Past projects 25
Art Students Need A Sewing Machine
Funded Nov 23, 2018The students are excited that we have this new sewing machine. They opened it right up and started to figure it out. Finding instructional videos, reading the book, and some coaching from me got them started on their way to learning how to sew. It's great to see one student help another or a few working as a team to conquer this new challenge. Having this machine has certainly increased student interest and engagement.
When the sewing machine arrived, my students couldn't believe it. They were really surprised and pleased that this machine had so many features. A student who never sewed before took right to it and was very excited when she made a pencil case as practice. She has been wanting to make costumes and the idea that this machine will help her reach her goal made her day. Each time a student tries it out they are astonished that it is so easy to use.
Students work on independent projects in a few of my classes. They research ideas and make work based on their interests. This method of teaching can be chaotic at times, especially if I spend it fixing the old sewing machines. With our new machine I can focus on other issues that come up, rest assured that anyone using the sewing machine will be fine. The manufacturer has tutorials that make working this machine a breeze. This machine gives students independence and allows them to stretch and explore as they sew their creations. I look forward to seeing the progress students make using this sewing machine. Thank you for making this happen for us!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Fitzpatrick
Shelving To Shape Up Our Supplies!
Funded Mar 11, 2018Everyone is impressed by our new shelving. The shelves are sturdy and make the room more organized. Students now access supplies I used to get from a storage room that was off limits to them. Markers, rulers, pencils, paper, cutting mats, bins of fabric, and more are neatly organized on one 8 foot high shelving unit at the front. Acrylic paints, palettes, brushes, newspaper, and paper mache supplies are on another 8 foot tall unit by the sink. Three shelving units on casters are positioned around the room and hold drying 3D artwork, art textbooks, sewing supplies, and tech tubs. Back in the storage room, I replaced 4 old plastic shelving units with 2 more 8 foot tall shelving units. (Rather than throwing out the old shelves, I passed them along to other needy teachers in the school.) The storage room shelves are 24 inches deep and hold large paper, light pads, and a menagerie of art supplies. You helped purchase seven shelving units for our art room! These pieces of furniture have transformed the space. Not only are they great looking, but they hold so much, so neatly. In addition to the shelves, you also helped buy storage bins. Those bins filled up quickly and because they're clear, students and I know exactly what's in them. In class, students help themselves to paint, books, or drawing supplies as needed. As my programs grow and students gain more creative independence, having access to supplies gives students autonomy and ownership of the space. I've begun to refer to our art room as our "studio," due to the new dynamic these shelves bring. In a studio, the artist follows his or her creative muse and the results can be tremendously groundbreaking and deeply personal. Students and I, as well as visitors to the room, are thrilled by the new shelving solutions brought by this grant. Your contribution promises to open a whole new world of creativity for students who enter our studio. Thank you very much for your support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Fitzpatrick
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 12 other donors.Cut-Rite Cutter to Cut Right
Funded Nov 3, 2017My students and I use our new art room paper cutter daily. We find it to be a quality piece of equipment. We wonder how we survived before this cutter. We just finished a printmaking lesson where paper had to be cut a certain way. Using this cutter made the job easy. In the past, paper never seemed to come out square. This cutter cuts precisely and there is no more waste from miss-cuts.
Students using the paper cutter noted how well it works. They commented about the accuracy that it has. They use it to cut cardboard, as well as watercolor paper. I can trust my high school students using it, too. The cutter has a safety bar which puts my mind at ease. Students feel more confident now because I allow them to use this great tool independently.
Some of my classes have converted to choice based learning. That means, students work independently. Students research art and techniques related to their interests. As some venture into this type of work, some may be more ambitious. Those students jump right in and try new things. Other students see how tools are used and begin trying them, too. Soon, all my students will feel the confidence to use this awesome cutter on their own to make work that expresses their personal messages. I look forward to seeing how their work grows this year and in years to come. Thank you so much for your support. Giving us this tool has helped make my art room better than ever.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Fitzpatrick
Reaching Higher in Art
Funded Sep 12, 2017My students and I appreciate your donation which made the set of IB Art books possible in my classroom. At $30. each, our budget could not have funded their purchase. IB Visual Arts students use these books as a guide through the complex requirements of the IB program. This international program has strict requirements and we have lots of questions. These up-to-date books give us the answers. Students can look at the books individually, and as a class we review the books often. Chapters describing sketchbook organization, art analysis, and ways to get ideas for art projects are exceptionally helpful to my students. Images throughout the books are inspirational. Graphics are clear and informative. I found that the books help more students than those currently in IB Art, and this is an unexpected bonus. These books help recruit underclassmen to IB Art. When students ask what IB Art is like, I let them look through this book. Its great to have these books! These texts have been a wonderful addition to our classroom library. Thanks so much for your help.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Fitzpatrick
Art History Gets Real: People Have Always Made Art!
Funded Nov 29, 2016My students were thrilled to learn how your support provided us with a vast array of educational art posters. Students look around the room at the beautiful and informative posters that you kindly provided and are grateful. My honors art students used the posters this week for an activity that transformed how they write descriptions of art. Each student selected one of the art posters. These 18"x24" posters have images by individual artists. On the posters are written descriptions about the work these artists produced. Before reading the text, my students examined the art pictured and wrote a description in their own words. Then, the students read the text and compared it to their own writing. Seeing these teens get sucked into the images and text was awesome. Next, those students shared discoveries they made. So many revealed details they had missed and vocabulary they hadn't considered before. This activity was an eye-opener. In another lesson, I had students select an artwork as a source for a 'sewn collage'. They sketched the artwork and wrote about it. Students then translated it into a fabric piece which were a lot like a small quilt. One student made an embroidered pillow of Seurat's La Grande Jatte. I took photos of this project and sent them to Donors Choose. We will continue to use this tremendous collection of posters for years to come. I am so appreciative to you for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Fitzpatrick
Igniting Confidence Through Art
Funded Apr 12, 2016As first quarter of the year is ending, its a perfect time to share what my art students are doing with the materials you so generously purchased for our art room. Using these materials early on in the year is critical to establishing accomplishments to build upon. Most students came into Introduction to Art not knowing anything about art. Quite a few of these high school students have never had an art class before! We had a lot of catching up to do! We have been using the light pads in a landscape lesson. Students took photos outside and we printed them in black and white on our school photocopier. Students traced the landscapes on good drawing paper (gotten with a previous Donors Choose grant). By tracing their landscape photos, students followed the perspective lines in the photos. When they step back from their images, the students see their perspective is accurate. This may, for some, be the first time they even felt a sense of accomplishment in making a realistic image. In September, the class had learned basics of perspective and examined how artists use perspective in their art. Some perspective techniques students listed are: converging lines, atmospheric perspective, and light and shadow. My students saw their images had convincing converging lines. We put the traced images up on the wall for a critique and the students were pleased and very excited by what they and their peers had done so far. The next step was to create an accurate value scale on their drawings. They put away the light pads and shaded in their drawings as they continued to use their photo as reference. As you see on the photos I submitted, you'll see that the grey scale students used in their drawings is true to what one would see in reality. This lesson is transformative for so many of my students. They are very proud of their pictures. Students who came into class with a negative attitude about taking an art class have softened up a lot. They feel like things can turn out well in art class. This beginning of the year success is a start to something good. Students will be more willing to try new techniques introduced to them. While its not easy, they will be more willing to invest themselves in the creative challenges we meet with art. The sharpies are just starting to be used by my IB students in a similar tracing project using the light pads. Sharpies will be used in my crafts and art classes later in the semester, too. Your support has made this happen for my students and I am tremendously grateful. Light pads and sharpies are so costly and I'd never be able to afford them without you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Fitzpatrick
This classroom project was brought to life by #BestSchoolDay and 5 other donors.Art Media Blitz
Funded Dec 13, 2014Thank you very much for donating to our project. Your generosity enabled us to have a wide variety of materials we would not have been able to afford. Students were excited to use the embroidery and sewing supplies. They had many colors available to use on their embroideries! Usually certain colors run out, but not this time. Having a large quantity of muslin gave students a chance to print on fabric that became part of a pillow students made from their embroideries. The thread gave us the ability to do a few sewing projects. One allowed students to sew device (tablet, laptop, etc) pouches. We also made stuffed animals and used the thread on our embroidered pillows. The device pouch assignment was an exciting project for them; students made something they will actually use. The watercolors and styluses were used for a box-making assignment. Students' boxes were beautiful. We also made paper sculptures and the styluses were a huge help! Right now, we are using printing plates, ink, palette knives and 12"x18" construction paper to make all-over printed designs. Students are learning about tessellations and they are creating beautiful work. This wonderful order gave us the opportunity to have a wide variety of materials to use all year and for years to come. Its great to know so many of you care about our students and art education. Thanks again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Fitzpatrick
This classroom project was brought to life by Kia and 8 other donors.Illuminating Creativity with Light-Boards
Funded Nov 28, 2014My students were excited when the light-boards arrived at our school. They quickly put them to use in our self portrait multiples project. Students used my laptop to take pictures of themselves which we printed on the photocopier. Using the fantastic light-boards, students traced themselves repeatedly using sharpies. The light-boards made this task go so smoothly. Students shared the light-boards and interacted as they worked. Once the multiple self portraits were traced, my students painted their images using exaggerated colors. The work my students produced looks great. Even students who say they can't draw did a fantastic job. (In fact, this project worked so well with those 'non-artists' that they became much more comfortable doing the next lesson which was a grid self portrait.) These light-boards are so wonderful to have in my room now. I plan to use them with my crafts and ceramics classes too. Students will enjoy using these light-boards for years to come. Thank you very much for helping us get the light-boards. You have made an awesome impact on learning in the art room!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Fitzpatrick
Drawn to Creativity!
Funded Feb 24, 2014Funding my project, Drawn to Creativity, has made my classroom more stimulating to students. Students learn perspective and anatomy in art class and the materials you provided give a huge boost to the quality of the lesson. When students can look at a skeleton model and draw it, rather than look at a photocopy of a skeleton, lessons became more rigorous and rewarding. The excellent drawing tools you provided gave my students an opportunity to see how using quality materials better assist students in accomplishing the challenges presented to them in art class. Students also get to work on independent drawing in their visual journals. Self directed learning happens when students are finished with the daily objectives. In some of the pictures I took, students were drawing the skeleton with pen and ink. This challenge proved interesting to the students and they liked seeing their results. When students can refer to the poster visuals provided by the grant, they can understand perspective and other art techniques better. These posters hang around the classroom at all times and while we use them in lessons, students also use them when they have free time to draw on their own. This Donors Choose project was designed to help students better master their drawing skills. Students gained confidence as they used the materials you provided. Students also had fun with the materials. The skeletons are a great fixture in the art room and they will remain that way for years to come. We appreciate your assistance in the purchase of these materials. They have made my room a better place to learn. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Fitzpatrick
This classroom project was brought to life by AT&T Foundation and 5 other donors.Pushing for a New Pottery Wheel
Funded Sep 17, 2013My students have jumped at the chance to use our new pottery wheel. They are excited that this new wheel works so well, since the 30 year old wheels we had are very slow. This wheel is fast and has a great style. The drip pan is a great feature because it makes clean up a breeze for students who are anxious to get to their next class. This is the perfect wheel for our busy art room. Friends help each other and students enjoy watching others using the wheel. Using the pottery wheel should be a critical part of a ceramics course and now it can be in our ceramics class. As students use it, others get motivated to try it as well. Those who used it earlier in the year, help students trying it out for the first time. Building teamwork was not something I thought of when I asked you to help me get this wheel, so its a bonus! I was hoping to make connections to a technique that has been used for thousands of years and yes that is happening. However, this wheel as helped improve the class community and that's great! Thank you so much for supporting my classroom. My students love our wheel and its here because of your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Fitzpatrick
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 6 other donors.