Smithtown 350th Anniversary Logo Contest Winner

I am happy to finally be able to announce that Sabrina Shankar is the winner of the Smithtown Township's 350th Anniversary Logo Contest with her logo pictured above. The logo will be used throughout next year on the town's stationary, street banners, shirts, and in all of the celebration activities as well as being included in the time capsule that is being buried in front of town hall.  I had a chance to celebrate with Sabrina and her mother yesterday at the announcement press conference at town hall with town dignitaries, the school superintendent, and the principal of High School East.  We are all very proud of the hard work and dedication Sabrina had shown in her High School years and wish her the best in her future as she heads down south to the Savannah College of Art and Design.

The Curran & Conners Scholarship Winners

Congratulations to Gabby Lynn of the AP Art class who was the winner of this year's Curran & Conners Scholarship at Smithtown High School East.  Yesterday I had the opportunity to tour the offices of design and advertising agency The Curran & Conners with Gabby and the winner from Smithtown West and it was a terrific learning experience.  The company's vice president and office manager brought us through their offices and gave the students some terrific advice on succeeding in the industry and what it takes to make the cut.  We had a chance to look at some of their amazing design work and get a real sense of what's it's like to work in one of the big firms!

AP Art: Summer Assignments 2014

The 2014-2015 AP Art class will have a short meeting today Wednesday June 11 at 2:05pm in room 161 to discuss the schedule and summer assignments which are posted below. If you cannot attend for any reason make sure you see Mr.Needles and complete the 26 assignments by the first week of class because they are a large part of the first quarter grade and the AP test itself.

As an example of what a finished work should look like in terms of the art/design principals above is an example of the first assignment (listed below) by Shelby and below are examples of Clay's concentration pieces and some of the finalists for the Shanti Peace Posters by Lisa and others from the AP Art class a from earlier this year. If you have any questions about the assignments feel free to email me or come speak with me, other than that remember to enjoy the work and don't stress out because it usually means death to creativity!

Summer Assignments:

All assignments can be done in any medium, technique and style you desire but should be 2-Dimensional work (flat) not 3-Dimensional (sculpture) work in any media that is 18”x24” or smaller and should be entirely original (do not use other people’s pictures, characters, or content in any way).

Part I: Breadth Assignments:

(these 5 assignments should be sent to me via instagram- #needlesclass/timneedles or mail tneedles@smithtown.k12.ny.us by August 1 for feedback. These works will also count towards your 1st Quarter grade and will be critiqued during the first week of classes.)

Assignment #1: Inspiration- Take a look at this list of 100 Artists from Art 21, choose any artist and create a piece responding to (not copying or in their style) their work. The list includes everyone from artist who use traditional media such as: Cindy Sherman and Richard Serra to artist like: Ai Weiwei, Marina Abramović, and Laurie Anderson who do performance pieces. Video clips are available for each artist on the website so do a bit of research, find something in one of the artists that you connect to and create a piece on it.

Assignment #2: Darkness/Fear- Create a work that has a theme of noir, darkness, and/or fear in some way. Incorporate a style which incorporates deep shadows and a grim urban setting, photographed in somber tones and/or a feeling of disillusionment, pessimism, and despair. This can be real or imagined, personal or social.

Assignment #3: A mixed-media portrait- Create a portrait using various media in monochrome or in color. Feel free to use any medium you desire (ink, collage, newspaper, paint, & other mixed media) and as many media as you like. The style may be handled in any way you wish: realistic, abstract, expressive, impressionistic or cubistic, etc. This portrait should reveal something significant about the model. Hands, torso and face are important features and should be included in the work. Try an unusual surface. The portrait may be done on any flat smooth unbreakable surface such as cardboard, mural paper, plywood, masonite, plexiglass, homasote board, etc.

Assignment #4: Man vs. Nature- Create a work showing the contrast between man and nature. This too can be personal or social (environmentally, philosophically, ect) and literal or figurative. Try to stay away from the cliché imagery and find a unique take on a very ancient theme.

Assignment #5: A Day In Your Life- Choose a moment from your everyday life and express it visually using any media. This can be a moment that’s memorable or very average, reoccurring or just a moment you remember. Try to use media that helps illustrate the moment and think about your perspective vs. others when creating the imagery.

Part II: Process Assignments:

Create new 20 pages in your sketchbook/photographs/works on paper in themes of your choice in any media that you want to work with for the AP test (pencil, photography, mixed media, ect.). Experiment with creating multiple pieces with the same theme or if you aren't sure what theme to work with create pieces then go back and identify what the themes you tend to work in are.  Try to work with concepts that you might consider for the concentration portion of the AP test (Examples from the past include "A Day In The Life", "A Reinterpretation of the Past through Steam technology", and "Perspectives of the Brooklyn Bridge" so it's really wide open but if you want to run your idea past me before you begin I'd love to hear it). Here's a link to the College Board website which has information about the test with examples of Concentration pieces that have scored well in the past: AP: Studio Art

Part III: Shanti Peace Poster

 

Create a 8"x10' poster for the Shanti Peace Poster Contest, the theme is peace and you are free to use quotes from Gandhi and/or Martin Luther King if you wish. Here's a link to the some winning Smithtown designs from past year's: 2011 Peace Poster

AP Art: Ai Weiwei and Swoon at the Brooklyn Museum

This weekend I had an opportunity to go see the exhibits at the Brooklyn Museum of Art and I have to really recommend checking them out for yourself.  the museum has a large exhibit by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and an installation by street artist Swoon that are both fascinating and their open until early August.

Check out the video below to see how they installed some of Ai Weiwei's work.

Studio Art: Paper Craft and Final Friday

In Studio Art we spent a week creating paper bead bracelets for an African water charity program run by Students Rebuild and Charitywater.  I also offered extra credit for students who were interested in creating a woven paper vase.  Here are a few of the finished projects which really look terrific and are for a great cause so remember to hand in any extra credit assignments today because it's our last Friday together, we just have 4 classes left!

Media Art: Review for Final

Today is our Media Art Final Review for tomorrow's final exam study the linked quizlet along with the review of the: Media Art Film Terms, Cinematography, and the basics of animation for the exam.

 

The LIU 12 x 12 High School Art Show

Students from Mr. Needles AP Art and Studio Art classes recently participated in the Long Island University 12 x 12 High School Art Show at the C.W. Post Campus in Nassau County last month and here's a look at some of the work.  Senior Michelle and Gabby from the AP Art submitted portfolio pieces and students from the Studio Art classes submitted collaborative works.

Studio Art: Final Review

In Studio Art we are currently reviewing for the Final Exam later this week so here are links to my quizlet study guides:

Art History: http://quizlet.com/44098724/studio-art-art-history-flash-cards/

Painting and Drawing: http://quizlet.com/23166075/drawing-and-painting-review-flash-cards/

You should also review the studio art posts on this blog and the periods of art such as the Renaissance.

Studio Art: Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Masks

In studio art we are working on our 3d unit and this week we're going to be creating small masks inspired by Mexico's Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) holiday using celluclay.  Above are a few examples but each student will create their own design and color pattern and draw it out before you begin.  The video below shows you how celluclay works and we're going to mix it in groups then create our masks on wax paper so it can dry without sticking.



Once the mask drys you'll sand it then use acrylic and tempera paint to add you design.  The drawings will be due today and then you can begin molding you mask.  Next week, after the final, we'll be painting our masks when they are completely dry.

AP Art: The 2014 Junior Show

Wednesday our four Junior had a group show which opened with a range of work and media from figure drawing to photography to painting.  Andrew, Lisa, Erica, and Juliana presented work form their AP portfolio which was just completed.  The show will be up for a week so make sure you stop over and check it out.

Media Arts: Global Nomads Group Drug and Alcohol PSA

In Media Arts class we've been working with Global Nomads Group to collaborate with a class is Islamabad, Pakistan in order to create something for our community.  Today we will present the resulting public service announcement shown above in our final class video conference.  The Drug and Alcohol PSA went through a series of changes over the course of the semester but everyone participated in it's creation and we will be sharing it worldwide via social media this week.

We will also be sharing our environmental photographs and statements (such as mine below) with the G-9/4 class on Google+ for their upcoming walk for the environment.

Art Honor Society: Spring Field Trip to the Hamptons

The Art and Media Art Honor Society's annual spring field trip to the Hamptons was Friday and we had a great time visiting galleries and the Parrish Museum in Southampton despite the mediocre weather.  We had a chance to see art from notable Long Islanders such as Chuck Close, Dennis Oppenheim, Roy Lichtenstein, and a terrific exhibit of Jennifer Bartlett's work along with works from street artists such as: Banksy and Faile at Keszler Gallery and works by: Alex Katz and Ross Bleckner at Mark Humphrey Gallery.

 

 

Studio Art: Matisse Cut Outs

In Studio Art we learned about the cut out images Henri Matisse created later in his life and how influential and different they were.  There is a show at London's Tate Museum this summer which looks at these works and examines them in detail as seen in the video above.  It's the first time I can recall so many of the cut out works being shown together in one space so it's quite an exciting show!

Studio Art: Advanced Paper Bead Making and Extra Credit paper vases

Now that we all know how to make paper beads we'll get a little advanced in Studio Art with more ornate paper beads and a challenge to create a paper vase.  Above is a tutorial on how to make the paper beads more decorative with different varnishes and color combinations. 

Below is a simple tutorial on how to make a paper vase or pot.  If anyone wants to try it'll be this month's extra credit assignment so find some magazines to recycle and get started!

Studio Art: Beadmaking for Africa

In Studio Art we will be creating paper bead bracelets which will be donated to Students Rebuild and Charitywater and the proceeds will bring people in Tanzania, Africa clean, healthy water. Every 20 handmade beads will provide access to clean water for 1 person in a village.  We'll be working in groups of 4 (creating at least 2 beads per person in a production line style).  Take a look at the video below to see how a paper bead is created.



The artist Vik Muniz, who we studied earlier this month, is also participating in this project creating a poster from paper beads with his technique that we observed in is Oscar nominated film Wasteland.  After you assemble into your 4 person group use this template with step by step instructions to create your first beads.

AP Art: Shows and Contests

The Brooklyn Museum is currently showing a terrific exhibition on the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei that I would highly suggest visiting (along with the installation by street artist SWOON).  The video above shows some of the scope of the show and the difficulties putting it together with Weiwei not being allowed out of China at the moment.

Also any undergraduate students who are taking AP Art next year show check out the video below of a Masterclass artist and director Julian Schnabel for the Young Arts program because the contest is now open for next year. There are categories such as: photography, fine arts, writing, and film so whatever your strengths are I'd really highly suggest you submit work now!

Art Honor Society: Spring Field Trip to the Hamptons

Next week we will continue our printmaking work and next Friday we have our annual summer field trip to the Hamptons where we will be visiting the new Parrish Museum of Art and seeing a range of work from Long Islanders such as: Fairfield Porter, Roy Lichtenstein, and April Gornik along with a visit to the The Dan Flavin Art Institute in Bridge Hampton shown in the video clip below.

 

Art Honor Society: Kevin Doria

Yesterday in our Art Honor Society meeting we were creating monoprints and we had a special guest Kevin Doria join us and participate.  Kevin is an alumni from Smithtown East's first AP Art class and he spoke about his current position as a photographer and graphic designer in New Mexico and about his college experiences at the Art Institute of Chicago.  Below are some of the prints Kevin created.  

Media Art: Begining to Animate

In media arts class we are now ending the pre-production phase of our animation and beginning to animate using 3"x5" white index cards in pencil.  The short animation above is a great example of what we're looking for because it has mostly simple backgrounds and limited color but uses a good variation of techniques and motion and the animation is neat and smooth (incorporating the hand is the difficult part but goes beyond what were doing in class).

We are going to begin with a 5 card pencil test on index cards that I provide (look at the examples below) but to save time make sure your pencil test is part of your animation so we can use it in the final film

Studio Art: Monoprinting and stencil printing

In Studio Art class we will be working on a new printmaking technique- Monoprinting along with a variation on stencil printing using Gelli plates and acrylic paint.  The nature of monoprints is that each print is different and totally unique so you'll be creating a few and choosing your best from each of these methods to submit for a grade on Friday.

AP ART: Art Attack

Now that the AP Studio Art test is over it is time for an Art Attack so this week we will be watching clips of films on artists and exploring techniques which we didn't have time for while preparing for the test.  We will also be creating a project collaboratively so we'll look at some of the possibilities such as the great time-lapse film above of a mural painting by Eric Skotnes in the theme of "awakenings" for Soul Pancake.

AP ART: The AP Test is TODAY!

Today in AP ART we are taking the AP Test so make sure all of your work is prepared are ready to submit.  The test begins at 7:20am!

AP Art: Online submissions

Today in AP art class we will be uploading the AP Studio Art Submissions for the AP test tomorrow, on May 9. Below is the information you need to know to "forward your portfolio to teacher":

School Code: 335001
School: SMITHTOWN HIGH SCH E CAMPUS
Teacher Key: xwt0100

Make sure all the work is sized and the media is stated and the concentration statements are set before submitting your work to me.  Additionally you need to have your 5 quality pieces prepared to send in the AP portfolio case.  Good luck, we're almost there!

Studio Art: Maya Lin

In Studio Art we are studing Earthworks and organic sculpture so today we will look at a very well known memorial which was designed by Maya Lin when she was a 21 year old undergraduate student at Yale, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  Above is a video about Maya's most famous work and below is a video on one of her most recent shows in NYC after Hurricane Sandy from ART21and another from the New York Times about her piece at Storm King.





Here's an interesting side note about Lin's Vietnam Memorial, people began leaving items in memory of soldiers and the US Parks service responded by archiving them, take a look at some of what was left and how it's been arranged below.

Studio Art: Organic Sculpture

Today we will begin looking at sculpture specifically the earthworks (or land art) and organic sculpture movements with artists such as: Andy Goldsworthy, Maya Lin, Mel Chin, Christo and Jeanne Claude, Walter De Maria, Vik Muniz, Dennis Oppenheim, James Turrell,  and Robert Smithson. 

Well look at a local sculpture destinations such as Calder Court in the Smith Haven Mall and the Dia Art Foundation upstate in New York along with the Storm King Art Center which showcases works from sculptors such as: Alexander Calder, Mark di Suvero, Henry Moore, Isamu Noguchi, Richard Serra, and Louise Nevelson.

Below is a great video from Tommy Kane, a terrific artist at Storm King who had fun renaming the sculptures after popstars.



Also just for fun here's Tommy Kane drawing Barcelona, one of my favorite cities!

AP Art: Senior Show- Zach

This is AP Testing week and our final senior AP Art solo show from Zach who exhibited his figure drawings and concentration pieces along with a few older pencil drawing and his poster design for the Fall play.

Friday is the AP test so make sure you are uploading all 24 of your pieces on the AP Studio Upload page and preparing you 5 works to mail in! It's almost time! Your AP scores will be release on July 9 at 8am here's some additional information: AP Scores.



Studio Art: Stencil Portraits

In Studio Art we have been working on creating Stencil Portraits on a mixed media background like the excellent example above from our international student from Thailand Jan.  The finished portrait is due on Tuesday so make sure you finish cutting the image today so you can paint it next week and finish on time.  Below is a video showing a professional version of a stencil portrait of actor Christopher Walken, pretty cool!

Media Arts: Our video conference with Pakistan

 

In Media Arts class we held our 4th Global Nomads video conference with Pakistan's G9 school this week and showed clips of our public service announcement.  We also spoke with a guest from the American embassy in Pakistan who observed our talk and our debate topics which we exchanged.  We have just 1 more video conference on May 29 where we will present our completed PSA and share photographs with G9 of Long Island for their environmental PSA and our project will be complete!

Media Arts: Pixar

In media arts class we are beginning to animate and this week we are looking at PIXAR's films so here's a quick peek at some of the "easter eggs" hidden in some of the films that are references to their other films!  Some I'm sure you've seen but others are more disguised.

Studio Art: stencil screenprinting

In Studio Art class we are currently working on our stencil screenprint and yesterday we looked at some of the history and types of printmaking from early cave paintings to early Chinese printmaking techniques to woodblocks by Albrecht Dürer and Japanese artists such as Katsushika Hokusai to Alois Senefelder's  Lithography technique invented in 1798 to modern street art such as Obey (Shepard Fairey) and Banksy.  This week we will but cutting our stencils and on Friday we will have a short quiz on what we learned.

Media Art: Pakistan videoconference 4

Tomorrow we will hold our 4th video conference with the class is Islamabad Pakistan and we will be presenting the aspects of our public service announcement that we have created and having a 30 minute debate on a foreign relation issue of your choice.  Here's a quick look at the history of our relations for your reference: US-Pakistan foreign relations but any global issue effecting both countries can be debated such as: economy, environment, energy, free speech, ect.  Take a look online for more ideas, here's a link to get you started- Pew Foreign Policy and Global Attitudes.  Below is the format for the debate but we will be working on it in class today and preparing using some Internet and global resources.

DEBATE FORMAT (20-30 minutes)

OPENING STATEMENTS: 1 minute per team Each team (up to 4) presents their opening statement, which includes their position on the debate prompt and an overview of their main arguments.

ARGUMENT and EVIDENCE ROUNDS: 5-7 minutes per team Each team (up to 4) has the opportunity to present their three main arguments and supporting evidence, followed by an opportunity for other teams to challenge, and concludes with a rebuttal. There will be as many rounds as there are teams.

1. The team presents its 3 main arguments and supporting evidence (2-3 minutes).

2. Opportunity to challenge*: Other groups ask any clarifying questions or challenge the presented arguments (1 minute).   *Students may challenge only once per round, to encourage as many students to participate in the activity as possible.

3. Rebuttal: The presenting team has the opportunity to defend its position and clarify arguments (2-3 minutes).

CONCLUDING STATEMENTS: 2 minutes per team Each team (up to 4) has a final opportunity to argue for their position. The closing statement should recap the team’s position and argument, while answering any lingering questions that were not answered during the rebuttal. As the last statement of their position, speakers should be persuasive and confident.

AP Art: The Concentrations are done! (hopefully)

In AP Art our 12 concentration assignments should now be complete and we will look at the series and make sure the work makes sense based on the statement and is consistent in terms of concept and style.  Above is an example from Shelby who's theme which was increased construction destroying the natural environment and shows great clarity and consistency.  In the coming week we should work on strengthening whatever is the weakest parts of our portfolio is.

Media Arts: Animation

In media arts class this week we looked at a few different animated works which use different techniques and have made an impact such as John Lasseter's work with Pixar and Matt Groening's work with the Simpsons and Futurama.  We also looked at more independent animation work such as Loren Bouchard's work on Bob's Burgers and Home Movies and Adam Reed's work on Archer series. Tomorrow we will have a short quiz on what we learned and next week after we complete our IVC with Pakistan look in detail at a great feature length animated film Pixar's Ratatouille which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. 

Below is a clip we watched with voice actor Hank Azaria and  Conan O'Brien who was a writer and producer on The Simpsons for 2 seasons until he became host of Late Night in 1993.

Studio Art: Printmaking

 

In studio art we are about to begin our printmaking unit and the above  book cover illustration from American Supernatural Tales is an example of an what our first printing project will look like.  The drawing all black and very graphic of a weathered monotone background. 

Our first print is going to be done in a very simple stencil style based on our previous portrait project and it can be literal or abstracted like the example below from Paige.  First I will show some examples of finished prints and we will start with a few initial drawings for our first print in pencil.  I will demonstrate the process in class and show the very simple printmaking process.

Spring Break in France and Italy

 

I spent spring break touring France and Italy visiting the Louvre in Paris, Milan's Duomo, Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia, San Gimignano and Sienna (where the color terminology comes from) in Tuscany, and Rome's Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel admiring some amazing art, architecture, and sculpture and soaking in the culture.  The trip was terrific and I'll share some of what we learned about art and culture in class this week in the mean time check out the amazing video below about the Sistine Chapel which was unquestionably one of the trips big highlights!

 

 

The group I was traveling with also happened to bump into some Italian students on a while in Florence which was fun and unexpected below is Lisa and Harry from AP Art on the streets of Florence outside the Baptistery! 

 

Media Arts: Pixilation storyboards

Today is the final class before our spring break so the colored 6 frame storyboards for you pixilations are due today.  Everyone should film their pixilation which should be at least one minute long over the break, check out the demo I did in class on Vine above talong with the student example below to get an idea of what the expectation is.  You are free to use any media such as: cell phones, SLR's, ect. to shoot it as well as apps such as: Vine, iTimeLapse, or any others or simply take photos then edit them when you return using Adobe Premiere, iMovie, or Windows Movie Maker. 



Remember creativity and clean shots are the key here! When we return we will begin our hand drawn animations so take a look at the video below from Pixar's John Lasseter on his advice for students!

Media Arts: Pixilations

Yesterday in Media Arts class we began working on the fundamentals of creating an animation with a simple 8 frame hand-drawn, morphing animation and today we will learn about another way to animate called a pixilation.  There's a great short example above called You & I which shows what the final project will look like but today we'll create a short, simple pixilation in class collaboratively with each student writing their name and one adjective about themselves (quirky, funny, creative, ect).

Each student will be creating their own short pixilation in the future so think of concepts that might work well with this process when we are learning about it.  Below is a great classic example of a pixilation from Coldplay that you might have seen.

The San Diego Museum of Art

Last week I was in San Diego, California for the National Art Educators Convention and I had a chance to visit The San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park so I wanted to share some of the highlights.

The museum had a terrific show on painter Robert Henri (1865-1929) who's work which I have not seen much before and an example of a portrait he created is pictured directly above.  The exhibit titled Spanish Sojourns included interactive elements such as a wardrobe and props to create the Robert Henri look like I did above!

 

I also had a chance to meet and talk with artist Deborah Butterfield at the NAEAwho is world famous for her sculptures of horses uses weathered wood.  She gave a great talk on her work which we'll reference during our upcoming organic sculpture unit.  Take a look at some of her work below, its terrific!

Japanese Student Visitors

We recently had two Japanese student visitors, Anna and Hikaru, from Tokyo stay with us in Smithtown for two weeks through the Japan Society's education program.  As part of the program each student had to create a project about American schools  and above is Hikaru's completed projects featuring some of the students from AP Art class.  Hikaru partnered with Gabby from AP Art who was part of the program in Japan this summer and Anna partnered with Allison who will be traveling to Japan this summer.

Media Art: Public Service Announcement

Today we will be completing major production on our Global Nomads Group collaborative Public Service Announcement and taking a short vocabulary quiz on the terms we learned from PBS and in class.  All the editing and post-production must be completed next week by Wednesday.

AP Art: Senior Show- Michelle

Our most recent AP Art Senior Show opened yesterday with Michelle's solo exhibit including her knockout concentration paintings and a collection of drawings.  The work is terrific and a big crowd lingered to see what she's been working on for the past 9 weeks.  Her works evoke her animation which is also fantastic and it will be up through the week so be sure to check it out while you can!

Media Arts: Global Nomads PSA project

Yesterday we held our 3rd video conference with the G9 school in Islamabad, Pakistan and we were able to discuss the concept for our upcoming public service announcement on drug and alcohol abuse and hear about their environmental public service announcement. It was again an interesting and productive conversation and we will be continuing work which we discussed yesterday for the remainder of the week both in preparing and beginning to film our PSA and clarifying what we are requiring from our partner school.

A special thanks goes out to Nick and Shannon who shared their talent by playing guitar and singing "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down yesterday at the tail end of our talk.  Great job guys!

Back from San Diego's National Art Educators Association conference

Loving the #creative #spirit @naea #SanDiego! Great #participatory #workshops w/ @Sharpie & @MichaelsStores #naea14 https://t.co/m7Dma8hSCb
— Tim Needles (@timneedles) March 29, 2014

I'm back from the National Art Educators Association conference in San Diego today feeling refreshed and creative!  This is the last week of the quarter so make sure all projects are complete and in by tomorrow!

Media Art Honor Society: Inside Out Project at the Pantheon

This week the Media Art Honor Society took photos to include in JR's Inside Out Project at the Pantheon in Paris.  Above are a few of the images which we sent of to France and which will be included in the project this April! 

Our next project will be creating a short collaborative documentary together.  We discussed ideas yesterday and on Wednesday we will work together to pitch ideas and begin working of the piece which will have an audio and visual component that are separate but work together.

Media Art: The Short Documentary

Today we will continue our look at documentaries by watching a segment of the 1st episode of one of my all-time favorite series from Showtime called This American Life which stems from the public radio show on WBEZ Chicago. 

The stories are all personal and engaging and they utilize a few different techniques that help tell the stories which we'll discuss tomorrow in class.  Above is a short clip of Ira Glass, the host and creator of the show working with Google in creating their recent Google doodle, something you should all be familiar with after creating your own for the Doodle for Google contest last week.

In April we will each create our own short documentary so keep that in mind while watching.  We'll be talking about the basics of storytelling and the different documentary terminology and styles.  Before we begin you need a story and that's often the toughest part so think about the stories that you, you friends, and your family tell others and start there.  I'll be creating a story with you so you'll get to see the process before you go through it!

Media Arts: Public Service Announcement

This week we are finalising preparations for our Public Service Announcement and we are going to examine some PSAs such as the examples posted above and below to look at what makes them effective and how we respond to them. The PSA above is a great example of a project that focuses on awareness as opposed to action or advocasy. After watching the PSA we are going to answer the 4 questions on page 41 of your student guides and we will go over the group assignments for the week.

Studio Art: Graphic Novels

In Studio Art we are begining a new project on Comics and Graphic Novels and each of us will create a short 6 frame comic with a front and back cover in class this week.  Above is an axample from last year's studio art class by Alvaro showing the final comic and below is an image of how it's laid out using one piece of paper folded into 8 parts and cut in the center. 

Before we begin working on our comic which will be due on Tuesday next week we are going to examine graphic novels as an art form and discuss storytelling.  We will look at successful writers such as: Neil Gaiman, Daniel Clowes, Craig Thompson, and Will Eisner and look at some of the most well respected graphic novels such as: Maus and Persepolis along with some of the fan favorites such as: The Walking Dead and Scott Pilgrim.

I had the chance to interview the author of well known graphic novels turned films Persepolis and Chicken With Plums Marjane Satrapi and below is an exerpt relating to her work being read in schools: 


I work as a high school teacher in a pretty conservative area and your book is part of our curriculum. It’s kind of amazing. Look at how far things have come.
That makes me very happy. Truly, truly.


I was wondering what you would say to those kids, especially with the movie, there is the scene of the Americans that might make them question you?
Well, just consider that a human being in the world is a human being. The privilege of loving your family and being kids and wanting to eat ice cream and going to the movies is not only something you want. Everybody in the whole world, they want to have a peaceful life. We have some psycho people, you have them here too. They are everywhere, you know, they are like ultra-religious or whatever. You have a few of these guys, but unfortunately if they are crazy you hear them much more, than the other ones. From the second that we consider that the “other one” is a human being just like us and that it’s not an abstract notion, you know, “Middle Eastern, Muslim, Axis of Evil” then it will become very difficult to bomb these people. Just consider that the “other one” is just like you wanting to play, wanting to go to the movies, wanting to have, you know, the latest t-shirt that is very much in fashion, listen to the music, falling in love, if they consider that, then you know, this is the only thing that I can say, I don’t have any pretension that is more than that.

You can read the full interview along with an interview with her collaborator Vincent Paronnaud on Short & Sweet NYC.