Seeing Differently

SEELEY LAKE –Art Mobile of Montana sent its 2016 traveling art gallery to Swan Valley Elementary School (SVE) and Seeley Lake Elementary School (SLE) May 9 and 11.

Teaching artist Shelby Johnson told each group of students the art pieces she brought were created by contemporary Montana artists. She explained the artists each had their own unique way of seeing things and used a variety of art materials and methods to convey what they saw and felt.

The students got an opportunity to look at all the pieces in the exhibit close up. Johnson responded to impromptu questions such as, "How did they make that?" She patiently listened to the student who said, "I know the story of that one" then proceeded to elaborate on what he saw in the art piece.

Another student told a classmate, "Look at this. It's made of pencils! I could make that."

When the children were seated again, Johnson invited individuals to point to an art work they found particularly interesting. Concerning the mixed media wall piece with sawed-off pencils sticking out (part of a series called "Test Anxiety"), Johnson said each pencil had been pushed through a grey circle like the fill-in bubble on standardized test sheets. She said artist Jennifer Combe wanted to express the frustration both students and artists felt because test results were becoming the sole criteria for categorizing students.

Other pieces that intrigued students were the large, colorful oil painting of a quail by Kara Tripp; the acrylic painting by Valentine LaPier called "Warrior Returns to his Home"; the Ledger Art by Alaina Buffalo Spirit called "Cheyenne Horses"; and Bentley Sprang's "Presence of the Sacred" done in charcoal and pastel. Works can be viewed by accessing the Art Exhibits tab at http://www.artmobilemontana.org. Johnson shared information and insights about each of those pieces.

The art mobile also included three-dimensional (3-D) art. Students were told which pieces could be picked up and which touched but not picked up. In the latter category was the glasswork named "Thermal Puddles" by Kathy Burk. Johnson explained the layered glass piece was made to resemble the geyser pools at Yellowstone National Park. To make the resemblance more real, Burk left small bubbles and other rough spots in the piece.

Another touchable 3-D item that elicited interest was the bronze twigs by Whitney Polich. Johnson explained Polich wanted people to look at commonplace things with more appreciation and enjoyment. Since bronze has more value, she recreated twigs as bronze art objects so people could better appreciate their beauty.

The sixth-grade and art elective students at SLE and the SVE students, participated in a mixed media art activity directed by Johnson. She passed out 3X5 note cards and told them to write down three of their favorite things. Each student also received an envelope to decorate in a way that signified each of those things. Markers, colored pencils, scrap paper and scissors were available for students to use in the project. They were also encouraged to draw and cut out small items representing their favorite things and place them in the decorated envelope and to include meaningful found objects, such as a feather, into the envelope later if they wished.

After they finished their identity envelopes, the SLE art elective students invited Johnson to their classroom to see the paper mâché dog, dinosaurs, dolphin, flamingo and other creatures they had created. Johnson praised the students for their creativity and their teacher Sharon Teague for her resourcefulness in guiding the class on the project.