Message from Leah Regarding the Smithsonian Institute beginning on Monday

Hello all!

Please read the following information closely regarding next week’s “Using Arts in the Classroom” Smithsonian workshop.  The information will include: Monday’s morning schedule, materials that you need to collect and bring in Monday, and dress requirements for Monday.

The workshop will be held in the lower level conference room in the Jack Barden Center during the week of June 23^rd to June 27^th.

All participants will receive a printed copy of the week’s agenda – however; I am including Monday morning’s schedule for your information.

Day One:  Monday, June 23^rd

8:30-9:00 am                           Registration/ Check-in

9:00-9:20 am                           Opening Prayer                                                                                                                                

9:20-9:30 am                           Welcome

Wally Mertes

9:30-10:30 am                         Native Peoples of the Americas: An Introduction

When Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492, he met people unknown to Europeans. Thinking he had reached the Indies, he called them Indians. This is only one of the many mistakes, misunderstandings, and misconceptions that continue to plague America's native peoples. Dr. Herman Viola, anthropologist and curator emeritus at the National Museum of Natural History, A fundamental mistake that persists to this day is to speak about "the" American Indians as though they are one people. Despite their small numbers, the Indian peoples of North America were as dissimilar from each other as were the peoples of Europe. In terms of language, clothes, lifestyles, militancy, and religion the tribes in different parts of North America differed greatly from each other. These differences are considered "cultural" and the regions are known as “culture areas.” The North American culture areas are the Arctic, Subarctic, Southwest, Northwest Coast, California, Plateau, Plains, Northeast, and Southeast.

10:30-12:00 pm                      Large Format Abstract Painting

Karen O. Brown, visual artist, will lead a session on large format abstract painting on Tyvek and heavier paper that will be used to create an Eastern landscape wall installation as well as small puppets.  She will demonstrate techniques of layering abstract designs.

12:00-12:30 pm                      Lunch (on your own)

Materials you will need to gather and bring with you for Monday.   Please, if you can bring extras of any of these items, it would be very much appreciated.

1)  an empty cereal box,

2)  a plastic container with a lid (from sour cream, large-ish yogurt, cottage cheese or  take out), and

3) some recyclable materials for art projects (bottle caps, water bottles, tea boxes, cracker boxes, more cereal boxes, whatever you may find interesting).

Monday’s attire – each participant will be involved in creating materials that require acrylic paint.  Please, either wear or bring a t-shirt that you don’t mind getting paint on. 

See you on Monday!