NMAfA & Ideal Academy Mural Partnership

Some final final pictures...!

2010-07-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

Some final pictures.....!

2010-07-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Special Song

2010-07-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

We were treated to a special song, We Are Thankful by selected 3rd and 4th grade students led by Faith Marshall - it was a wonderful moment...! Thank you Ideal Academy Students!

FINALE!

2010-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

The Mural was finally unveiled!

and there was more!

2010-07-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

Mama Freeman posted a summary of our year long projects - from museum workshops, storytelling, classroom activities, drawings of Ndebele dolls, work on the mural, painting, signing, and installing.

And then the STUDENTS gave an awe-inspiring performance!!

2010-07-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

Music teacher, Faith Marshall taught her students to sing Lift Every Voice and Sing. Keeping with the South African theme, we were treated to the South African National Anthem - not an easy feat:
The lyrics employ the five most widely spoken of South Africa's eleven official languages - Xhosa (first stanza, first two lines), Zulu (first stanza, last two lines),Sesotho (second stanza), Africaans (third stanza) and English (final stanza).
French teacher, Edith Neal, wrote and directed the children in a play about the Ndebele of South Africa - based on the history of how several ethnic groups came together and unified into the Ndebele ethnic group that we know today.

SONGS...

2010-07-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

Remarks by Deborah Stokes, Karen Brown, Gloria Freeman described the project from museum to classroom. Our Very Important Guest, Dr. Jonnetta B. Cole, Director of the National Museum of African Art addressed the students with the greatest of enthusiasm for the work they accomplished !

A Successful Partnership!

2010-07-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

WOW! What a great finale to our year-long partnership ... Ideal Academy demonstrates a model of arts integration - how the arts can be a source for interdisciplinary learning.
We were first welcomed by two Ideal students who escorted guests up the stairs and handed our programs.
We heard the drumming of Ugandan musician Daniel Ssuuna. He set the stage by organizing a small group of students to participate in the drumming and we all enjoyed. Dr. Rutherford, principal, welcomed all the guests with a few remarks and then the culmination got underway.....

CULMINATION and UNVEILING!!!!!

2010-07-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

Coming to the home stretch....

2010-06-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

We've had two more days of putting the final touches on the mural: a rooftop, a chicken, and an airplane! Thanks Guillermo Zaleya, the very patient volunteer parent who helped us mount the entire wall piece! And Edwin Zaleya for the airplane, and Mama Freeman for the chicken design!

It has been a been a true partnership working with the students and teachers, along with the support of the administration. We will be having the official presentation next Wednesday at 10:00 am at the school. The students have prepared a skit based on the Ndebele of South Africa, written by Edith Neal, French teacher, and a special song led by Faith Marshall, Music teacher (I hear that several songs are on the agenda: Lift Every Voice and Sing and the National Anthem of South Africa)....it will be a great coming together of the community - as we said in the beginning of the project, ...A mural is more than just paint on a wall!

INTO the NIGHT....

2010-06-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

The INSTALLATION!

2010-06-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

We spent the day (Monday) and part of the evening installing the mural boards and it took alot of hands to put the puzzle pieces together. Some of the younger students signed their names on the back of the boards before we attached them to the wall (you know who you are!) - ladders, nail gun, paint, snacks (thanks Karen) and a labor of love....all that's left is the roof line and a few extras - you'll be surprised at the unveiling on June 16th!

Where do we put the airplane?

2010-05-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

Fitting all the pieces together takes time!

2010-05-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

All Hands Join In!

2010-05-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

Everyone that passes by is asked to lend a hand! We want this to be a real community effort. A mural is more than paint on a wall!

Seeing how all the pieces fit together!

2010-05-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

After many hours of painting with two layers of finishing work (gel & varnish) - everyone got a chance to put a hand in the creation...time to begin the layout and see how the pieces finally are beginning to fit together to construct out Ndebele-inspired homestead!

On our way to Unveiling Day...

2010-05-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

As all the painted and collaged panels come together as parts of the whole, we demonstrate unity in diversity! We had enthusiastic students volunteer to help every day we were able to work on the mural project - Mama Dobbins has been especially helpful keeping us informed about testing schedules and end of year events. Mama Freeman continues to inspire the young artists in her classroom and help us incorporate lessons learned through the mural project into the classroom - reinforcing the theme of community and cooperation.

High School Helpers and Someone Special!

2010-05-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

More Students Join IN!

2010-05-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

We had a good work week at Ideal and the mural continues to come along...(see photos) - Students from the High School helped us to work on the design of the installation. Next week we create the collages around the frame of the door using the students art that they worked so hard on in our workshops at the National Museum of African Art...Time to begin adding the black and white outlines that are characteristic of Ndebele wall painting - off to the paint store!

ON SPRING BREAK!

2010-04-02T10:18:00.001-07:00

Ideal Academy is closed for Spring Break - Time to see the CHERRY BLOSSOMS!

Mama Freeman is a wonderful Artist

2010-03-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

Layout & Design on Boards

2010-03-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

This week we started the design layout on the painted boards that the students painted. Small steps to a big design. Mama Freeman is so talented! Now we are ready to get all the designs on - two areas done with geometric shapes, edges taped, ready for great colors... 16? more to go! School is on break this week...perhaps some of us will go to school anyway - the excitement to see the final installation by April!? is carrying us along...more laterrrr.

BACK 2 SCHOOL!

2010-02-24T09:38:00.000-08:00

After the long winter snow break we are back at school. Monday we spent painting the final boards that we needed to make our first house. With all the great colors, now the students will begin their designs, and then we build our house on the mural wall! Mama Freeman had the students do color pencil drawings of a beaded Ndebele doll - several are on view at Ideal - now we are thinking about doing an art workshop to make our very own beaded dolls...stay tuned!

BLIZZARD HITS!

2010-02-15T08:27:00.000-08:00

It was fun at first, and a beautiful snow that made the city look wonderful, but some of us had to shovel for hours, couldn't get out, our lights went out, lost electricity, and the big dig out started - so much ice! whatever melts during the day turns to ice at night...I got a leak in my ceiling and a bucket in my room with the drip, drip, drip going as I am writing this...I want to get back to painting! Hope Ideal Academy reopens this week, but we are expecting more snow tonight!!! I'll let you know how much on the next posting.

SNOWED IN!!

2010-02-09T06:41:00.000-08:00

Our scheduled plan to finish painting the background colors has been postponed due to the blizzard of 2010! The snow nearly hit a record (and did in some areas) and we have been digging out since Saturday. There is so much snow and dangerous ice/roads that even the National Museum of African Art Smithsonian has been closed for two days. I hope that the students from Ideal Academy are having some fun in the snow (sledding anyone?) building a snowman, and keeping warm! More news when we get back to school.

Mural News

2010-02-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

This week we will be painting the final back boards for the houses that we will decorate with our geometric patterns. Wednesday is the day! Hope to get students on this blog to give their POV about the project, art, and community...check back soon!

Reflections so far...

2010-01-27T11:53:00.001-08:00

I've been reviewing the postings so far, seeing the progress of the process, the development of the aesthetic and the expanding involvement beyond the students... - I notice that each step is a communal effort, and with everyone's enthusiasm, participation and support it is evolving into the wonderfully vital educational project that we had envisioned. This blog is meant to lend some perspective, but it is difficult if not impossible to document all the hours and energy committed by the school, its teachers and students, Karen Brown, resident artist, and the resources of the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian. I invite more people to share their comments about their experiences, inside the classroom and out - we want this mural to uplift the entire school, community, and those that are yet to be a part of the ongoing process. More later....DS

More color, great results.

2010-01-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

It took us two full days to finish over the holiday but it was worth the great results!

Painting for Ndeble Houses

2010-01-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

These are background colors for the Ndebele houses we are creating.

Beaded Ndebele Dolls (uphophi)

2010-01-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

Mama Freemman brought in two of her special Ndebele dolls called uphophi -
These dolls are created with a cloth base and then very fine imported seed beads in multiple colors are strung to fashion the dolls in beaded clothing from head to toe. These examples are from the mid-20th century and display the popular beaded aprons that are worn by Ndebele woren. We don't know the artists' names who created them, but they are very fine indeed. The students used them as 3-D models to create their own drawings using various lines and color to create a 2-D rendering of one of the dolls. Notice the geometric designs that mirror the ones on our wall paintings that we are studying. Object-based learning and storytelling are part of the process...more on that later.

Preparing to Paint!

2010-01-25T07:27:00.000-08:00

The wall is ready for painting...we gathered all the materials that we needed for painting - not just paint, but drop cloths,rollers, brushes, painter's tape, buckets, paper towels, rags, pencils, levels, and a general master design of where the background colors go! Am I forgetting anything? Oh yes, the camera to document our progress. We were so lucky to have Guiermo Zelaya, parent at Ideal, volunteer to help us over the holiday weekend - we couldn't have done it without you and your son's shared efforts and talents!

Student Exhibit at Ideal Academy

2010-01-25T07:15:00.000-08:00

The exhibit at Ideal Academy PCS created by Mama Freeman on the wall outside the Art Room. She wrote about the partnership with NMAfA and posted pictures of the children intensely working on their designs in the museum workshop...Information about the Ndebele wall paintings is also part of the exhibit content and an inspiration for our mural project.

More Visioning and Creating!

2010-01-13T11:03:00.000-08:00

Workshops in November and December 2009. Lots of designing going on! We all got involved in creating and sharing our ideas and final works of art:

2010-01-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

Our workshops were fun!

Art Workshops at NMAfA

2010-01-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

The first Art Workshops began (one for each/ grades 1-5). A map of Africa to color and find South Africa! We had a lively discussion of the Ndebele peoples of South Africa - one of our docents, Dr. Nokwenza Plaatjies, was a very special guest who wore the beautiful traditional dress, beadwork, and hat of her family group. We all were rivited by her beautiful style and she taught us many of the 'click' sounds in the Xhosa language.

BEGINNINGS

2010-01-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

THE WALL.
With the completion of the renovation of a former recycling facility, Ideal Academy was ready for its students. However, the 70-ft. white wall (see photo) on the main floor of Ideal Academy was such a large empty expanse that it cried out for an artist's touch...

Principal, George Rutherford, asked if the National Museum of African Art would partner with their school to create a mural on the great wall. After much discussion, I decided to introduce the students to the tradition of wall painting in South Africa among the Ndebele for inspiration. For generations, Ndebele artists have combined bright colors and complex geometric shapes to create innovative designs on the front walls of their houses. Mural decoration is done by Ndebele women who express great individuality and style. Contemporary paintings use a wide variation of color: blues, greens, reds, and yellows...

Photo: Ndebele Artist Nation, 1995.

...pink, violet, rust, brown, and other paints depending on what was available on market day. And always outlined in black.

Deborah Stokes
Education
National Museum of African Art

2010-01-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

Our mural project began with the students being introduced to the art and techniques of wall painting in Africa. Students, teachers, and administration explored the idea behind creating a mural in their own school, and agreed on the theme of Community and Accomplishment. The goal is to create a welcoming space on the large expanse of interior wall at Ideal Academy Public Charter School. (see photo)

MURAL PROJECT

2010-01-07T20:54:00.000-08:00

A mural is more than paint on a wall. It is a compelling tool - bringing the student community together, working toward a common goal, and an excellent opportunity for all to participate in a collaborative project.

National Museum of African Art &

Ideal Academy Public Charter School Partnership

IDEAL Academy Public Charter School, was chartered by the DC Board of Education in 1999. The school has a population of 480 students ranging in age from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. For their new home, Shinberg.Levinas architects converted a 37,000 square foot warehouse/office space into a lively, open school. A large central space provides a focal point and multi-use gathering space for students outside of the classroom setting. Within this interior space is a 70 foot wall where the NMAfA’s Education Department has agreed to facilitate a mural project over the next year. We are working with the students and teachers, as well as creating curriculum connections for this initiative to ensure high-quality aesthetic, social and academic benefits.

Deborah Stokes

Curator for Education Youth & Public School Programs

National Museum of African Art

Smithsonian Institution