Category Archives: art education

Charter School Creates Art Studio to House Abrakadoodle Art Program

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Abrakadoodle artists featured at the new art studio opening

Art is impactful and worthy of investment. This was a message that resonated during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Allen Academy in Detroit, which on Monday, January 14th formally opened a spacious, newly renovated space that will be devoted to Abrakadoodle’s art program. According to Dawna Kelly, Director of Abrakadoodle-Wayne County, “We are honored by the Allen Academy’s commitment to the visual arts. They have been one of our customers (more like family members) for the past five years, and we have been providing our art program for students through grade six in a very small space with no water supply.” The new art studio features 24 workstations, two sinks and a space for a kiln to be purchased later this year.

During the formal dedication ceremony, Allen Academy school leader Monique Woodland Phillips was joined by several board members to include Barbara Barrett, Regional Vice President of the charter management group. Isaiah Pettway provided remarks regarding the importance of the fine arts, and Trena Braswell offered comments recognizing the student artwork on display at the event.

The Allen Academy is situated in a former Catholic school, and the art studio space was the former rectory. A priest who lived and worked at the rectory returned to share a heartfelt message about the importance of art education for our society. He talked about a recent visit to a nursing home in which seniors with various levels of impairment would still tap their feet when they heard music or smile at the sight of children’s artwork.

A Super Plug for Art by a Super Bowl Contender

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SF 49er's Vernon Davis is also an artist, gallery owner and arts supporter (photo courtesy of Bleacher Report)

On the field, the 49ER’s elite tight end is a gifted football player, but in the studio, Vernon Davis expresses his creative side. Growing up in a rough neighborhood in Washington, DC, Davis found peace and enjoyment in art. He went on to major in studio art at the University of Maryland. Through the years, he has recognized that the arts have been considered uncool. In fact, he grew up trying to keep his love for art hidden. Now, he’s trying to change that perception. Last fall, Vernon Davis opened Gallery 85, his own art studio located in San Jose, California.The studio features both his art, as well as creations by emerging artists. He also created the Vernon Davis Foundation for the Arts. The mission of his foundation is to bring art back as a genuine, viable outlet for inner-city youth, giving them new, positive ways to express themselves. His foundation helps fund arts education and art appreciation for at-risk youth, as well as awards college art scholarships for select youths from low-income communities. Vernon Davis wants to make art cool. Regardless of the outcome of this Sunday’s Super Bowl, we applaud Vernon Davis, who is using his celebrity in a positive way to encourage children in art.

Celebrating Creativity in Afterschool Programs

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Today Abrakadoodle joins millions in celebrating Lights On Afterschool, a campaign of the Afterschool Alliance, which recognizes the importance of providing safe, strong afterschool options for children nationwide. In a recent interview on Education Nation, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said “Not just safe but learning” when speaking about children’s experiences in afterschool programs. We applaud this thinking and the notion of providing children with brain-boosting opportunities that extend classroom learning. Abrakadoodle’s after school programs combine strong arts education with increasingly valuable creativity development, which engages children in hands on learning that emphasizes problem solving, originality and imaginative
expression.

Gains are beyond measure when children develop a sense of confidence and craftsmanship in the process of creating art. Art is such a powerful communication tool, and children in our program learn to appreciate the unique voice that each of them brings to his or her own creative endeavor. Consider enrolling your child in art afterschool to inspire your child’s imaginative skill building!

 

 

Abrakadoodle Students Score in Creativity Testing

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Abrakadoodle students develop important creativity skills!

Abrakadoodle conducted research during the 2011-2012 school year to determine if students exhibited gains when participating in the Abrakadoodle Art Education Program. Abrakadoodle provides a total art curriculum, art instruction conducted by an Abrakadoodle trained teacher and art materials at charter schools and private schools around the country. Students who were new to the Abrakadoodle program were tested in the fall and then again after participating in the Abrakadoodle program for seven months. The Educational Resource Group administered the Torrance® Tests of Creative Thinking. Fifty-two (52) second and fifth grade students from diverse backgrounds took part.

Overall grade scores for the entire group increased by 7 percentage points, as the scores related to the national averages.  Most dramatic results were apparent among the fifth grade students, who had scored significantly below the national averages in the pretest. In addition to the Abrakadoodle Art in Our World Curriculum and Education Program, fifth graders had participated in Abrakadoodle’s Creativity Boost™ Exercises.

The highly reliable Torrance® Tests of Creative Thinking TTCT are the most widely used tests of their kind.  Students in this study participated in the Figural TTCT Forms A and B: Thinking Creatively with Pictures, which includes exercises to assess five characteristics related to creative thinking. Scoring was based upon grade-related norms.  The TTCT is most widely used to determine eligibility for talented and gifted programs. Normative data has been gathered from more than 55,000 students in the US and Canada. The test has been offered in more than 35 countries.

According to Mary C. Rogers, MA.ED, CEO and Co-founder of Abrakadoodle, “We know that student creative abilities decrease as they move through the grades.  We are encouraged by preliminary results that may indicate that students who participate in Abrakadoodle’s quality art education programs can slow and even reverse that trend. We anticipate conducting further research to more fully assess the effects of our program on student creativity.  Part of what makes our art education program unique is our devotion to creativity skills development, which is an important component of our Art in Our World Curriculum and Education Program.”

 

Pointillism: Making Art with Dots

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A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, by Georges Seurat, 1884

Pointillism is such an intriguing painting technique, which was developed by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac in the 1880s and featured dots of pure color applied in patterns to form an image. Would you believe that art critics of that time period derided this art and coined the name Pointillism to mock it? Now, this art technique is widely celebrated and Abrakadoodle students love to learn how to create art in this distinctive way.

As opposed to mixing paints from a palette, Pointillism assembles paint spots in bright hues of color such as green, orange and purple. Kids like looking at paintings created in this style because when you look at the painting up close, it looks like a series of
dots. When you look at the painting from a distance, you can see a picture. Also, colors change as you move further away from the painting. Up close, dots in blue and yellow may appear to be green when you move further away. The eye plays a trick on us called “optical mixing.” Kids find this type of painting magical.

Few artists practice the technique of Pointillism today because it is very labor intensive. Seurat’s “A Sunday in the Park” took him about two years to finish and contains over
three-million dots!

Children can have a blast creating their own artwork with colorful dots!

Encourage your child to make a point of trying Pointillism at home:

  1. Assemble some art materials – paper, pencils, watercolor, small paint brushes, markers or crayons
  2. Your child might have an idea in his or her hear or can choose inspiration from a favorite pet, flower or object or even a shape. Younger children may want to trace the outline of an object.
  3. Start by making an outline of your desired image and notice its shape
  4. Explore and experiment with dots of color – to show off the light, use white dots mixed with bright colors, and for shadows, use darker color dots mixed with bright colors
  5. Patterns will help to create interest, but remember there is no right or wrong way to make art – enjoy the process … that’s the point: to encourage a lifetime of fun with art!

 

Art Nouveau: A Swirling Style with Lasting Impact

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Abrakadoodle's version of Klimt's "Tree of Life"

Abrakadoodle art students love to creat art in the style of 19th century artist Gustav Klimt of Vienna, Austria. He was the founder of the Art Nouveau movement in Austria, which came to be called the Vienna Secession. His art featured lots of patterns, and he loved to paint pictures of trees, flowers and nature using swirls, curvy lines and lovely colors. Shown right is an Abrakadoodle version of Klimt’s “Tree of Life” artwork.

Art Nouveau came into popularity in the late 1800′s and early 1900′s and was distinguished by dynamic, flowing lines and the use of often intricate patterns. Art Nouveau used new materials, machine surfaces and abstraction. The Art Nouveau style is said to be a forerunner of such innovative 20th century movements as expressionism, cubism, surrealism and art deco.

Making arty letters is a fun activity for kids!

Try making an Art Nouveau design at home! All you need is some sturdy art paper, a pencil, crayons, markers or paints. A simple yet fun idea is to start with your child’s first initial of his or her name. For young children, you can use a stencil or trace the letter. Older children will enjoy creating their own — perhaps a big bubble letter or a swirling script style letter. From there, your child can add swirls, curved lines or patterns to give the letter a special design. The possibilities are endless for adding favorite flowers or animals or polka dots in whatever colors your child chooses. They may even like to add some embellishments, such as glitter or pom-poms that you have on hand. Let your child’s imagination flow!

Abrakadoodle welcomes veterans to its franchise team

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April & Isaac bring a love of art, children and education to their new Abrakadoodle location in Oklahoma City

Three years ago while serving in Iraq, April Rose read a cover story about the Abrakadoodle art education franchise in Black Enterprise magazine that fueled her desire to pursue an artful future following her deployment. Hunkered down in a bunker amid rocket fire, she and her future husband imagined their new lives as arty entrepreneurs. According to April, she and Isaac talked about their plans for establshing their Abrakadoodle franchise every night. They are now launching their dream with award-winning Abrakadoodle and will be engaging children with creativity-boosting art classes, camps, parties and face-painting through its mobile art programs.

“We are so excited about how our program is going to transform children’s lives in a positive way through the magic of creating art,” said April Rose Jackson, Education Director of Abrakadoodle-Oklahoma City. “We had to work togehter a lot, which gives us an advantage as we launch our Abrakadoodle enterprise,” Isaac noted of their Middle East deployment in U.S. Army logistics.

“The Jackson’s have been the picture of patience these past few years,” commented Rosemarie Hartnett, CFE, President & Co-Founder of Abrakadoodle, Inc. “We feel extremely fortunate to welcome these two enthusiastic, dedicated individuals to our Abrakadoodle franchise team. As industrious veterans who have served our country well, Isaac and April Rose bring not only an amazing work ethic but also a passion for art and education. This will be a great asset as they build their program at schools and sites throughout Oklahoma City.”

April and Isaac met in 2009 while serving in Iraq, and then married in a suprise destination wedding Isaac planned in the Cayman Islands in January 2010. With a degree in graphic design from Jackson State, April also brings a passion for scrapbooking (she has her own blog: The Purple Scrapbook) and comes from a long line of creative family members. Additionally, April’s mother was a grade school teacher for over 15 years before her death in 2000. Isaac has a degree in finance and plans to complement April’s skills by handling the accounting, product inventory and financial aspects of the business. Isaac’s mom is a school teacher in the Oklahoma Public School system, affording both he and April a special knowledge of the education industry. They both refer to the military as “family” and feel well-equipped to work within Abrakadoodle’s franchise family.

 

 

 

Fauvism: It’s all about the color

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Woman with a Hat by Henri Matisse

We are all drawn to color but none more so than the Fauvists of the early 1900′s, who created art that focused more on powerful colors than on the subjects of their artworks. In French, fauves translates to “wild beasts.” Many believe that fauvism grew out of the impressionism movement. The fauvists used wild brush strokes, intense colors and abstraction. Henri Matisse is a favorite artist featured in Abrakadoodle’s art program for children. His work, “Women with a Hat” (right) is said to have given rise to the Fauvism movement. Matisse simply loved art and over his life he experimented with many styles, ending his career with wonderful paper cutouts, which students in Abrakadoodle art classes love to explore. Our students create original, Matisse-inspired artworks from their own imaginations.

Colorful landscape by Andre Derain

Andre Derain was another French artist, who was a leading painter with the Fauves. Derain became friends with Matisse. He once said, “The colors were even dynamite cartridges to us.” His artwork featured bright, flat colors with spontaneous brush strokes. He often painted landscapes.

Encourage your child to create a piece of art that is very colorful. You might add to the creative adventure by saying, “If you could make your tan colored dog or cat a color, what color or colors would you choose?” Let your child’s little inner color beast out for some arty fun!

Buy Local – Inspire Global

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South Carolina artist Robin Anne Cooper created 52 unique canvas collages featuring Abrakadoodle’s mascot Splat!

Canvas collage? Abrakadoodle is always on the lookout for fresh new ideas to bring into its international creative children’s art program. When Abrakadoodle staff member Kathy Armstrong and Abrakadoodle-Illinois franchise owner Lisa Hoffmann discovered the imaginative art by South Carolina artist Robin Anne Cooper, they brought it to the attention of Mary Rogers, Abrakadoodle’s CEO. In short order, Mary commissioned original artworks by Robin.

“Kids so often associate art with well known artists of the past like Picasso and Rembrandt,” remarked Mary Rogers, adding, “Abrakadoodle features these classic artists, as well as some of today’s working artists like Robin Anne Cooper, who create amazing artwork that inspires kids to be creative and see how real people incorporate art into their lives and their work.”

Robin has been working as a professional artist for eight years, having recreated herself following a downsizing in the IT industry. She began experimenting with collage materials and discovered that canvas satisfied her need for art material that was thick, stiff and gave her control over the color. Robin uses a unique style of canvas collage, which she paints, cuts into pieces, and then she arranges the pieces to make unique artworks that typically feature such whimsical designs as animals and children.

Robin Anne Cooper’s artwork will be featured in Abrakadoodle’s springtime Kids on Canvas instructional art series for children. Robin notes, “I think it’s great for kids to learn about art, different techniques and make choices about design that reflect their own sensibilities. I was really happy when Abrakadoodle called. They stand behind artists and creativity.”

“I am delighted to help support Robin and thereby her local economy, while buying customized art made in the U.S. I also feel it is so important for kids to learn about artists who are actually working today, creating fresh wonderful art and are in fact making a living doing so,” said Rogers.

A FUN Way to Expand Your Child’s World Vision

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Kids love to learn new ways to create art, inspired by cultural traditions, artists and art forms from the far reaches of the planet we share! That alone might serve as rationale for signing up for an arts program that brings the world into your child’s grasp. You can expand your child’s world vision in a FUN way, while providing tangible benefits!

Haida Mask

#1 – Multicultural art education contributes to an understanding of the social and cultural landscape that all individuals inhabit. Children learn about world cultures in the most fun way – hands on – as they discover artists and explore art forms and styles from countries near and far. They discover an historical perspective through art with such lessons as creating Haida Masks. Art connects children no matter what race, culture, education or socio-economic status.

Story Teller Dolls

#2 – By developing a sense of self through artistic creations, students take a step toward understanding and accepting differences in others.

#3 – Multicultural arts inspire children’s imaginations. The unique nature of art representative of world cultures is stimulating to children. When they are taking part in classes that encourage them to take new concepts and use their own imaginations to apply them, they engage in self-expression, problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Children learn how to take ideas and innovate!

#4 – Confidence and self-esteem soars! Providing children with access to the arts enriches their lives by empowering them with a healthy means for communicating feelings and ideas; broadening how they see the world, as well as developing new skills, vocabulary and history unique to the visual arts. Multicultural art builds confidence in kids!

#5 – Said simply, multicultural art is fun!

Portugese Tile

In Abrakadoodle’s multicultural programs, students discover such world renowned artists as Fernando Botero of Colombia, Xu Bin of China, Esther Mahlangu of South Africa and Frida Kahlo of Mexico, to name just several.

Beyond the traditional art forms of painting, drawing, sculpture and collage, children in Abrakadoodle classes also explore such multicultural art forms as Polish paper-cutting, Portugese tiles, traditional Native American dolls, Malaysian kite crafting, Japanese kimonos, fabric art from Nigeria and many more. These imaginative, artful experiences can give your child an inspiring and delightful world view!