Poetry Project -Berlin

Photo © 2019 Rottkay

In January, Sonoma Academy's Arts & Activism Intersession group visited the Poetry Project in Berlin. Maxmarie Wilmoth, a Sonoma Academy alum, helped organize the event. Several of the students from Hillary and Drew's Fall course got to meet their pen pals from Afghanistan and Germany. All students participated in writing a poem and some were brave enough to recite it. Several friends were made! The students from Afghanistan and China taught us about the long standing tradition in their countries of studying and writing poetry. Because of this tradition they were the most comfortable with writing and reciting.

Art Project with the John Lennon High School in Berlin

For this group project students were asked to work in groups with the German students from the John Lennon High School to create a work of art that expressed their views on a subject they felt strongly about. These group collages were then scanned and made into stickers which were posted throughout Berlin.

These are a few of the finished group collages that were made into stickers.

Sonoma Academy/Roseland University Prep Identity Project

The Arts & Activism class recently finished a collaborative project with Roseland University Prep. After viewing a TED talk on the French artist JR, students from both schools had their photo taken and crafted statements about identity with the prompt, when did you discover you were _______? Afterwards the students wheat-pasted the posters on both campuses and had short discussions about the process of crafting their personal statements.

Here are a few examples from both schools with photos of the installations at both locations.

Positive & Negative Space Project- Exchange with Joshibi, Tokyo, Japan 2015-2016

This fall the SA foundation arts class participated in an art exchange with the Joshibi School in Tokyo, Japan who recently finished their project.  Students were asked to use paper, glue and a cutting tool to learn about positive and negative space. The theme was Japanese and American symbols. Since we Americans don't have a long tradition of symbols like Japan (most American students think of corporate logos I found out one year when we did a similar exchange), I decided that we would look to Native American symbols for inspiration.  One SA Chinese student chose to do a symbol based on a Chinese character while one Mexican American student created a piece based on an indigenous symbol from Mexico.

 The Japanese students created work based on traditional symbols from their culture. Images such as sumo wrestlers, ogres and koi are just some of images created.

15 Years of the Visual Arts at Sonoma Academy

The VISUAL ARTS at Sonoma Academy by Hillary Younglove | Make Your Own Book

Teaching Puppetry Skills to the Students from Tongzhou Model School in China- Summer 2015

 Sonoma Academy TA's had fun this summer working with our visitors from China ages 11-18!  Students learned how to make jumping jack puppets and start a large coyote puppet for the school. Teaching assistants helped make the process move smoothly. There was a lot of excited energy in the room. Freddie Lambright, a student at the Chicago Art Institute and mentee helped out for an afternoon as a teaching assistant.

Freddie teaches students.

Caleb helps our visitors.

Hillary gives instruction.

 

All the students who worked on the two cardboard puppets.

Ecole Suger French Students and their Instructor Help Paper Mache

Students and their instructor from Ecole Suger help paper mache.

SA students working with our French visitors.

Ecole Suger is located outside of Paris.

For the last few years we have had an exchange with the Ecole Suger in Vaucresson, France, located outside of Paris. This year students helped with puppet making. Next year we hope to visit them and participate in their classes.