The Art Exploratory program, run by long-time teaching artist Neida Bangerter, brought
professional artists to the classrooms at Kula Elementary School, my
own alma mater. I taught an 8-week class to both kindergarteners and
4th graders. The program culminated with an art show at
the Kula Community Center, where a giant painting I had made when I
was 15 hangs on the wall.
For
the kindergartners we built skills in drawing and painting by
observing and drawing leaves, then creating a magical forest inspired
by Henri Rousseau using straight, zigzag and wavy lines. They began
to paint, first with only yellow and blue tempera paint. I asked
them to mix the lightest greens and the darkest greens they could.
Eventually, they were given red as well, adding purples and oranges
to their jungles.
The
4th graders made kinetic sculptures inspired by the wind
turbines perched upon the West Maui Mountains. Alternative energies
were in their science curriculum, and though the wind turbines were
the most visible way Maui got its energy, the students didn't know
that only 8 percent of the islands' energy came from them. (More
have since been added.) Through the course of the project we looked
at different styles of wind turbines, both in use and conceptual,
played with sculpting and folding paper, painted patterns and
explored complimentary colors, tackled the engineering challenges of
getting the materials to do what you wanted, and eventually made
wind-powered kinetic sculptures.
