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Project/Program <br />Summary <br />I will lead the entire third grade at four title 1 schools in and around <br />Hillsborough in the creation of large tile mosaics that will be installed at the <br />schools. Past themes have included civil rights pioneers, arts pioneers <br />from NC, and diverse stem pioneers. In partnership with the team of <br />teachers at each school, I will create a concept for the art, deferring to the <br />teachers for direction whenever possible. I will then create the imagery to <br />be transferred onto the tiles and complete a large amount of preparation <br />work before day one of the residency, including the creation of a paper <br />template for each tile in the piece. <br />During the week long residency the students will create tiles out of clay, <br />paint the tiles with a white clay paint, create abstract paintings on each tile <br />with a beige liquid clay, and finally transfer their section of the image onto a <br />clay tile. Each day of the residency begins with a quick science lesson that <br />ties the science of clay/ceramics to NC Science Standards for the third <br />grade. Topics include, how nature forms clay, why there are different types <br />of clay, different stages and states of clay, the process for finishing / firing <br />clay, understanding what glaze and underglaze are and how we will use <br />them. After the science lesson I give the students a drawing assignment, <br />these assignments build in complexity each day, by day four we are <br />creating sequential image pieces (aka comics) and on day five the <br />students use the art form of comics to tell a true story about their lives. I <br />could not be more passionate about giving these kids this tool to tell us <br />about themselves. I could not be more inspired by what I see them create <br />with this medium. As the students work on their comics they are cycling <br />through the clay station, creating the mosaic. This enables me to have <br />small group time with every kid, every day. <br />At the completion of the residency I take the tiles home and assemble them <br />and complete the addition / outlining of any text on the piece. I then <br />transport the piece and load it into kilns for the initial firing. I then hand <br />paint a clear glaze on the tiles. I then clean and assemble the tiles, <br />measure them, get wooden panels cut, mount the tiles on the wooden <br />panels and deliver the panels to the school. Once the facilities team at the <br />school mounts the panels I return and add a small border. <br />Community Impact I believe all art education to be terribly important, but after teaching art in <br />Carrboro for 16 years, I find teaching art to kids in a more rural setting, a <br />setting more reminiscent of the Mississippi Delta where I grew up, to be the <br />most profoundly meaningful work of my life. I grew up in an environment <br />where the arts were not valued. I enter the classrooms each day with a <br />incredible amount of energy and excitement because I am so terribly <br />passionate about letting these kids experience the value and power of art <br />for themselves as they create a piece of art to live in the school for a very <br />long time. Approximately 340 third grade students at four title 1 elementary <br />schools will participate, as well as their 18 teachers. As the pieces are <br />permanently installed in the schools the reach of the program extends to <br />the entire student and faculty population of the four schools, as well as <br />future students and faculty for years to come. <br />Docusign Envelope ID: 656DFEEE-56A0-47D3-9003-A69A760B9531