Lesson 3: Personal Project
Duration of Days: 10
Lesson Objective
Students will design and execute a final project that showcases their favorite experimental techniques. They will not only create the artwork but also decide how it should be displayed (as a book, a 3D sculpture, or a series) to best tell their story.
How does the way you display your art (hanging, on a pedestal, or in a book) change how people feel when they look at it?
If your art is a "series," how do the pieces talk to each other?
What is the "big idea" or message that ties your experimental marks and surfaces together?
Curate: To choose, organize, and look after the items in an exhibition.
Triptych: A work of art that is divided into three sections or panels.
Installation: Art that is designed to fit into a specific space and often changes how we experience that space.
Artist Book: A work of art that uses the form or concept of a book as its medium.
VA.CR.HS.1. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
VA.CR.HS.2. Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
VA.CR.HS.3. Refine and complete artistic work.
VA.PR.HS.5. Develop and refine artistic work for presentation.
VA.RE.HS.9. Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
Organization and Focus: Students must maintain a "thesis" (their big idea) across multiple pieces of work, similar to maintaining a clear argument in a long-form essay.
Spatial Reasoning: Designing a 3D display requires the same mental rotation and spatial logic found in high-level math and science sections.
Purpose: To give students total ownership of their creative process and teach them that how art is shown is just as important as what is drawn.
DOK Level: 4 (Extended Thinking).
Museum Curation: Discussing how galleries decide where to put art to make it look important.
Portfolio Building: This project serves as a "centerpiece" for students applying to art college or looking for creative jobs.
Misconception: "The display is just extra work at the end."
Correction: Consideration for diplaying art is an important part of the artistic process.
Project Menu: Provide a "Menu of Options" with clear steps for each path (Book, Triptych, or Sculpture) so students don't feel overwhelmed by the "choice."
Scale Adjustment: Students who work slowly can focus on a high-quality "Mini-Triptych," while faster workers can go large-scale.
The "Proposal": A one-page plan with a sketch of the final look and a list of materials needed.
Final Critique: A "Gallery Walk" where the class views the projects in their final display spots. Students must explain their "Big Idea" to their peers.
Binding Supplies: Thread, needles, glue, and awls (for books).
Display Gear: Fishing line, clothespins, pedestals, or mounting putty.
All Previous Media: Access to all the experimental tools and alternative surfaces from Lessons 1 and 2.