand and create by applying a variety of media techniques and processes to express visual ideas, feelings, and values with art elements and principles. Recognize career opportunities that are related to these art forms

Cedar Hill Elementary School Art Club Jazzfest Chalk Art work. Capitol Jazz Fest 2010, Memorial Park. Jefferson City, Missouri

• The students will develop an appreciation of how artists operate in public spaces, strengthen techniques in art criticism, and develop a better awareness of public Art.

• The students will come away with a better understanding of how functional and nonfunctional art through the artist’s and publics lens, and look at how art is perceived and appreciated by others.

• The students will make a personal connection to a particular artist, theme and or their work during the course of the research process.
   
• The students will come to appreciate the planning process for this art form and the music period.
   
• The students will digitally record and be
  evaluated on their chalk illustration by their peers. And reflect on ideas of public opinion concerning their project. Students will ask the questions: do you think your artwork changed or effected someone’s opinion concerning the social issues of others?

• Assign students to groups or (for the older kids) allow them to work alone at recreating artwork on a large scale.
   
• Have students plan their chalk art beforehand, by illustrating a drawing in the classroom or by reproducing an image they choose. This will enable students to make better use of their sidewalk space once outdoors. With the older students, you will want to encourage shading and dramatic color in the piece.
   
• Before you head outdoors, take one last moment to divide students' art on a grid. Mark off each drawing in increments of about 2 inches square, depending on the size of the original. These same grid marks will be placed on the concrete outside for reproducing the image.
   
• Mark off blocks of space on the sidewalk before anyone begins drawing, that way you're sure to have enough space to go around.

Miles Davis
a
 Cubistic Issue

Eample Student work

• Use a yardstick inside the designated block to copy the grid used on the original image. A simple conversion is 2 inches on the paper = 2 feet outside on the ground, but you can also increase the outside measurement to 3 feet if you have enough room.

• Ensure the students understand the (according to the image type) in most cases. It’s best to work from the lighter colors first, then the darker colors. Chalk has a tendency to blow around in the wind, and darker hues put down at the beginning of a drawing tend to dull the illustration over time.

• Once the grids are completed, students can draw in one block at a time, copying from the drawing one block at a time until they're finished.
   
• Insure students make an effort to complete their work from left to right if they are right handed, and right to left if they are left handed. This approach minimizes leaning over areas of the drawing already completed, and reduces smudging.

• Gallon jugs of water - for drinking as well as washing off hands and legs.

• Check the following supply list before you start, and be sure to put everything in a box in case it gets windy:

• Kneepads or gardener's padded or work boards - to kneel on while drawing instead of having their knees directly on the pavement.

• Large sheets of plastic or garbage bags taped together - keep this on hand as a cover in case of rain, heavy wind, or just to protect work over a long lunch break

• Paintbrushes of all shapes and sizes, sponges - to blend and spread colors.

• Pastels or sidewalk chalk - Your choice, depending on price. Pastels will usually give you more vibrant colors and produce higher-quality work.

• Paper towels or old towels and rags - to clean up as necessary.

• Hats, sunscreen, sunglasses - to protect from the elements.

• Camera to take pictures. Consider letting the local media know so they can cover the project in the papers and on TV. See News Article last page of this lesson.