Art Around the World Captivates at PS 155
Decoupage inspired by Gee’s Bend quilts
Creative Art Works has introduced hundreds of NYC children to art and culture from all around the globe through our Art Around the World program. A mixture of social studies and hands-on art making, this curriculum has evolved through years of refinement by our program staff working in partnership with our Teaching Artists. Each unit begins with an introduction to art from a specific place. Sometimes a project will focus on the work of an individual artist, such as the self-portraits of Frida Kahlo; other times it will look at a genre of art from a particular culture, such as the patchwork quilts of Gee’s Bend or ceremonial masks of the Yoruba people of Nigeria.
Carlita’s family portrait inspired by the works of Carmen Lomas Garza
This fall, CAW is offering Art Around the World as an after-school program to students in grades K – 3 at our partner school PS 155, the William Paca School. We dropped in on CAW Teaching Artist Carlita Field-Hernandez and Teaching Artist Assistant Madeline De Leon as they were beginning a unit based on the family portraits of Chicana artist and illustrator Carmen Lomas Garza. Garza is a good choice for this age group, as her art focuses on extended family scenes that even small children find relatable, like preparing a meal or eating watermelon on a hot summer night.
The goal for this project is for students to create their own family portrait using pencil and paper. As an example, Carlita has drawn a scene of one of her childhood birthday parties. Her little brother is drawn with an exaggerated scowl on his face, and all the children squeal in recognition. One boy blurts out, “He’s jealous because it’s your birthday!” Sibling rivalry crosses all cultural barriers.
Carlita focuses on helping students develop their own creative skillset, and that means pushing them to do things for themselves. When a student asks, “Can you draw this for me?" She may help by blocking in some basic shapes to get them started, but then it’s up to them to complete the drawing.
Family portraits drawn by PS 155 students in response to the work of Chicana artist Carmen Lomaz Garza
“I think the most rewarding thing about teaching kids this age is seeing that light bulb go off in their heads. One boy in my K-1 class made this beautiful flower out of paper during our unit on paper sculpture. It was very realistic-looking, but it was a flat piece of art. When I asked him if he could think of a way to make it stand up on its own, his face got all scrunched up. But then he started folding things and he got it to stand up. And then he made an entire paper sculpture garden.”
CAW Teaching Artist Carlita Field-Hernandez
Carlita comes from a long line of artists and teachers. One grandfather was an artist and art history professor married to an opera singer. Her mother is a painter and sculptor. Her father writes fiction and plays guitar. Her mother, father, stepfather, brother and a cousin are, or were, NYC school teachers. Despite constant encouragement from her mother, Carlita’s had no interest in teaching until the pandemic. When the lockdown put an end to poetry slams, she began to look for an outlet for her spoken word practice. Friends introduced her to a parent who was forming a pre-school learning pod, and she took a job teaching poetry. This eventually led to teaching music and art as well.
Carlita uses her musical background to keep energetic children on task. Whenever the class starts to get unruly, she sings, "Oh, I like the way that So-and-So's listening…” to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus.” She only needs to do this a few times before a hush falls over the classroom. She says, “This is my secret weapon, because all the kids want to hear their name in the song, too. It works every time.”
“I feel my role as a Teaching Artist is to be there for the kids and help them explore. I want to give them a creative outlet and teach them how to express their emotions by making something with their hands. Give them a catharsis.”
Art by PS 155 students in the CAW Art Around the World program. The first two images show decoupage inspired by Gee’s Bend quilts. The last four are paper sculptures that evolved from the Gee’s Bend unit.
This Creative Art Works program is supported, in part, by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural After-School Adventures (CASA) Initiative in partnership with the NYC Council and Council Member Diana Ayala. This Creative Art Works program is also made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.