Art and Media Take a Deeper Dive Into Black History Month

Anne Musson, Eastover’s art teacher, and Cindy Livingston, Eastover’s media center specialist, collaborated during Black History Month with their elementary students. There are many individuals to honor and learn about, and Musson and Livingston wanted to dive deeper and teach more content to create a more powerful learning experience for the Eastover student community.

Musson and Livingston chose specific artists to highlight in their classes for each grade. In media center class, Livingston read different books about the artists so students could learn about them, their life experiences, their history, and how they entered the world of art. Then in art class, Musson taught the students about each artist's most famous works, how they were created, and the medium used. In kindergarten and first grade, students learned about author and illustrator Oge Mora; in grades 2 and 3, students learned about Faith Ringgold; and in grades 4 and 5, students learned about Alma Thomas. 

While making their art, several students shared what they learned about the artists in their media center class, like Riley Spike (grade 4). “Alma was the first African American to put her tile art in a museum,” said Spike. Colette Angle was excited to share too, saying, “One of her paintings is in the White House now. It’s a circle with a bunch of different colors.” 

Thomas painted in a new style for the times that, according to the book Ablaze with Color, included “circles and stripes, dashes and dabs, a blaze with color, soft and bright.” Musson showed the class examples of Thomas' paintings and noted how her art compares to collages and mosaics. Musson encouraged the students to create their own mosaic using a special pop up studio with materials such as glass and ceramic tiles. There were lots of materials from which to choose, including opaque and clear glass squares, and beautiful stones and gems. Fourth grader Javon Carter worked diligently to create a checkerboard mosaic of greens and reds. He carefully thought about his design, moving pieces around until he felt it worked aesthetically. Many students used Alma Thomas' bright colors and abstract ideas to inspire their own work.

In addition to all of the authors and famous people who have been highlighted throughout the school, Eastover students are sure to remember the stories and hands-on experiences of these famous artists.