COMMUNITY ART DAY
Shauna Asbury
B.A., Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, 1989
PROJECT
Submitted in partial satisfaction of
the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
in
EDUCATION
(Curriculum and Instruction)
at
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO
SPRING
2010
COMMUNITY ART DAY
A Project
by
Shauna Asbury
Approved by:
, Committee Chair
Crystal Olson, Ed.D.
Date
ii
Student: Shauna Asbury
I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the
University format manual, and that this project is suitable for shelving in the Library
and credit is to be awarded for the Project.
, Associate Chair
Rita Johnson, Ed. D.
Date
Department of Teacher Education
iii
Abstract
of
COMMUNITY ART DAY
by
Shauna Asbury
This project is an Alternative Culminating Experience for a Master of Arts in
Education: Curriculum and Instruction with an Elective Emphasis in Arts in
Education. It follows Pathway III: Developing a curriculum project related to Arts
Education.
The purpose of the author’s project was to strengthen neighborhood families
by bridging the gap between the community and its various resources while providing
a day of multicultural activities using the Visual and Performing Arts.
The portfolio includes the documentation of the creation of Community Art
Day.
, Committee Chair
Crystal Olson, Ed.D.
Date
iv
DEDICATION
To my wonderful children, Sarah and Willy. This thesis is an example for you
to always remember to never give up on your dreams. Believe in yourself; and
remember that nothing is impossible!
v
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to express my thanks to the following people for their support
throughout the process of creating, developing and implementing Community Art
Day.
Dr. Crystal Olson, thank you for your encouragement. Your encouragement
has led me to expand my interests from Community Art Day to a new project.
Xico Gonzales, your thought gave inspiration for the creation of Community
Art Day.
Renee Scott-Femenella, Diana Martinez, and Northwood Elementary. Thank
you for having and supporting Community Art Day at your wonderful school.
Teresa Lerner, Brian Ehrens, and Yemi Lopez, Thank you for your help and
support.
JWR I couldn’t have done this without all of your invaluable help. Thank you.
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Dedication..................................................................................................................... v
Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................... vi
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1
The Project........................................................................................................ 1
Importance of the Project ................................................................................. 1
Significance of the Project................................................................................ 2
Definitions ........................................................................................................ 2
Limitations ........................................................................................................ 3
Organization of the Project ............................................................................... 4
2. REVIEW OF THE RELEVANT LITERATURE .................................................. 6
Theories and Practices in Arts Education ......................................................... 6
Murals from the Barrio Community ............................................................... 12
Event Planning................................................................................................ 24
3. PORTFOLIO OF COMMUNITY ART PROJECT ............................................. 27
Creation of Community Art Day .................................................................... 28
Finding a Location .......................................................................................... 29
Northwood Elementary .................................................................................. 32
Interest Survey ................................................................................................ 34
vii
Interest Survey Results ................................................................................... 35
Art Activities .................................................................................................. 35
Days Before the Event .................................................................................... 37
Day of the Event ............................................................................................. 38
Organization of Community Art Day ............................................................. 39
Evaluation Form ............................................................................................. 41
Creating a Handbook ...................................................................................... 42
Budget............................................................................................................. 43
Goals of the Community Art Day .................................................................. 43
Timeline .......................................................................................................... 43
Summary......................................................................................................... 43
4. ANALYZING SUCCESS .................................................................................... 45
Community Art Day at Northwood Elementary ............................................ 45
Modifications Made the Day of the Event ..................................................... 46
Interest Surveys .............................................................................................. 47
Research Methods .......................................................................................... 48
Evaluation Form ............................................................................................. 49
Evaluation Results .......................................................................................... 50
Debriefings ..................................................................................................... 50
Future Steps .................................................................................................... 52
viii
Appendix. Community Art Day Handbook ............................................................... 54
References ................................................................................................................ 110
ix
1
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
The Project
The project had two parts. The first part was to create a Community Art Day at
Northwood Elementary School. The event would provide information about
community resources which are available while providing a day of Visual and
Performing Art activities for the entire family to participate and enjoy.
The second part of the project was to create a handbook of the event. A copy of
the handbook was given to Northwood Elementary so that the school could use it as a
guidebook to re-create the event on a yearly basis. A second copy of the handbook
was given to Barrio Art instructor, Xico Gonzales, at California State University,
Sacramento, so this event could be duplicated for future Barrio Art students to use in
other communities.
Importance of the Project
The purpose of this project was to strengthen neighborhood families by
bridging the gap between the community and its various resources while providing a
day of multicultural activities using the Visual and Performing Arts.
“81% of the children who attend Northwood Elementary are
socioeconomically disadvantaged” (Schools-Data, 2007). Providing community
resources at the event allowed families to connect with these free and discounted
services which they otherwise might not know about.
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Significance of the Project
The Community Art Day made a contribution to the parents and the children at
Northwood Elementary; and beyond into the community. Parents had access to
community resources to learn about various programs that are available to them. The
information they received can then be passed on to other family members or friends.
Community Art Day also had Visual and Performing Art activities for the
children and their parents to participate in and enjoy. While participating in the Arts,
State and/or National Standards were included as part of the curriculum; and children
learned new skills as they enjoyed the day. Community Art Day was also a celebration
of community. It brought families, school community and the greater community
together through art; which is what Barrio Art is about.
Definitions
Barrio: Spanish speaking district of a city, quarter, or neighborhood.
Bird Rattles: This is a popular tradition from Mexico which is used for New
Year’s celebrations and fiestas. Rattles are shaken to welcome generous spirits of the
New Year and drive away unhappy spirits remaining from the past.
CARE Program: Discounted gas and electric service for eligible households
through Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Chalk Art: Sidewalk chalk used for drawing.
California LifeLine: A state program that provides discounted basic home
phone service for eligible households.
Collage: An artistic composition made of various materials glued on a surface.
3
Corn Husk Dolls: Dolls made from the ears of corn husks.
Encaustic painting: Colored pigments added to hot beeswax which is used as
paint and then applied to a wall.
FERA Program: Discounted gas and electric service for eligible households
through Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Mural painting: Art which is painted on a wall.
Pan Dulce: Sweet bread
Poetry: A writing style that arranges words to create a specific emotional
response through meaning, sound, and rhythm.
Rain Sticks: A hollow cardboard tube which is filled with rice and beans and
then decorated on the outside. When the stick is shaken, the noise is similar to that of a
rainstorm.
Limitations
Limitations of this project include:

Not having enough community resource participants;

Difficulty in judging the number of children who will attend;

Having enough evaluations returned to determine if the event was a success;

Difficulty in gauging how many supplies are needed;

Small budget;

Would there be enough facilitators to assist with the event?
4

Weather – Chalk Art and Mural painting would be affected if it rained;

Return of completed interest surveys to provide feedback.
Organization of the Project
This project is organized into four chapters and an Appendix. Chapter 1 is the
introduction of the project, and contains a description of the project, the importance of
the project, the significance of the project, definitions of the terms, limitations of the
project, and the organization of the project.
Chapter 2 contains a review of the relevant literature related to the project. The
first section is titled “Theories and Practices in Arts Education.” The second section is
titled “Murals from the Barrio Community.” This section discusses a brief history of
the murals in Mexico and the artists who were instrumental in the mural movement.
The movement not only had an impact on the people of Mexico; but on the United
States as well. The third section is titled “Event Planning.” This section discusses the
steps necessary in order to create a successful event. These three topics together
provided the researcher with important information which led to the creation of
Community Art Day.
Chapter 3 presents the methodology used in this project. It describes the
process of how the idea for a Community Art Day came about; and then the steps that
it took to create the event which resulted in the creation of a handbook.
Chapter 4 contains a discussion regarding the data received from the event.
Data was collected, compiled, and analyzed from interest surveys, evaluation forms,
and debriefings to determine the success of Community Art Day.
5
The Appendix contains the Community Art Day handbook which contains all
of the information necessary to recreate a Community Art Day.
6
Chapter 2
REVIEW OF THE RELEVANT LITERATURE
Chapter 2 contains a review of the theories and practices of Arts and Education
that support the concept that literacy should not be limited to just text. There are also
two other sections within this chapter that organize the literature by theme. The second
section is titled “Murals from the Barrio Community.” This section provides a brief
history of the mural movement in Mexico; and how murals were used to communicate
social issues to the people. The third section is titled “Event Planning.” This section
discusses the steps necessary to create a successful event. The review of literature in
Chapter 2 provided important information to the researcher which led to the creation
of Community Art Day.
Theories and Practices in Arts Education
The theories and practices in Arts and Education will be reviewed using the
writings from John Dewey’s (1934) book Art As Experience, Elliot Eisner’s (1998)
book The Kinds of Schools We Need, Jack Petrash’s (2002) book Understanding
Waldorf Education, and Donald Arnstine’s (1995) book Democracy and the Arts of
Schooling. Each theorist wanted reform in education and had similar views of what
education in the classroom should look like.
Schools play an important role in shaping the mind of a student. Eisner (1998)
believed, “Brains are born, and minds are made; and one of the privileges of the
teaching profession is to have an important part to play in the shaping of minds” (p.
23). Eisner elaborated by stating that schools are in the construction business. The
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objective of our schools should not be that all students end up at the same point, rather
all students individually should be allowed to excel and grow in their own area. The
way schools are currently structured, this is not possible. Schools traditionally are
focused to teach only reading, and writing. If a student does not excel in reading and
writing, then the student is not successful. A student should not be limited to having
literacy only in the form of reading. Literacy should not just be limited to text.
Arnstine (1995) believed that “the most important determinant…of the overall
curriculum of a school is the nature of the areas of competence of its teachers” (p.
363). Arnstine felt that teachers should be given the opportunity to teach what they
know. By teaching what they know, they can pass on their experiences and knowledge
to their students. Experienced teachers understand how to teach so students will learn.
Dewey (1934) believed that teachers had a responsibility when teaching to
provide students with lessons which had meaningful experiences. Dewey believed that
a meaningful experience had to have an emotional connection to it “…every
experience is the result of interaction between a live creature and some aspect of the
world in which he lives” (p. 45). “Teachers must help their students relate with such
strong interest to their subjects that they can feel an intimate connection with life and
see this relationship as a central part of their human existence” (Petrash, 2002, p. 137).
The arts make this discovery possible.
Discovery occurs as students learn through adventures in the arts something of
the possibilities of human experience. The journeys they take through the patterned
sound we call music, through the visual forms we call painting, and through the
8
metaphorical discourse we call poetry and literature are means through which students
can discover their potential to respond. In other words, the arts can help students find
their individual capacity to feel and imagine (Eisner, 1998, p. 85).
In order for these experiences to be meaningful the lessons taught had to be
worthwhile. The teacher would have to know each student’s prior life experiences in
order to create and design lessons which would be meaningful. Meaningful lessons
would allow the student to draw from their prior experiences which would allow the
student to make connections with the new information taught. By allowing the
students to draw from their past experiences while making connections with new
information, they gain new knowledge and grow academically.
Waldorf teachers gain the experience and the knowledge of their students that
Arnstine (1995) prescribed by keeping their students on a seven year cycle. The
teachers start with a group of students in 1st grade and move up the grades with them
until the end of the eighth grade. By looping with their students they gain knowledge
of their students and the students’ past experiences which allows them to create
meaningful lessons.
Arnstine (1995) also believed that curriculum needed to be meaningful, but he
felt the content of the curriculum had to be meaningful to the student, otherwise
learning could not take place (p. 340). He felt that how we select curriculum content
shapes the future of both the individuals and our culture. Eisner (1998) agrees with
Arnstine’s (1995) philosophy and stated
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The programs we provide in schools, what we include and what we exclude,
what we emphasize and what we minimize, what we assign primetime and
what we assign to the remainder, reflect the directions in which we believe
children should grow. (Eisner, p. 13)
Dewey’s (1934) statement “education is not a preparation for life; education is
life itself” (p. 11) supports Arnstine (1995) and Eisner’s (1998) theories. Life is what
educates you. Your experiences are your teachers. The lessons learned are the ones
you carry with you because these are the ones that had an emotional aspect attached to
it. Dewey felt in order for a student to make a connection with learning they would
have to have a memorable and meaningful experience. It had to be thoughtful and
connected; not capricious or mechanical. He believed that experience was the ultimate
source of knowledge and that educators needed to create an opportunity for children to
have their own experience. In order “to develop the capacity for emotional
involvement, Waldorf schools enhance their educational program by integrating the
arts throughout the curriculum. By fostering a heartfelt connection between the student
and the subject, education becomes more meaningful, and also more memorable“
(Petrash, 2002, p. 29).
An example of how Waldorf schools would create this meaningful experience
is by having the class take a nature walk out in the fields so the class could take time
to explore their environment. On the walk they may view small animals to look at or
pick nuts off the ground. They may look at the trees and the shape of the leaves on the
ground or on the tree. Once back in class the children may draw about their
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experience, sing or dance about it. The exploration has made the activity meaningful
and purposeful. The child now has a prior experience to tap into and can become
artistically creative in the drawing, singing or dancing about the nature walk which
they just experienced. Tapping into this prior knowledge pulls the child into learning
because they are able to make the connection which also supports Dewey’s (1934)
emotional connection.
Eisner (1998) discussed his own classroom experience in his book The Kinds
of Schools We Need, when he confessed
that art – the visual arts – was a source of salvation for me in the two
elementary schools I attended between five and thirteen years of age. I did not
do well in elementary school: arithmetic was problematic and frustrating, my
handwriting was and is at present not particularly good, spelling was a
relentless bore, and English grammar – the diagramming of sentences whose
features remain before me as vividly now as they were then – was largely
meaningless, even when I was a able to correctly indicate the difference
between a direct and an indirect object. But art – ah, that was another story. (p.
57)
Eisner’s own personal experience is why he is an advocate who supports school
reform to include and require Arts in Education. Eisner wrote his thesis about working
with at risk students, and how he learned that the arts enabled “the students to find
their individual capacity to feel and imagine where they couldn’t be reached with
reading, writing, and arithmetic” (p. 85).
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The arts not only increase the opportunities for student learning, but are models
of work that do emphasize the creation of coherent structure, that do encourage
multiple solutions to problems, that do prize innovation, that do rely on the use
of judgement, and that depend on the use of sensibility. In short, the arts are a
most important means of celebrating thinking. (Eisner, 1998, p. 28)
Rudolf Steiner founder of Waldorf schools believed
All children have predilections, areas of strength where they are more
comfortable and interested. These interests are important and can become
pronounced at an early age. Such interests generally reflect unique talents.
They usually are the areas where students will excel during their years of
schooling and later in the workplace and should never be ignored. And yet, on
a personal level, these strengths need to be rounded – off and expanded to
bring fullness and completion to an individual student’s development. (as cited
in Petrash, 2002, p. 13)
The arts should be used as a means of making meaning of all that is learned.
The arts should not be used as an add in or filler but incorporated into the curriculum
to educate the whole child. Eisner (1998) and Gardner (1993) both agree that the arts
are a integral part of education for the whole child. When the arts are made a part of
the curriculum, opportunities for student learning will increase.
In conclusion, the best education is one that always expects children to be
active thinkers and asks them to use their imaginations to produce assignments that
show originality and effort and not just a recapitulation of facts. (Petrash, 2002, p. 6).
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Petrash’s statement is further supported by Howard Gardner (1993) when he stated,
“There must be more intelligence than short answers to short questions…” (p. 4).
Gardner believed a child’s education should not be measured by giving them a test to
take for one hour, obtain a score, and then state that the child’s intelligence was just
measured.
“The unfortunate fact is that standardized tests can’t measure initiative,
creativity, imagination, conceptual thinking, curiosity, effort, irony, judgment,
commitment, nuance, good will, ethical reflection, or a host of other valuable
attributes” (Ayers, 1993, p. 116). Standardized testing only measures a small portion
of student learning, and yet schools, teachers, and students are held accountable for
this type of measurement.
Assessments need to provide tasks that resemble the challenges that people
face in living. “Life’s problems almost always have more than one solution, and they
typically require judgement and trade-off” (Eisner, 1998, p. 28). More thought needs
to be given to how assessments are done. Assessments need to be authentic.
Assessments need to make sure that course objectives are met, provide feedback to
teachers, and provide assessment for the quality of the program.
An arts education can meet those expectations.
Murals from the Barrio Community
Murals are the people’s blackboard. To write on a blackboard is to express a
thought for everyone to see (Reinitz-Braun & Weissman, 2009, para. 1).
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Murals have been used for centuries as a means of communication. The first
murals can be traced to Upper Paleolithic in southern France to the murals in Pomepii,
Italy to the famous works of Michangelo in the Sistine Chapel, and to the mural
paintings done by the Aztecs in Mexico.
Mexico’s modern muralist movement began after the Revolution of 1920. The
mural movement was a government sponsored program which had the backing from
the new head of the Ministry of Education, Jose Vasconcelos. “Vasconcelos was
bursting with ideas and enthusiasm, and one of his ambitions was to preside over a
revival of mural painting in Mexico” (Hamill, 1997, p. 73). “He saw this as a way to
restore Mexico’s cultural grandeur. He would create, in short, a Mexican renaissance”
(Hamill, p. 81), “…a revolution of culture, an embrace and celebration of indigenous
music and dance, architecture, literature, and art” (p. 82).
In order for the cultural revolution to happen, Mexico would have to bring
together all of its people; which would be difficult because they came from many
different regions, varied working classes, social order, and languages. Vasconcelos
needed an effective way to be able to communicate to all of the people of Mexico. He
wanted to communicate about Mexico’s past, their ethnic cultural traditions, the
revolution and about creating a new Mexican identity for all of the people in Mexico
to take. Vasconcelos felt since most of the population was illiterate, murals would be
an effective means of communicating the changes that were planned. The images in
the murals needed to be simple enough so that communication could occur with even
the most common of people.
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The art form he conceptualized was already deeply rooted in Mexican history
and dated back to the Mayans and Aztecs.
Mexico had a tradition of fresco painting which could be traced to the first
millennium B.C. The third and fourth centuries saw the execution of those
extraordinary frescoes which decorated numerous houses and temples at
Teotihuacan. The capital of the Mexican Tableland became a veritable centre
for painters, who as in Florence under the Medici covered a good part of
available wall space with magnificent art. In its later phase…that is, from the
seventh to the ninth centuries the Mayas painted frescoes of varying
importance…while at Bonampak…the frescoes of pre-Columbian Mexico find
their highest expression. (Arquin, 1971, p. 102)
Since Mexico’s history had many different cultural influences the issue to be
addressed was searching for Mexico’s true culture. Mexico had also been influenced
by the Spanish missionaries. The walls and doors of the churches had been decorated
with murals which depicted scenes from the Bible in order to educate and convert the
Indians to Christianity.
Vasconcelos would need to find Mexican artists who would be able to express
the ideas of a new Mexican culture and be able to communicate the new social order
of the government. The three muralists he selected were Jose Clemente Orozco, David
Alfano Siqueiros, and Diego Rivera. These men would later be known as Mexico’s
greatest muralists. Together they were known as The Three Great Ones.
15
These men were young revolutionists who painted traditional themes in their
murals, themes which included the revolutionary struggles of the Mexican people,
their culture, religion, cultural events, socialism, protest, death, and the history of
Mexico. These themes would also include the artist’s political, social, and religious
views. “Art is not just official party lines, but a record of everyone’s story” (Siqueiros,
1975, p. 25). The murals were to define the new political and social movement of
Mexico as well as serve the community.
In an effort to make the Communist party line more visible and to acquire
more walls of public buildings to paint, David Alfano Siqueiros and Diego Rivera
along with other mural painters who were working for Vasconcelos formed a union
known as the Society of Mexican Painters and Sculptors. These artists wanted the
people of Mexico to know that they too were also involved with the same class
struggle issues while they worked for the government. They needed the people of
Mexico to view them as workers, not the bourgeoisie when they stated the union
represented “…the native races humiliated for centuries; to the soldiers made into
hangmen by their officers; to the workers and peasants scourged by the rich; and to the
intellectuals who do not flatter the bourgeoisie” (Rochford, 1993, p. 39).
The creation of their union allowed them to get their message out to the
population by using murals as their form of communication. Most of the members in
this trade union would also later join the Communist Party. As the artists became more
involved in the movement they created and wrote their statement of purpose also
known as their manifesto which they “posted on walls and telephone poles in Mexico
16
City” (Campbell, 2003, p. 48) in an effort to get their message out to the people, which
stated,
…our aesthetic goal must be to socialize artistic expression and wipe out
bourgeois individualism. We repudiate so-called easel painting and every kind
of art favored by ultra-intellectual circles, because it is aristocratic, and we
praise monumental art in all its forms, because it is public property.… art must
no longer be the expression of individual satisfaction which it is today, but
should aim to become a fighting, educative art for all. (Rochford, 1993, p. 40;
Siquerios, 1975, p. 25)
Art they felt was not just for the wealthy to be viewed in museums, but art should be
accessible for all people. Jose Clemente Orozco supported the belief that mural art
belonged to the people and the community when he said,
The highest, most logical, purest and most powerful type of painting is mural
painting. It is also the most disinterested, as it cannot be converted into an
object of personal gain nor can it be concealed for the benefit of a few
privileged people. It is for the people. It is for everybody. (as cited in
Cockcroft, Weber, Cockcroft 1977, p. 238; Rochford, 1993, p. 40)
The first public art murals were painted on the walls of the National
Preparatory School. Diego Rivera was actually not one of the first muralists who was
commissioned to begin painting murals on public buildings but a French artist, Jean
Charlot who created a mural known as The Fall of Tenochitildin, which showed the
Conquest from the Mexican point of view. This was the first true fresco of the modern
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era in Mexico. Fernando Leal painted The Feast of the Lord of Chalma which
celebrated Mexican folk dancing and a post-Conquest Mexican myth (Hamill, 1997, p.
84).
Diego Rivera had not been given a mural to paint because Vasconcelos felt
Rivera had not connected with the Mexican people and their plight. Rivera had been
away in Europe studying painting in Paris for 10 years with the great painters of his
time and had not been in Mexico during the revolution. Rivera’s painting style had
been influenced by the cubism movement of artist Pablo Picasso, and then was later
influenced by post Impressionist’s works of Cezanne, Matisse, Van Gogh, and Renoir.
Rivera knew in order for his work to be accepted he would have to be able to have his
images tell his story to a people that could be touched and moved (Arquin, 1971).
Rivera began to study the motifs found in Mexico, and looked to the Mexican
culture and the history of the people to change his painting style. Rivera began to use
large simple figures which had an Aztec influence, bold colors, religious icons,
children, corn (symbol of Mexico and God), death, candles burning and calla lilies
which would become his trademark in his murals (Hamill, 1997).
Diego’s first mural entitled Creation was done in encaustic. Encaustic painting
is when colors are fused to the surface of the wall by the use of heat. This art form did
not turn out well for Rivera because once the finish dried it had bubbled and cracked.
All his subsequent murals were done in fresco (Hamill, 1997).
The word fresco comes from the Italian word fresco which means fresh. Fresco
paintng is when color is placed on the wall while the plaster is still wet. The artist
18
works with assistant artists to help with the application of the colors since they must
work quickly before the plaster dries. If the area painted is wrong, the only way to get
rid of the image is to chisel it off and began again with new plaster (Hamill, 1997).
Diego Rivera did not have any prior experience in painting in fresco and
wanted to learn the craft. Since there were no mural craftsmen in Mexico to learn from
Diego went to Italy to study its art and in particular the Renaissance frescoes. He
stayed in Italy for 17 months learning the craft of frescos.
His studies in Italy rewarded him with an understanding of the great mural
tradition of the Renaissance. There he acquired an awareness of the basic
architectural character of murals and of the prerequisite need for direct, simple
statement and organization, as well as an equally informed understanding of
form and color to evoke a calculated emotional response. (Arquin, 1971, p.
139)
Just as the Italian Renaissance artists had revived pride in their country’s
heritage from ancient Greece and Rome, so Rivera, with similar emphasis upon
realism and humanism, would create murals in Mexico that would evoke a
pride in the heritage of a rich indigenous past. (Arquin, 1971, p. 143)
Rivera knew that the mural projects could give him a place in Mexican history
as one of their greatest mural artists if not in Mexico, the world. Rivera’s greatest
murals were created at the Ministry of Education, and images from those murals are
still used today as a representation of Mexico.
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He created one of his undisputed masterpieces, and one of the enduring artistic
triumphs of twentieth-century art. The scope of the work was epic: 128
individual panels on three floors covering a total of about 17,000 square
feet…which would take him four years and three months to complete. The
subject matter had extraordinary variety, culminating in the fierce struggle of
Mexicans to build a utopian future. (Hamill, 1997, p. 87)
Rivera could not have predicted how his style, technique and influence in
Mexico’s mural movement would have such a great influence reaching to the United
States with the Works Progress Administration Federal Arts Project, and the Chicano
mural movements.
Eventually, The Three Great Ones would go their separate ways with all
painting murals in the United States. Rivera would begin to work on murals from the
W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) projects (Rochford, 1993; Siquerios, 1975).
The W.P.A. Federal Arts Project was the first of four art programs created as
part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal Programs which began in 1932 to create
public jobs for artists who had been unemployed since the Great Depression of 1929.
This was the first time in the history of the United States, that the United States
government had ever been involved with funding jobs in the arts. The programs were
created as an effort to help keep artists employed during the hard economic times
which the country was experiencing from the Depression. Employment of these artists
would keep the Arts alive, while stimulating jobs which would help turn the economy
around (Jewett, 1983).
20
The second well known funded arts program to come out of Roosevelt’s New
Deal was called, The Public Works of Art Project (PWAF) and the Section of Fine
Arts which was administered by the Procurement Division of the Treasury
Department. “…PWAF anticipated financing some 2,500 artists and 500 laborers in an
American artistic renaissance” (Jewett, 1983, p. 29). Artists were required to work 30
hours a week and were paid wages that equaled to $1.00 an hour (Jewett). Edward
Bruce, who was in charge of the PWAF, wrote in March 1934 about what he had
viewed and felt the mood of the country was
There has been no criticism or carping from the artists as to the amount being
paid them by the government…Instead, there have been almost unanimous
expressions of gratitude for the employment and of the happiness that the
artists feel in the assurance of a living wage with the opportunity to work at the
things they love to do – and the added pleasure that the work is wanted for the
embellishment of public buildings. (Bruce, 1934, as cited in Jewett, 1983, p.
42)
The Post Office murals were often thought of as W.P.A., but were actually
commissioned by the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department from the
Section of Fine Arts in 1934. The Section of Fine Arts had three objectives for the
Post Office murals. The first was to support professional artists who would create
quality art. The second goal was to educate the public so that they could appreciate art.
“By providing decorations in public buildings, the art was made accessible to all
people. Post Offices were located in virtually every community and available for
21
viewing by all postal patrons which made post office murals a truly democratic art
form” (Raynor, 1997, para. 3). The third objective was to please the agency of the
United States government which was financing the project.
The mural subject matter had restrictions. The murals could not make any
statements against the government. The murals had to depict America’s history and
way of life. The subject matter had to be something that the average person could
understand and recognize. Only positive images could be painted – nothing tragic. The
artists could not paint images of the hardships Americans faced from the Great
Depression. There could be no scenes of the homeless, suicides, unemployed, or of
bread lines. The images had to be encouraging and uplifting while providing a positive
image of American life during this timeframe (Jewett, 1983; Raynor, 1997).
The artists were chosen by competition and their work was selected by their
peers. Once selected the artists would learn and study the works of the Mexican
muralists including the works of Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros. They also learned the
mural process and techniques that were used by Mexico’s mural movement.
The W.P.A. murals could easily be identified because they had certain
characteristics similar to the Mexican murals. Shapiro (1978) describes the
W.P.A.murals,
The murals that represent what came to be known as “W.P.A. style” were
those that digested the lessons of Mexican mural painting and incorporated
with them 15th century Florentine art and early 20th century abstraction.
Naturalism had no place in these murals. These W.P.A. muralists developed
22
easily understood concrete symbols and used a part to stand for a whole, form
of synecdoche in which a Worker stood for workers, a kitchen table for Home,
a mother, father and child for the Family. (p. 5)
The two additional art programs created and funded by the Federal government
which were part of the New Deal programs were the Federal Art Project (FAP) and the
Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP). Between the support of these two government
sponsored Agencies 2,500 murals were produced in schools, libraries, city halls and
other public sites. The W.P.A. program ended in 1943 with World War II and all
government monies being diverted into the war effort (Dunitz & Prigoff, 1997).
The W.P.A. and Mexican mural movements were created as a means to
communicate with the public. The Chicano mural movement drew from its roots in the
Mexican culture and seeing the murals in the States found their voice in the mural
movement during a period of time when there was much social unrest. Chicano artists
were excluded from mainstream art institutions. Instead of accepting their exclusion
that mainstream society was placing on them, the Chicano artist found a way to
express their voice about their culture, and social issues through their art. Their art
became an art of protest.
In the late 1960’s more than ever, the people were left with an art that refused
to address them or the social realities of their lives. The process of
deculturation of the masses, which had begun with the loss of their native arts
through “Americanization” and had been magnified by the increasing elitism
of avant-garde art that no longer made even a token attempt at communication,
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was compounded by the ‘education’ policy of the museums and art institutions,
which proclaimed a class-exclusive culture as universal. (Cockcroft et al.,
1977, pp. 46-47)
The Chicano mural movement grew out of a need to communicate the issues of the
Chicano people, and out of a need for social action. Some of the social issues which
were expressed through the Chicano mural projects was the protest against the
Vietnam War, the border issues between San Diego and Tijuana, and the civil rights of
the Farm Worker’s Union. “Chicano artists came together during this time to embody
the struggle of a disenfranchised people and to make it the subject of their work”
(Brookman, 1991, p. 155). The fight was based on grievances regarding the farm
workers’ rights. The Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF) became actively involved in
this issue. They created posters, murals, silkscreened T-shirts all with the purpose of
communicating through various art forms the message of the plight of the farm
workers’.
Just as the Mexican muralists painted using motifs from their Mexican culture,
so did the artists from the Chicano mural movement. They used symbols of the flag,
eagle, snake along with elements drawn from the Mexican muralists – motifs, folk art
symbols and pre-Columbian gods and hieroglyphs (Cockcroft et al., 1977).
The Chicano mural movement led to inspiring other community mural
movements throughout the United States. Mural art has continued as a neighborhood
form of communication. “Community murals can be an empowering force, giving
24
visibility to community issues and service as a means of communication between
people and cultures” (Dunitz & Prigoff, 1997, p. 18).
Event Planning
Organization and planning are key elements for a successful event. Australian
Businessman Chris Corrigan stated, “You can’t overestimate the need to plan and
prepare. In most of the mistakes I’ve made, there has been this common theme of
inadequate planning beforehand” (Corrigan, 2008 as cited in Stevens, 2008, p. 40).
Karen L. Ramey (2000) in her book entitled, Hands On! states, “The key to a well
executed event is to be very organized” (p. 1).
In researching on how to create a special event, Jasso’s (1996) book, Special
Events From A to Z, The Complete Educator’s Handbook, Ramey’s book (2000),
Hands On!, Freedman & Freedman’s Black Tie Optional, and the magazine article
entitled, “Hosting A Family Literacy Night at Your School”, by McGahey (2005),
each author gave similar steps to follow in creating a successful event. Steps to follow
in order to create a successful event:
1. Create a committee chair and a staff of committee support. The committee
chair is responsible for coordinating, overseeing, and running the event. The
committee chair also keeps communication open, sets deadlines, shares the
work, and keeps a working binder documenting all aspects of the event
(Ramey, 2000). Each committee support person has specific tasks assigned and
are also part of the planning process.
25
2. Planning: Every detail of the event is planned. Topics include what is the goal
of the event? What outcomes are expected to determine the success of the
event? How will the event be run? What date, time, and location will the event
take place? What supplies are needed? Will there be advertisement, food, and
entertainment? What is the budget? How many volunteers are needed? The
committee chair holds weekly planning meetings “to decide what must be
accomplished, how, when, and by whom for each phase of the event so that the
event can accomplish all of its objectives” (Jasso, 1996, p. 19). Planning
meetings continue through the end of the project when evaluations and
debriefings are done (Jasso). Minutes are taken, assignments given with
deadlines, decisions made, and every open item reviewed until completed.
(Jasso, 1996; Friedman, 2007; Ramey, 2000).
3. Day of Event. Decorate and set up event area and registration tables. Assign
jobs to volunteers. “…plan on one worker for every 50 participants...”
(Freedman & Freedman, 2007, p. 8). Expect 50% of the volunteers to show up.
Make sure and schedule more than you need…(Ramey, 2000, p. 6).
4. Tear down – Do a walk around at the end of the event to ensure the entire area
used was left clean, and that all items were returned or stored away.
5. Follow up – Make sure all supplies and equipment are returned. Send thank
you notes to volunteers, and committee staff.
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6. Debriefing – Meet with committee staff after the event to go over what worked
and what didn’t work. Was the event a success? Were the objectives met? If
not where could improvements be made for next time?
7. Evaluation – Review written feedback given from the community as well as
feedback from volunteers and committee members regarding their thoughts on
the success of the event.
In conclusion, the steps summarized above provide an outline of the process of
organizing an event. The two most important steps which will require the most time to
ensure that the event is a success are preparation and organization.
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Chapter 3
PORTFOLIO OF COMMUNITY ART PROJECT
The idea for the Community Art Project came from taking a Barrio Art Class
at California State University, Sacramento. I enrolled in Barrio Art 148 because I was
interested in working with the Spanish speaking community and was amazed at how
art is an important part of the Barrio Community.
One of the requirements of the Barrio Art class was to work in the Barrio
Community three hours a week, for a total of 13 weeks at either the Washington
Neighborhood Center, the Azteca Danzante, La Raza Galeria Posada (Chicano cultural
center, bookstore, and art gallery), or the Mural Project which would take place at a
local school, with an additional 40 hours of community service learning hours were to
be completed during the course of the semester.
I learned from instructor, Xico Gonzales that Barrio Art came to the forefront
during the United Farm Workers’ protest against poor working conditions and low
wages. A group known as the RCAF (Royal Chicano Air Force), based at the
Washington Neighborhood Center in Sacramento, California, wanted to help the farm
workers and became actively involved by making the farm workers’ issue their issue.
The RCAF created posters, murals, and silkscreened T-shirts all with the purpose of
communicating through various art forms the message of the plight of the farm
workers. Art became the voice of the RCAF to express the social injustices that were
happening to the farm workers. The images they painted were simple enough to
communicate to people of various educational levels.
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Creation of Community Art Day
Community Art Day came from an idea that Barrio instructor, Xico Gonzales
had as a new community service project that had never been done before. He wanted a
group of students to create this project and it would be called Dia de Los Ninos
Festival de Arte – translated, A Celebration of the Day of the Children. Xico wanted
the event to be held at Southside Park in Sacramento, California, on May 2, 2009; and
keeping with Barrio culture, the Visual and Performing Arts would be the vehicle to
celebrate children. It would be a one day free event which would include music,
dance, art activities, and food.
I signed up to be a part of this service project because I had been searching for
a thesis project, and wanted my project to be something I was interested in. Art within
the Barrio Community was something that I was interested in, and felt that since I did
not have any prior experience with creating a Community Art Day I would be gaining
the leadership experience in the Arts that I wanted. I was also aware that creating a
Community Art Day would take more time than the class hours required, but I knew
the experience I would be gaining was invaluable. Three other Barrio Art students –
Teresa Lerma, Yemi Lopez, and Brian Ehnes also signed up to be a part of the
Community Art Day Service Project.
Our first committee meeting was held the beginning of February, 2009. We
discussed the concerns we had regarding the project. The first was how large and open
ended the project was. The second concern was we only had 12 weeks to make this
event happen with only four people. The third concern was about our budget. The last
29
concern was the unknown factor of how many people we would need to plan for who
would be attending our event. We decided to plan for 500 people. We then discussed
the possible jobs that needed to be assigned, and each person’s strengths and interests.
We also decided that we would need to meet two to three times a week to get the
project moving, and we would meet less often once the project was well under control.
We decided that since this was a community event, we wanted to have
organizations from the community that might provide services of interest to the people
attending the event. Brian had experience with community resources and he
volunteered to get sign ups for our event, as well as write a letter which could be used
to ask local businesses for food donations. Teresa belonged to an Aztec Dance group,
and would see if her group would participate. She also volunteered to keep track of the
minutes. Yemi spoke Spanish, and would go to local shops for food donations. I
wanted to be responsible for the free flowing art activities (which would include the
supplies, and creating the lesson plans), training the facilitators, arranging for Spoken
Word and Poetry workshop facilitators, and securing the location of the event. I was
also responsible for documenting the steps taken to create a Community Art Day
which would result with the creation of a handbook. The handbook would be given to
our instructor, Xico Gonzales, so that the event could be duplicated in other
communities by future Barrio Art students at California State University, Sacramento.
Finding a Location
Since I was responsible for securing Southside Park as our location I went to
the City of Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation office which is located at
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the Coloma Center, 4623 T Street, in East Sacramento, to find out what was required
to reserve the park for the day. The clerk at the front desk advised that I would need to
complete a City of Sacramento Application for Park Use, and gave me the application
along with a pamphlet containing useful information regarding commonly asked
questions. Before leaving with the information provided, I checked to see if the date of
May 2, 2009, was available; it was not. The only date available was April 18, which
would cut into the amount of time we had to plan, organize and create our event.
I learned from reading the Park Use Guide that the City of Sacramento has
many fees which are charged in order to rent the park. There is a non-refundable
application fee of $5, along with a Neighborhood and Community Park use fee for
using the uncovered area at $25 per area per 50 guests, and to use the covered area,
$35 per area per 50 guests. Since our event was going to have music and we would be
using a microphone to communicate there would also be the Amphitheater fee of $50
per hour, as well as a Amplified Sound Permit of $25 per hour. There was also A Park
Safety Services at $28 per hour, along with the Barbecue Permit of $15 per day.
Additional costs which the Park Use Guide did not provide was the required Liability
Insurance, and a County of Sacramento Environmental Health Permit was required if
food was being served or sold.
I began to add up all the fees: $5 non refundable application fee, plus fees for
the uncovered area at $25 per 50 guests with an estimated attendance of 500 guests
equaled $250.00. Amplified Sound Permit at $25 per hour, for 6 hours equaled
$150.00. Use of the Amphitheater at $50 per hour, for 6 hours equaled $300. Total
31
cost to rent the park for one day was $705.00 - which did not include the Liability
Insurance and the Food Permit. With the costs being so high, I did not proceed to
research the costs for the Liability Insurance or for the Food Permit. I knew without
being told we did not have the funds in our budget to pay the fees, nor did we have
time to do fundraising.
I met with our committee and outlined all of the costs. The cost to have a
Community Art Day in a city park was too expensive for our event. Our group
proceeded to brainstorm for other locations which wouldn’t be so expensive. I
suggested that we should have our event at a school. I remembered being involved
with creating school events such as Math Night, Science Night, and Literature Night
which had been held at local schools. I knew from past experience that you could have
events at a school, and there weren’t any fees charged to host the event. We all agreed
that Community Art Day at a school was perfect. A school event would allow us to
reach the children, and families within their own school community which would
strengthen ties between the school and the family. Community organizations such as
Roberts Family Development Center, First 5, and Spirit in the Arts were a few of the
agencies who would be invited to participate; families would be able to learn about the
services these groups provided, which would help the agencies strengthen their tie to
the community. The next step would be to find a school in which to have the event.
We brainstormed and discussed the purpose of our Barrio Art class. It was to
work in a multicultural environment, to experience art while working with a Barrio
Community within budgetary restraints. We wanted to find a school community which
32
had a large Spanish speaking population, and a community that would benefit from
providing information about community resources. None of us had any contacts with
schools that would meet our criteria. We took our information to Xico who was in
agreement with our decision. Xico had contacts with various schools and would get
back to us.
Northwood Elementary
Xico met initially with the principal at Northwood Elementary, and then with
the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Both were in agreement that a Community Art
Day at Northwood Elementary would be a great benefit for the children, families, and
community. The one day event was scheduled for May 2, 2009. It would be held at
Northwood Elementary which is located at 2630 Taft Street, Sacramento, California
95815. Our school contact would be Diana Martinez, Outreach Coordinator. Diana
would attend our weekly committee meetings and provide feedback to the principal. It
was also decided that Northwood Elementary would have students participate and
create a mural for the school. Xico provided the principal with a questionnaire for the
third and fourth grade classes to complete about their school and community.
Information about the survey would provide the basis of the images to be used in the
school’s mural. The mural project would be coordinated with other Barrio Art
students. The mural would also be painted on site the day of Community Art Day.
I wanted to gain more information about Northwood Elementary, and went on
the Twin Rivers Unified School District web site and learned that Northwood
Elementary is a K-6 Elementary School with an enrollment of 545 students. The
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student population consists of 14% African American, 17% Caucasian, 8% Asian, and
53% Hispanic. I also learned from the Schools – Data web site that 81% of the
families are socioeconomically disadvantaged.
Since we now had a location for our event in place each committee member
began to focus on their individually assigned tasks and projects. Brian made contacts
within the community for the attendance of community resources, and wrote the
donation letter which would be given to shops to donate food. Yemi would take the
letter to various Mexican pastry shops for Pan Dulce donations to be used for
breakfast the morning of the event. Teresa took our individual tasks that we each
created with projected completion dates and created a task spreadsheet so that the
entire event process could be documented.
All committee members collaborated on creating two registration forms. One
form was to register community resources. The second registration form was created
for the families to pre-register for the event so that I could get a projected idea of
attendance. The middle part of the survey form contained the interest questions which
would provide the feedback I needed regarding the free flowing art projects that I had
initially planned for the event. The last part of the form was the permission section
that a parent had to sign to allow his or her student to come to the event.
I was also working from a list received from Xico of people to contact and
send letters to who were prospective facilitators for the Spoken Word and Poetry
Workshops.
34
Interest Survey
The interest survey form was created in English and Spanish. The survey form
was created to act as a registration form, give feedback regarding the art activities
selected as well as give feedback to the school regarding community involvement and
volunteer work. As a registration form parents could pre-register their children for the
event. The form included the student’s name, grade, address, and emergency contact
information. The survey form required a parent signature giving permission for their
student to attend the event. The form also included survey questions about the event to
allow feedback regarding what projects the student would like to participate in – Chalk
Art, Mural Art, Rain Sticks, Collages, Mask Making, Corn Husk Dolls and Bird
Rattles. There was also a section on the form directed toward parent interest in
creating a community garden and volunteering at the school.
One hundred interest surveys were completed and returned. The survey forms
provided information regarding which art activities had the most interest, what age
group the children were in, who had been pre-registered, and from this information I
could project the grade level of the children coming to the event, and which art
activities were of most interest. The survey also provided valuable information for
Diana Martinez, Outreach Coordinator. Diana gained information as to which families
were interested in starting a school garden, and which families were interested in
volunteering at the school.
35
Interest Survey Results
Out of 100 completed surveys received the activities of most interest were
ranked as follows: Mask Making ranked number one with 64 out of the 100 surveyed
indicating that they were interested in this activity. Mural Painting had 53 out of 100
surveyed and this was the second most interested activity. Chalk Art had 52 out of 100
surveyed as the third most interested activity. Collages had 42 out of 100 surveyed as
the fourth most interested activity. Bird Rattles had 41 out of 100 surveyed as the fifth
most interested activity. Corn Husk Dolls had 38 out of 100 surveyed as the sixth most
interested activity, and Rain Sticks had 31 out of 100 surveyed as the seventh most
interested activity.
The information received from the survey helped me to determine which art
activities would probably have the most participation, which activity would need more
facilitators, and supplies. I now knew the top activities were Mask Making, Mural
Painting, Chalk Art, and Collages. The survey addressed the interest in the art
activities, and provided valuable information regarding my planning needs for each
station.
Art Activities
I wanted the art activities to be multicultural, and I wanted activities that would
interest Northwood students. Since Northwood is a K-6 school, the art activities had to
be of interest to a wide range of students with varied abilities. I spoke with the Barrio
Art students, as well as instructor Xico Gonzales, to find out what art activities had
been successful at the Washington Neighborhood Center. I took some of their
36
suggestions, did research for other multicultural art activities and came up with
Collages, Chalk Art, Corn Husk Dolls, Mask Making, Rain Sticks, and Mexican Birds.
The Collage activity was created to be a open ended activity. The tables at this
activity were stocked with various colors of construction paper, magazines, and
newspapers for students to create a collage out of various paper mediums, and then
glue the cut out designs onto a larger piece of 16 x 20 paper.
Chalk Art was also an open ended activity. Heavy weight, dark navy blue
construction grade paper was provided as well as many buckets of multi-colored
sidewalk chalk. Students were to use their imaginations and draw whatever design or
pattern that interested them. This was their opportunity to be creative.
Corn Husk Dolls was a station where doll figures could be made using corn
husks. This was a little more difficult activity, and children under grade three needed
help. The corn husks had to be soaked in water, and softened in order to create the
dolls. This activity required the use of string, sticks, and corn husks to make the dolls.
If a student wanted to be really creative, they were not limited to making just a doll
out of the corn husks.
Mask Making took the longest amount of time to complete this activity.
Making the mask was very labor intensive for the facilitator. The facilitator had to first
place Vaseline all over the student’s face. Then they placed pre-cut and pre-moistened
rigid tape on the student’s face. Layers upon layers of tape were placed on the
student’s face until their face is completely covered in tape; and their face had become
a mask. Once the rigid tape had dried, the mask is lifted off.
37
The second phase of mask making was the decorating of the mask. Various
mediums were offered. The students could choose from different colors of paint,
glitter, feathers, and stones. These items were provided so that the students could be
creative in the decoration phase of mask making.
Rain Sticks and Mexican Birds used similar materials and both activities were
at one table. Brightly colored tissue paper, construction paper, tubes, markers, rice,
beans, and feathers were available to create the Rain Sticks and Mexican Birds.
Days Before the Event
Two days before the event a training class was held at the Washington
Neighborhood Center to teach the facilitators each art activity so that at anytime
facilitators could be moved from one activity to the next depending upon the need. We
also had the facilitators stuff 200 bags which would be handed out the day of the event
at the registration table. The bags were stuffed with the evaluation form, stickers, a
magnet, and an activity card.
It was also decided that all Barrio Art students would wear on the day of the
event either their California State University, Sacramento T-shirt or sweat shirt. There
were two reasons for this. The first reason was so that Northwood staff and families
could easily identify us as part of the event. But the second – and most important
reason was we wanted to make the statement that learning does not cease at a certain
age; and that learning is a lifelong process. We wanted the Northwood students to see
that college is not limited to a certain age; it’s for all ages.
38
The day before the event, Brian, Teresa and I met at Northwood Elementary so
that we could decide where each activity was going to take place. Brian mapped out
where he wanted the tables for the Community Resources to be set up. Teresa decided
where the Registration table would be, and I decided where each art activity and
workshop would take place.
I walked the halls of the school and decided that each wing would be a perfect
location for an art activity. The wings were wide enough to fit two cafeteria sized
tables. The wings also had floor to ceiling windows which provided a lot of light. The
wings felt very cozy and inviting. I decided to place the Poetry and Spoken Word
Workshops in two separate classrooms at the end of the halls so they would be in a
quiet location. The Mask Making activity was placed near the bathroom facility to
allow easy access for students to wipe their faces clean after the mask had been taken
off.
We took a copy of the school map, and created the Community Art Day map
so that every activity and event had a location. The map would then be hung
throughout the school so that every event and activity was identified and could easily
be found.
Day of the Event
We arrived at Northwood Elementary at 8:00 a.m. the day of the event. We
each had our own area to set up. I had one hour to make sure that each art activity had
tables, each table had been covered in paper and that, every area had garbage cans. I
put signs up identifying the location of each art activity. I sorted and delivered all of
39
the supplies. I made certain that there were two facilitators at each activity, and that
the corn husk doll facilitators had started to soak the dried corn husks. I checked that
the mask making facilitators had pre-cut the rigid tape into strips, and had water at
their table for soaking the strips.
The day of event I was constantly walking and monitoring the art activity area
to ensure that there were enough facilitators at each location, enough supplies, and that
there weren’t any problems – and if there were problems to solve them. I also made
sure that each art activity didn’t have too many people; and if there were to move
some participants to different locations that were not overcrowded.
Organization of Community Art Day
Community Art Day was on Saturday, May 2, 2009, at Northwood Elementary
School. The event was held from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Research information regarding this study was obtained by giving all school
participants an interest survey. The interest survey provided feedback from the
children and parents if they would like to have a Community Art Day held at
Northwood Elementary. The interest survey gave a list of possible art activities, and
asked questions regarding poetry, music, gardening, and volunteering at the school.
The survey also acted as a pre-registration form for the families that wanted to attend.
The research information received from the survey helped create Community Art Day.
Registration was held from 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. At the registration table
each person was greeted and given a bag which contained the evaluation form,
stickers, magnet, and activity card for children to color as they finished each art
40
activity. From the registration table, families were directed to the cafeteria for a free
breakfast which consisted of coffee, water, tea and assorted Mexican sweet breads
known as Pan Dulce. The families stayed in the cafeteria for the morning blessing
given by Mesa Maquilli Tonatiuh. After the morning blessing was the Welcome and
Introduction which was first given by the principal of Northwood, and then by Brian
representing Barrio Art at California State University, Sacramento in English, and then
by Yemi in Spanish. The introduction provided information about the event, and also a
reminder about completing the evaluation forms. From there the families were
directed to the free flowing Art Activities, Poetry and Spoken Word Workshops.
Lunch was held from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. During the lunch hour the free
flowing art activities, and workshops stopped. The lunch hour was a time for families
to enjoy and participate in the entertainment provided by the Aztec Dancers, and
African Drumming Group. 200 free hot lunches were provided by Chic-Fil-A. The
school also had 20 food baskets to raffle between entertainer presentations. In order to
enter the raffle, the evaluation form had to be completed and returned to the
registration table. Once returned, a raffle ticket was exchanged for the form. After
lunch the workshops and art activities remained open until the end of the event which
was at 2:00 p.m. At 2:00 p.m. there were still many students and parents at each
activity that did not want to leave because they were having such a wonderful time.
Community Resources that were represented at the event were Roberts Family
Development Center, HIFA – Family Advocates, First 5, and Spirit in the Arts.
Roberts Family Development Center handed out information regarding their summer
41
camp program. HIFA – Family Advocates provided pamphlets regarding the
CARE/FERA program which offers discounted gas and electric service for eligible
families through Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PGE) along with information for
discounted telephone service through a state program known as California LifeLine.
Representatives from Spirit in the Arts were given a table in the art activity area where
children made and decorated books. The First 5 people had a bicycle which had a
blender attached to it. Students would pedal the bicycle as fast as they could because
they were powering the blender to create a healthy drink.
Evaluation Form
As part of my research I needed feedback from the community to be able to
determine if Community Art Day was a success or not. I wanted to know if we had
met the needs and expectations of the school and the community regarding the event.
The survey forms had provided a preliminary response to me regarding the
community’s interest in the event. The evaluation form would tell me if the event was
successful or not.
The evaluation form was created as a two sided form. One side was written in
English, and the other in Spanish. The first set of questions asked required either yes
or no responses. Was Community Art Day Organized? Was Community Art Day what
I expected? Did Community Art Day offer a variety of art projects? Did I have fun at
Community Art Day? Did Community Art Day last too long?
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The next questions were open ended: What was their favorite part of the event?
What kind of art projects would they like to see offered next year? The last question
was requesting comments/suggestions regarding the event and how to make it better.
Positive feedback had been received throughout the day at Community Art
Day, but the evaluation form would provide the needed information for my research to
determine if Community Art Day was successful.
Creating a Handbook
The last phase of the project was to create a handbook which documented the
steps of creating Community Art Day. The handbook had three sections. The first
section pertained to the Administrative information, the second section contained the
list of Community Organizations, and the last section was regarding the Visual and
Performing Arts.
The Administrative Section consisted of paper copy, and CD disc of all forms
which had been created for the event. The forms included the flyer announcing the
event, an Assignment/Task sheet which included due dates, action items, status, and
person responsible for the task. A second Task Sheet of open items was included. The
brochure of the event, Interest Survey Form, Evaluation Form, the Agenda for the day
of the event, Activity Cards, and Community Art Day Map of the school with the set
up areas identified.
The second section included the contact list of Community Organizations
which attended the event, along with an expanded list of possible organizations that
could be contacted for future events, the Donation Letter, and the Registration Form.
43
The third and final section of the handbook was regarding the Visual and
Performing Arts. The first part of this section consisted of the lesson plans for the art
activities, supplies list, picture of a completed project, and the facilitator sign up sheet.
The last part of this section included contact information for the Aztec Dancers,
African Drumming Group, and the Poetry facilitators.
Budget
The only costs associated with this event were the supplies which were
purchased for the art activities. The costs of the supplies were funded by the Barrio
Art 148 through California State University, Sacramento.
Goals of the Community Art Day
The one day free community event had three goals. The first goal was to
connect Community Resources with the families of Northwood Elementary. The
second goal was to provide a fun day full of activities in the Visual and Performing
Arts. The last goal was the creation of a handbook which documented the entire
process of creating Community Art Day.
Timeline
I worked on Community Art Day from February 3, 2009, through May 2,
2009. Committee Meetings were held two to three times a week until May 1, 2009.
The project was completed in 12 weeks.
Summary
In conclusion, the Community Art Day Project consisted of three parts. The
first part was making available Community Resources so they could connect their
44
services with the families of Northwood Elementary. The second part was providing a
fun learning day for children and families while using the Visual and Performing Arts.
The third, and last part was the creation of the handbook that documented every step
taken to create a Community Art Day.
The original handbook was given to instructor Xico Gonzales so that the event
could be re-created in other communities by future Barrio Art students at California
State University, Sacramento. A second copy of the handbook was given to the
principal of Northwood Elementary with the hope that Community Art Day would be
recreated, and become an annual school event.
45
Chapter 4
ANALYZING SUCCESS
Community Art Day at Northwood Elementary
Community Art Day was a success. It was a success because the event did
happen as planned on May 2, 2009, at Northwood Elementary School. The event had
150 families in attendance. The next reason why the event was successful was because
the three objectives for having a Community Art Day were met.
The first goal was to make available Community Resources for the families of
Northwood Elementary. The Community Resources that were represented by
personnel who attended the event were Roberts Family Development Center, HIFA –
Family Advocates, First 5, and Spirit in the Arts. The second goal was to provide a fun
day of activities in the Visual and Performing Arts. Free flowing art activities were
provided as well as entertainment by an Aztec Dancing Group, and African
Drumming. The third and last goal was the creation of a handbook which documented
the process of creating Community Art Day. The handbook was created and given to
California State University, Sacramento Barrio Art instructor, Xico Gonzales, and
Northwood Elementary.
A few days after the event, Diana Martinez, Outreach Coordinator for
Northwood Elementary School sent an email to the Committee members stating,
…I still have a big smile on my face from Saturday. Our families really
enjoyed the day, and we received big compliments from the Chick-Fil-A folks
and the fellow from Spirit in the Arts. They both commented on how well the
46
event was organized. They also commented on the positive atmosphere, and
joy that they felt from the kids and families. (personal communication, May 5,
2009)
Modifications Made the Day of the Event
Several adjustments had to be made in regard to how Community Art Day had
been originally planned. The changes actually enhanced Community Art Day. The
following modifications were made:
Tyehimba Kokayi had been working with a group of students teaching them
African Drumming. His students were scheduled to perform during the lunch hour.
The day of the event, Tyehimba’s students did not show up. Tyehimba still performed
as scheduled, and then after his performance he held an impromptu drumming
workshop which allowed children and adults to receive lessons on African Drumming.
Mural Painting was originally scheduled to be an outside event. But because it
rained the day of the event, mural painting could not take place - even inside; because
the moisture in the air, from the rain, would affect how the paint would dry. Instead
this activity was modified by having the Barrio Art students who were going to help
with the painting hold a class about the process of creating a mural. The actual mural
was painted weeks later.
Chalk Art was also affected by the rain. Originally small square grids had been
measured out and taped on the black top so that chalk art was an outside activity.
Since it rained, chalk art was moved inside and modified so that the chalk drawings
would be done on navy blue construction paper.
47
A few days before the event, as well as the night before the event I made
follow up phone calls to all the facilitators confirming their attendance. On the day of
the event, several facilitators did not show up, and could not be reached. I had to move
facilitators around so that there was enough coverage at each station.
Poetry and Spoken Word workshops had been planned, but the fifth and sixth
graders that this activity had been planned for did not have the student turn out which
was expected. Modifications were made to have the poetry facilitators walk around the
event and recite poetry moving from place to place. The Spoken Word workshop was
cancelled.
A closing statement had been scheduled for the end of the event to allow
Teresa and myself to thank everyone who attended. The closing statements did not
happen because families did not want to leave the art activities when the program
ended.
Interest Surveys
Interest surveys were an important part in determining if the families of
Northwood Elementary were interested in a Community Art Day. One hundred
surveys were completed and returned. The feedback received from the survey was as
follows: Mask Making had 64 out of 100 surveyed said that this was the activity most
people were interested in. Mural Painting had 53 out of 100 surveyed that this was the
second most interested activity. Chalk Art had 52 out of 100 surveyed as the third
most interested activity. Collages had 42 out of 100 surveyed as the fourth most
interested activity. Bird Rattles had 41 out of 100 surveyed as the fifth most interested
48
activity. Corn Husk Dolls had 38 out of 100 surveyed as the sixth most interested
activity. Rain Sticks had 31 out of 100 surveyed as the seventh most interested
activity.
The information received from the survey helped the researcher to determine
which art activities would probably have the most participation; which would also
affect the amount of supplies needed and the number of facilitators for each activity.
Research Methods
Narrative Research method was used to document this project. Within the
Narrative Research, the author used the method of Triangulation Research.
Triangulation Research consisted of three parts – Documents, Dialogue/Interviews,
and Observation.
Documents came from pictures taken the day of the event which are included
in the appendix of this writing. The pictures provided the proof that children and
adults both participated in the event; and that it was enjoyable. Analyzes of the survey
and evaluation results included in this paper support in writing the positive feedback
received.
Dialogue was documented in the form of emails received, and verbal
communication from speaking with adults, children, and Community Resources.
Observations were made as the day of the event unfolded and later documented
in writing.
49
Evaluation Form
As part of my research I needed feedback from the community to be able to
determine if Community Art Day was a success or not. I wanted to know if I had met
the needs and expectations of the school and the community regarding the event. The
survey forms had provided a preliminary response to me regarding the community’s
interest in the event. The data received from the evaluation form would be used as part
of the Triangulation Research to determine if the event was as successful as it
appeared to be.
The evaluation form was created as a two sided form. One side was written in
English, and the other in Spanish. The first set of questions asked required either yes
or no responses. The questions on the evaluation were, Was Community Art Day
organized? Was Community Art Day what I expected? Did Community Art Day offer
a variety of art projects? Did I have fun at Community Art Day? Did Community Art
Day last too long?
The next questions were open ended: What was their favorite part of the event?
What kind of art projects would they like to see offered next year? The last question
was requesting comments/suggestions regarding the event and how to make it better.
Positive feedback had been received throughout the day at Community Art
Day, but the evaluation form would provide the needed information for my research to
support the findings that the event was a success and had met the community’s needs.
The feedback received would also be implemented into future Community Art Days.
50
Evaluation Results
One hundred and fifty evaluation forms had been handed out at the registration
table the day of the event. A total of 70 evaluations were returned. Forty-three
evaluations from parents, and 27 from students who attended the event. The
evaluations were reviewed, and data analyzed. The results are as follows:
Out of 70 evaluations, 70 stated that Community Art Day was organized; 69
out of 70 said Community Art Day was what I expected; 69 out of 70 said Community
Art Day offered a variety of art projects; 70 out of 70 said they had fun at Community
Art Day; and 64 out of 70 stated Community Art Day lasted too long.
The community was asked what art projects would the community like to have
offered next year? The responses were clay art, painting on canvas, kite making,
school chorus, puppets, paper masks, and hand molds.
The responses received for the most favorite part of the event were Mask
Making, Aztec Dancers, and Chalk Art.
Debriefings
Two debriefings were held at different times shortly after Community Art Day.
One debriefing was with the Committee Group, and the other was with the Barrio Art
students who were the activity facilitators the day of the event.
The purpose of the debriefing was to discuss what worked, and what didn’t
work on the day of the event. We discussed whether or not the event was a success?
Were our objectives met? We also discussed what improvements could be made to the
event, and the feedback received from the evaluation forms.
51
Everyone was in agreement that the event was a success. Diana stated that she
had received positive feedback from parents, students, and Spirit in the Arts. Everyone
was surprised at how well the event was organized, and that there were so many
activities for the children to be involved in so they didn’t get tired. Everyone liked
how the art activities consisted of various levels – some easy, some hard and some
were open ended. It was good that the art activities were free flowing and parents and
children could sit and take their time and enjoy the activity. The event was very family
friendly and easy going. Diana stated the next school day after the event some of the
sixth graders were disappointed that they didn’t attend because they didn’t think it
would be much fun. When they saw the face masks that the students had brought to
school which they had made at the event, the older kids were disappointed that they
hadn’t attended.
During the debriefings, the following topics were discussed as to where
improvements could be made for the next event:
1. Diana would like to see teacher/staff buy in. None of the teachers from
Northwood Elementary attended the event.
2. Diana would like to see the Student Body act as facilitators and be more
actively involved.
3. Diana stated they had run out of coffee and sugar; and next time would need
more, as well as another coffee pot.
4. Diana would like to raffle more food baskets next time.
52
5. We all felt we needed better use of the microphone to let people know about
the raffle, explaining and completing the evaluation forms.
6. Diana would like to see the Northwood students perform at the event.
7. Mask Making was the most popular activity. A second table was needed as
well as more facilitators to man the table to speed up the mask making process.
8. Collage facilitators felt the children did not know how to be creative. They
were given blank paper to create their collages. Children had the choice of
using magazines, newspapers, glitter, buttons, feathers, and blank paper to glue
patterns and designs to create their collages. Some of the children ended up
just cutting pictures from magazines and gluing them on their papers even
though there was an example of a collage for the children to see, and guidance
given by the facilitators. The facilitators felt next time there should not be any
magazines and instead have lots of shapes pre-cut out of colored paper along
with more mediums to use in the decoration of the collage.
9. Commitment and follow through from facilitators. Some Barrio students had
signed up to help and then did not show up after they had confirmed they
would.
Future Steps
The original Community Art Day handbook was given to instructor Xico
Gonzales so that the event could be recreated in other communities by future Barrio
Art students at California State University, Sacramento. A second copy of the
53
handbook was given to the principal of Northwood Elementary with the hope that
Community Art Day would be recreated, and become an annual school event.
Xico used the handbook which was provided to him, and created a second
Community Art Day at the Language Academy of Sacramento shortly after the first
Community Art Day.
Community Art Day began as a seed from Xico Gonzales’ imagination. From
there it grew with the help of Brian Ehnes, Teresa Lerma, Yemi Lopez, and myself. It
blossomed at Northwood Elementary; and Community Art Day will continue to grow
and be duplicated within other communities.
On March 13, 2010, Northwood Elementary held their second annual
Community Art Day.
54
APPENDIX
Community Art Day Handbook
55
Community Art Day Handbook
56
57
58
59
ADMINISTRATIVE
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
Community Organizations
72
73
74
75
76
77
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
78
SUPPLY LIST
79
Community Art Day
Consolidated Supply List
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
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
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

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Colored paper
Scissors
Glue
Newspaper to cover tables
Chalk
Corn husks
String
Markers
Rice
Beans
Popcorn
Masking tape
Rigid wrap
Vaseline
Cardboard tubes
Decorating materials – cloth, ribbon, beads, feathers
Black garbage bags
Various colors of paint
Glitter
Paintbrushes
Small bowls for glue
Large container to soak corn husks
Paper towels
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Community Art Day Sign Up Sheet
May 2, 2009
Northwood Elementary School
Bird Rattles/Rain Sticks – aisle 1-2
Chalk Art – outside at race lines or if rain - aisle
Collages – aisle 11-12
Corn Husks – aisle 14-15
Masks – aisle 18-19
Murals - outside
Poets – Rm 9
Staajabu + daughter staajabu@yahoo.com
Spoken Word – Rm 10
Spirit of the Arts – aisle 16-17
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BIRD RATTLES
82
Bird Rattle
Objective: Children will create a bird rattle which comes from Mexico.
Materials: tissue paper rolls, craft sticks, masking tape, glue, scissors,
colored paper, colored pens, markers to decorate, rice/beans to fill
the container for the noise.
Instructions:
1. Show example of completed rattle.
2. Explain step by step procedure.
3. Demonstrate how to make the rattle and have the children follow
along through each step.
4. Distribute the tissue rolls – one per child.
5. Students will trace the end of the tissue roll onto paper and cut
out two (2) to cap off the ends of the roll.
6. Cap off one end and secure with masking tape.
7. Add rice/beans to the capped off end.
8. Secure the craft stick to the role for the handle.
9. Cap off the second end of role.
10. Distribute colored paper.
11. Each student will need two sheets.
12. One sheet will be glued onto the tissue roll, the other one will be
traced as before to cover the capped ends of the role.
13. Cut out the eyes, and feathers with various colored paper.
14. To cut the beak, the paper will need to be folded in half. Fold
back the side that opens and cut out the shape. When opened it
will look like a beak.
15. Glue beak to tissue role.
16. Color centers for the eyes using a colored pen or marker.
Children can also cut out eyes from black paper.
17. Cut feathers using multiple colors of paper.
18. Secure feathers to the top of the bird by using tape.
19. Once the bird is complete put the child’s name on the craft stick.
20. Have the children clean up their work area.
21. Children can color in their passport for completing the Mexican
bird.
Assessment:
Does it look like a bird? Did the child complete the project?
83
CHALK ART
84
Chalk Art
Objective: Children will create drawings using chalk. If it is not raining chalk
art can be outside. Prior to the event, measure out square grids
so that each child can have their own work area. If it is raining
then the chalk art can be moved inside and done on dark colored
construction paper. This is an open ended activity to allow the
children to draw whatever they would like.
Materials:
Multi colored chalk
Tape measure to measure grids.
Construction paper in navy or black.
Instructions:
1. Explain activity to the child.
2. Assign square grid to child to draw in if event is outside.
3. If the event is inside let the child choose either navy or black
construction paper.
4. Write the child’s name on the back of their paper.
5. Let the child create.
Assessment:
1. Did the child complete their drawing?
2. How does the drawing look?
3. Did the child use lots of color?
85
86
COLLAGES
87
Collage Lesson Plan
Objective: Children are to create a collage. Explain to children the meaning
of collage. Collage: to paste (diverse materials) over a surface,
creating an artistic product.
Materials: colored paper for background, bright colors for the collage,
scissors, glue, paintbrushes, small bowls for glue, newspaper to
cover top of work area.
Discuss what the children will be making – a collage.
Ask children if they know the meaning of collage.
If children don’t know give definition.
Show example of completed collage picture.
Discuss what makes the completed example a collage.
Ask children if their collages will look like the example?
Answer: no
7. Cover work area with newspaper.
8. Discuss supplies to be used.
9. Discuss glue – a little goes a long way.
10. Hand out background paper, colored paper, scissors, glue,
and paint brushes.
11. Place children’s name on the back of their paper.
12. Let children create.
13. At end of activity make sure children have cleaned up their
area, and placed small scraps into a box to be re-used.
Instructions: 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Assessment:
Does the picture look like a collage?
Were a lot of paper pieces cut out?
Did the student complete the project?
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89
CORN HUSK DOLLS
90
Corn Husk Dolls
Objective: Children will make a traditional doll that comes from Native
Americans.
Materials: Corn husks (can be purchased at grocery stores).
Large container filled with water to hold corn husks for soaking.
Colored rubber bands
Various cloths, ribbons or other items for decorating.
Instructions:
1. Separate corn husks from each other.
2. Place corn husks in container which has been filled with water,
and soak husks until they are soft and flexible.
3. Give each child 10 husks.
4. Lay the husks flat one on top of the other.
5. Take a rubber band and wrap it in the middle top area of the
husks.
6. Take one end of the tied husks and divide it into two and fold
both halves down over the piece where the rubber band is.
7. Next take another rubber band near to the top folded part of the
husks to form a head.
8. Take another corn husk and roll it up into a ball, and wrap the
rubber band around both ends of the roll so that it does not
unroll.
9. Divide the bottom part of the husks in half and slip the roll up
close to the head. This will be the doll’s arms.
10. To keep the arms in place wrap the rubber band under the
arms. This will form the body of the doll.
11. If the doll is to be female, then the doll is ready to begin
decorating after trimming the bottom of the husks and cutting off
any excess husks that may be sticking out.
12. If the doll is male, divide the bottom husks one more time to
form the legs.
13. Keep the legs separated and wrap the rubber band near the
bottom of each leg which will form two feet.
Assessment:
1. Was the child able to follow directions?
2. Did the child complete the project?
91
92
MASK MAKING
93
Mask Making
Objective:
To create a mask that best describes the student.
Materials:
Vaseline
rigid wrap (available at Art Supply Stores)
bowl for warm water
large black plastic garbage bags to use as cover-up to protect
clothing
paint
paint brushes
decorations such as beads, cloth, feathers, ribbons
paper towels to wipe face
newspaper to cover working area
Instructions: 1. Pre-cut rigid wrap into 2 – 4 inch strips.
2. Place pre-cut strips into bowl of warm water; so the strips
become soft.
3. Cut hole in top of garbage bag.
4. Have student place head through garbage bag and pull bag
down so the bag sits around the student’s neck draping over
their clothing.
5. Apply Vaseline all over student’s face including the hair on
their eyebrows. Be careful not to put Vaseline on the eyelids
or in the eye area.
6. Starting at the forehead, place the first rigid strip.
7. Make sure the wrap lays smooth and flat for all applications.
8. Place the second rigid strip to the left of the first strip on the
forehead.
9. Place the third rigid strip to the right of the first strip on the
forehead.
10. Next place the fourth strip lengthwise across the ridge of the
nose.
11. Next place the fifth strip across the chin.
12. Continue placing the rigid strip all over the student’s face.
Remember you will be covering the entire face of the student
except the eye area. The eye area will be left open, as well
as the nostril area of the nose. The mouth area can be
covered with rigid strip if the student wants or it can be left
open.
94
13. Rigid wrap should only be applied to the outline of the jaw
area.
14. Keep applying the rigid wrap until the mask is thick.
15. The wrap will dry quickly.
16. Once dried remove mask by starting at the chin and gently
lifting the mask off.
17. The mask can be painted with paint, or decorated with paper,
or cloth.
95
96
RAIN STICKS
97
Rain Sticks
Objective: To create a rain stick. Indians created rain sticks hoping for rain.
Materials: Cardboard tubes in a variety of sizes (i.e. toilet paper rolls, paper
towel rolls, or wrapping paper rolls).
Masking tape
Glue
Flat head nails
Hammer
Scissors
Paint for decorating rainstick
Paintbrushes
Bowls for paint and glue
Decorations: ribbon, buttons, fabric, yarn, seeds
Cardstock paper
Colored paper
Markers
Dried beans, rice or popcorn kernels to put inside the rainstick for
noise
Instructions:
1. Using a hammer, insert the flat headed nails into the cardboard tube.
2. You will need to seal off one end of the tube.
3. Trace the end of the tube on cardstock paper.
4. You will need to cut out two circles. One will be used now, and save
the other to be used at step 9.
5. Place the cut out circle and cover the one end of the tube to seal the
end.
6. Place masking tape around the end and secure the end closed.
7. Once the one end is sealed, pour a few dried beans, rice or popcorn
kernels into the tube.
8. Test the sound. You may want to put more into the tube depending
upon the sound being made.
9. Once satisfied with the sound you can seal the end with the second
circle which was previously drawn.
10. Seal the second end the same way as in step 6.
11. Cover the rain stick in colored paper.
12. Decorate using paint, fabric, seeds, ribbon, buttons, or markers.
Assessment:
1. Did the child complete the project?
2. How does the rain stick look?
98
99
MURAL
100
101
102
103
POETRY
104
STAAJABU AND DAUGHTER
POETS
856-462-4929
staajabu@yahoo.com
105
AZTEC DANCING
106
MARIA MIRANDA
MESA MAKUILLI TONATIUH
PRIMERA PALABRA/DIRECTOR
SACRAMENTO, CA
TRADICIONAL/INDIGENOUS DANZA-MEXICA
THOUGHT AND CULTURE
UNION. CONFORMIDAD. Y CONQUISTA
916-494-4852
107
108
AFRICAN DRUMMING
109
LIONS DEN ENTERTAINMENT INC.
TYEHIMBA KOKAYI
WEST AFRICAN DRUMMING/DANCE
916-868-4691
EMAIL: alionking1st@hotmail.com
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