Jamie Miller, grade twelve, Barbie, paint. Demonstrates the influence Barbie has on girls.
Melissa Ruggieri, grade eleven, Untitled, mixed-media collage. Voices issues in our troubling economy.
High School Studio Lesson
Alice Gebhart
Students Stand for
SociAl
cHAnge
24
August/September 2010
SchoolArts
M
any high-school students
today are aware of the
state of our country,
as well as the state of
neighboring countries. Their views
and opinions are often heard in conversation and debate, so I decided to
allow my high-school juniors and
seniors in my advanced art class to
explore a contemporary issue through
artistic expression.
I began with a presentation and
discussion that revolved around the
Social Realism movement of the
1930s. We discussed the artworks of
Ben Shahn and Jacob Lawrence and
the issues of the era. I asked students
to each bring in a recent article that
focused on an issue of today about
which they were passionate. To further stimulate their imaginations, I
