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Curriculum CollectionAmericana: Art Inquiry Guide
Pérez Art Museum Miami
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Table of Contents
03 Introduction
04 Focus on Shape and Form Geometric Sculptures
09 Focus on Popular Culture Culture Mixing
12 Focus on Place Community Rescue Unit
15 Focus on Identity What’s Your Mark?
18 Focus on Craft Emblems
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Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) exists to improve the quality of life for individual residents of and visitors to Miami-Dade County. As a port for the exchange of ideas and a catalyst for creativity, PAMM offers an inspiring ground to support educators as they strengthen students’ 21st century skills in literacy and critical thinking. Numerous studies have shown the impact of out-of-classroom learning experiences for students in their development as lifelong learners.
This curriculum resource unit is based on works that were on view in the AMERICANA exhibition which presented selected works from PAMM’s permanent collection and key loans in a visual essay related to issues in modern culture and society. PAMM is committed to offering educators resources that introduce students to the art of our time and reflect best practices in art education. We encourage you to make adjustments to these lessons to address the specific needs of your students. Let us know how these lessons work with your students, and explore our website for more resources related to AMERICANA.
AMERICANA was organized by Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs Tobias Ostrander.
Introduction
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Sol LeWitt
b. 1928, Hartford, Connecticut; d. 2007, New York
Untitled (Cube), 1966
Enamel on aluminum
Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Phillip T. George
Focus on Shape and FormGeometric Sculptures
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Main Objective
Students will construct a geometric sculpture and investigate the creative process of Sol LeWitt.
Florida Standards
English Language Arts—LAFS.3.W.2.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.
Visual Arts—VA.3.S.1.3Incorporate ideas from art exemplars for specified time periods and cultures.
Materials
Colored card stock Grid templatePencil Ruler ScissorsScotch tape
Vocabulary
Standard grid system The standard grid system is a framework of crisscrossed parallel lines. The horizontal and vertical lines come together to form a network of right angles.
Three-dimensional formsThree-dimensional forms have height, width, and depth.
Two-dimensional shapesTwo-dimensional shapes only have two dimensions—width and height—and no thickness. Squares, circles, and triangles, are examples of two dimensional objects.
About the Artwork
Sol LeWitt
b. 1928, Hartford, Connecticut; d. 2007, New York
Untitled (Cube), 1966
Enamel on aluminum
Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Phillip T. George
This work from 1966 is an early example of Sol LeWitt’s use of the grid and the cube, both rational and linear elements that became central to his investigations. These three-dimensional forms, which he called “structures” instead of sculptures, follow pre-determined, mathematical systems and were often produced by manufacturers following diagrams and instructions given by the artist. Here, a single white cube is placed at the center of a delicate, floor-based grid that is made up of squares, each equal in surface area to one side of the cube. This organization implies a set of relationships between these constructions, of potential movement and future placement—a game of hypothetical sequences that are played out in the mind of the viewer.
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Preparatory Work
Print the grid template onto the cardstock–one for each student in your class. (Printable grid at end of lesson plan)
Discussion & Art-Making Steps
Introduce the work of Sol LeWitt and the vocabulary words for this lesson:
Q: How is the artist using the standard grid system in this artwork?
Q: Now let’s identify the two-dimensional shapes versus the three-dimensional forms in this work.
Q: Imagine the artist came back to add another element to the piece. What might he add? Why?
Give each student a grid sheet. Ask students to fold and bend the gridded lines both inside and out to increase the flexibility of the sheet.
Next, ask students to cut 2-3 lines of the grid and bend the paper to begin forming cubes. Cut another 2-3 lines and continue forming cubes. Repeat until you have a unique cubic structure made entirely of open cubes and closed cubes. Ask them to pay close attention so that they do not cut the paper into more than one piece.
Have students use Scotch tape to connect the different sides of their unique cubic structure.
Divide students into groups of 4-5 students. Ask students in each group to connect their structures with tape to form one large piece.
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Closing Inquiry
Q: Have you ever made something which required you to follow a set of instructions? How is this process different from other ways in which you have made art?
Q: Did you find it challenging? What part of it was difficult or easy?
Q: Everyone started with the same materials. Do any two structures look the same? How and why are they different?
Q: How many different sculptures do you think are possible from the same grid?
Assessment
Think about the challenges you faced while creating your sculpture. Write step-by-step directions on how to replicate your sculpture. Anyone should be able to recreate your structure by following these steps.
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Focus on Popular Culture Culture Mixing
Nadín Ospina
b. 1960, Bogotá; lives in Bogotá
Dignatario (Dignitary), 1999
Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami
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Main Objective
Students will compare and contrast two cultural traditions and create a drawing that is inspired by both.
Florida Standards
English Language Arts—LAFS.3.SL.2.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
Visual Arts—VA.3.S.1.3Identify and be respectful of ideas important to individuals, groups, or cultures that are reflected in their artworks.
Materials
Drawing paperColor pencils and/or markers
Vocabulary
Culture Culture refers to the attitudes and behaviors that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization.
HeritageThe history, language, way of life, arts and traditions that are passed from one generation to the next.
About the Artwork
Nadín Ospina
b. 1960, Bogotá; lives in Bogotá
Dignatario (Dignitary), 1999
Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami
Nadín Ospina’s practice, which has been described as “Exotic Pop,” addresses how multicultural identities function within a global market. In this work, the artist crafted Bart Simpson, an iconic figure in U.S. popular culture, out of terracotta using techniques and forms that reference the pre-Hispanic cultures of Mexico and the artist’s native Colombia. Bart Simpson is presented here like an idol for worship, with tribal markings on his body, similar to the cheap copies of ancient ritual objects and figures that are mass-produced for the tourist trade throughout Latin America. Today, one is more often able to find examples of Bart Simpson or Mickey Mouse motifs within the markets of Latin America than local traditional cultural forms. While capitalism appears to foster the transnational exchange of goods representing different contexts and aesthetic histories, U.S. production dominates not only the market, but also culture—often undermining local and regional traditions.
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Discussion & Art-making Steps
Introduce the work of Nadín Ospina:
Q: Does this work look like it was made a long time ago or recently? What elements make you think one way or the other?
Q: What materials did the artist use to create this work?
Q: Are you familiar with the character portrayed in this work? Tell us about him.
Ask students to fold a sheet of paper into two columns. Ask them to reflect on the characteristics of their favorite
fictional character, and write a list of everything they know about that character in the left column. They can use a character from a short story, book or film.
Next, ask students to think about a culture or heritage they connect to or know about. In the right column, ask students to list all the attributes they associate with the chosen culture or heritage.
On a new sheet of paper, ask students to review both lists and draw a character or object that has attributes inspired by both lists.
Closing Inquiry
Q: Are there elements of your drawing that were surprising or unexpected?
Q: Was it difficult to think about ways to combine ideas from both lists? What made it difficult or easy?
Assessment
Create a Venn diagram that shows the attributes of your new character, the culture/heritage and the original character you chose. Prepare to present and explain your drawings to your classmates.
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Focus on Place Community Rescue Unit
Mark Dion
b. 1961, New Bedford, Massachusetts; lives in New York
The South Florida Wildlife Rescue Unit, 2006
Mixed media installation
Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami
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Main Objective
Students will identify an environmental issue plaguing their community and brainstorm ideas for addressing the issue.
Florida Standards
English Language Arts—LAFS.3.SL.1.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Visual Arts—VA.3.C.3.2Describe the connections between visual art and other contexts through observation and art criticism.
Materials
Black markersLarge white paper (17 x 14)ScissorsTapeProtractorsBulletin board paperColored markers / crayons / colored pencils
Vocabulary
CollageA collage is a picture or design which is comprised of a variety of images or materials from different sources.
Mind mapsA mind map is a diagram used to visually outline information. A mind map is often created around a single word or text placed in the center, and associated ideas and words are added to it.
About the Artwork
Mark Dion
b. 1961, New Bedford, Massachusetts; lives in New York
The South Florida Wildlife Rescue Unit, 2006
Mixed media installation
Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami
The landscape of southern Florida, specifically the depletion of the Everglades through the encroachment of tourism and housing developments, is the subject of Mark Dion’s installation The South Florida Wildlife Rescue Unit. Interweaving the diverse disciplines of art, science, ecology, and archeology, Dion’s project involves the creation of an imaginary rescue organization that rushes into vulnerable ecosystems to save threatened plants and animals. The organization’s vehicle is in fact a hand-made object, carefully constructed by the artist. It is filled with various paraphernalia, from scientific instruments to equipment used to explore the Everglades. The installation provocatively mixes facts with fictions regarding the current possibilities for recuperating this natural environment. With its official-looking insignia, which conveys a sense of governmental authority, Dion’s “agency” presents a tongue-in-cheek view on policy-makers’ dreams of decisive actions, while also saluting past and present grassroots activism.
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Preparatory Work
Draw a large outline of a truck onto a sheet of bulletin board paper—REALLY BIG!
Discussion & Art-making Steps
Introduce the image of the South Florida Wildlife Rescue Unit, Mark Dion, 2006. Explain that the artist Mark Dion created this work in response to the environmental issues plaguing Everglades National Park. Here are some discussion questions to help students talk about this work:
Q: What materials can you identify? Are there any materials that are new to you? Or surprising to you?
Q: Mark Dion created this truck and called it a ‘rescue unit.’ What was it made to rescue? Look closely at the artwork for clues.
Invite the class to think about environmental issues that they are concerned about. Write all ideas on the blackboard. Vote on one environmental issue the class will focus on for a rescue truck the class will create. Next, brainstorm a good name for the rescue truck.
Demonstrate how to create a mind map on the board: draw a series of idea bubbles, one stemming from the next.
Ask each student to create a mind map about the class rescue truck: What will it look like? What tools will it need? What activities will the truck perform?
Give each student paper, scissors and markers. Ask each student to draw one of the ideas from his or her mind
map on a sheet of paper. Encourage them to draw big, and then cut out their drawings. Have students tape their drawings to the large outline of the truck you prepared. The final product will be a class collage of a rescue unit.
Closing Inquiry
Q: What parts of the truck would you change or develop further?
Q: What ideas can we take from this project to start improving the real world environment?
Q: Can art/artists help improve our neighborhoods? How?
Extension Activity
Badge making: drawing from ideas from their mind maps, ask each student to design 3 prototypes for a badge which
represents their rescue unit. Show them the Mark Dion badge for the The South Florida Rescue Unit.
Q: What decisions informed your badge design? What design choices were easy? What design choices were more difficult?
Assessments
Assess mind map and class collage for problem-solving skills.
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Focus on IdentityWhat’s Your Mark?
Ana Mendieta
b. 1948, Havana; d. 1985, New York
Silueta 4 from the series Silueta Works in Mexico, 1973-77/1992
Portfolio of 12 chromogenic coupler prints
Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami
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Main Objective
Students will investigate permanent and ephemeral mark-making inspired by the works of Ana Mendieta.
Florida Standards
Writing—LAFS.3.W.1.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
Visual Arts—VA.3.S.3.1Use materials, tools, and processes to achieve an intended result in two- and/or three-dimensional artworks.
Materials
Digital camera (cell phone preferred)ComputerProjectorNatural materials such as dirt, leaves, mulch, shells, etc.
Vocabulary
EphemeralLasting for a very short time.
Mark A visible trace or impression on a surface, such as a line, a dot, spot, stain, scratch, blemish, mar, bruise, crack, dent.
SilhouetteAn outline filled with a solid color, typically black on a white ground, and most often representing a human figure.
About the Artwork
Ana Mendieta
b. 1948, Havana; d. 1985, New York
Silueta 4 from the series Silueta Works in Mexico, 1973-77/1992
Portfolio of 12 chromogenic coupler prints
Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami
Ana Mendieta was a pioneering feminist artist. Her experience of exile−moving from Cuba to the United States without her parents at the age of twelve−had a strong impact on her personal and artistic development. Her bi-cultural identity continually informed her practice. Silueta Works is an important series that Mendieta produced during several trips to Oaxaca, Mexico. She found inspiration in the art and culture of this country’s Pre-Hispanic past, with its distinct views on life and death. She produced what she referred to as “earth-body sculptures,” involving archetypal female silhouettes, placed in natural landscapes or at ancient sites. Using earth, water, fire and flowers, she created ephemeral works that speak to spiritual concerns —to growth, fertility, presence and absence.
Preparatory Work
Place a container of natural materials, glue and paper at each work station—enough for each student.
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Discussion & Art-making Steps
Discuss the Silueta Series by Ana Mendieta. Here are some questions that can help start a conversation:
Q: Step-by-step, how do you think this silhouette was made?
Q: In what ways does this work relate to the identity of the artist?
Q: Define a mark. What can a mark communicate? Why do we make marks?
Q: Define the word ephemeral. How would one make an ephemeral mark?
Divide students into groups of 3, with at least one digital camera per group. Ask students to circulate the classroom three times. Each time they circulate, ask the group to create mark(s) using the material provided and the materials of the classroom. They should consider whether their mark is intended to be ephemeral or not. Ask students to document their marks by taking a photograph of each mark they make.
Closing Inquiry
Discuss as a class what was difficult and/or easy about this process of mark-making. Notice the marks that are still visible in the classroom. Brainstorm why Ana Mendieta might be interested in exploring these types of marks.
Q: What is appealing about creating a mark that does not last long?
Q: Do you think it is important for an artwork to be permanent or lasting? Why, or why not?
Q: Did your mark improve the classroom environment?
Assessment—Writing Exercise
Ask students to consider ephemeral marks such as graffiti and mandalas. How has documentation through photography and/or videos affect the ephemeral nature of these marks?
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Focus on CraftEmblems
Sanford Biggers
b. 1970, Los Angeles; lives in New York
Quilt #6, 2012
Repurposed quilt, cotton, acrylic, spray paint, oil stick, and
silkscreen
Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami
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Main Objective
Students will collaboratively design an emblem that represents the shared values of the group.
Florida Standards
English Language ArtsLAFS.3.W.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Visual ArtsVA.3.F.3.2 Collaborate to complete a task in art.
Materials
Copy paperPens, graphite pencils, colored pencils or
markersProjectorRulers
Vocabulary
EmblemAn emblem is a distinctive sign or design that identifies or represents something—i.e., the emblem of a school.
Symbol A symbol is anything that represents an object, person or abstract concept. Symbols are all around us. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for “STOP” and a heart may symbolize love.
About the Artwork
Sanford Biggers
b. 1970, Los Angeles; lives in New York
Quilt #6, 2012
Repurposed quilt, cotton, acrylic, spray paint, oil stick, and silkscreen
Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami
Quilt #6 by Sanford Biggers is part of a series of works which explores a fictional history of 19th century quilts that suggest the fabrics were coded with symbols and hung in prominent places to aid passage along the Underground Railroad. In this series Biggers asked families of former slave owners to donate quilts which he then used to construct new quilts with geometric symbols. Quilt #6 references the North Star, the main guide for escaped slaves traveling at night towards freedom.
Biggers has expanded the meaning of this artwork by including stylized Japanese waves at the bottom of the image, a reference to the influence of his time living in Japan. Although these symbols are diverse, from different times and places, they contain personal meaning for the artist and together build his own personal artistic language.
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Preparatory Work
Divide desks into small groups. Place a large container of natural materials, glue and paper at each work station—enough for each student.
Discussion & Art-making Steps
Show students the image of Quilt #6 by Sanford Biggers. Ask students to consider how materials, symbols and function give meaning to a work of art, or an object:
Q: Which symbols do you recognize on Quilt #6 by Sanford Biggers?
Q: What is the traditional function of a quilt? In what ways do you think Sanford Biggers wants us to think of this object as different from the tradition of quilt and quilt making?
Q: What associations do you have with this symbols?
Q: Discuss some of the inspiration behind Sanford Biggers’ Quilt #6.
Divide the students into groups of 4-5 students. Give each group a marker and several large sheets of paper. Ask the group to designate one person as the recorder, responsible for writing down ideas, and another person as a reporter, responsible for sharing ideas with the class. Ask students to spend 15 minutes discussing and writing down the values of their group. Look for shared values that can be about their school, their neighborhood, or the world. The recorder will write down all ideas.
Next, ask students to brainstorm new symbols that represent the shared values of the group. They should work together to design an
emblem which represents their shared values. Ask them to make their designs symbolic in multiple ways, and simple and concise. Provide templates, rulers, pencils, and markers for groups. One example for how their symbols can function is the U.S. flag. It has 50 stars to represent the 50 states, and colors that represent philosophical values: red represents blood, war and courage; blue represents justice and freedom; white represents purity.
Closing Inquiry
Ask each group to present their work and explain their process.
Q: What was easy to do as a group? What was difficult?
Q: Are there parts of the design that caused more discussion?
Q: If you had more time to work on the emblems, what ideas would you develop more?
Extension Activity
Ask students to create a patch of their group emblem using fabric and embroidery thread.
Materials:Felt (assorted colors)Embroidery threadNeedlesEmbroidery hoops
Assessment—Writing Exercise
Write a paragraph that compares and contrasts 3-5 shared values from your group’s emblem to other emblems in the class.
