High School Studio Lesson
Spaces
Ken Vieth
Have you ever noticed how
just a word or two can grab
your attention? You can
then think about those
words and develop them into a concept worth investigating. About ten
years ago, a colleague of mine suggested the idea of creating “sacred
spaces.” He felt that this idea might
offer my art
students a
rewarding
challenge.
After some
thought, I
realized this
was an opportunity to look
at structure,
make a personal connection through symbolism, produce greater understanding,
and articulate a
quality of spirit-
uality. The idea
intrigued me, yet I did
not act on it until this year,
after my retirement, when a local
high school art teacher kindly pro-
vided me the opportunity to work
with her students for three weeks
to fully develop the idea of sacred
spaces.
The goal of this process
is to have students create a
place to remind them of
what they most value in life,
a place that represents a
personal sanctuary from life’s
stressful situations.
contents of the interior space.
The goal of this process is to have
students create a place to remind
them of what they most value in
life, a place where they are valued,
and a place that represents a sanctuary from life’s stressful situations.
Sacred Spaces
In this investigation, students
create a three-dimensional
structure using
simple natural
round reed and
paper that repre-
sents a personal yet symbolic sacred
space. The structure is to be visually
obscure on the exterior, yet, when
hung from the ceiling, it reveals the
Process
Students begin with an overview of
the qualities of traditional spaces
such as churches, synagogues, and
temples, including Notre Dame
Cathedral in Paris and Buddhist
temples in Kyoto, Japan. To broaden
students’ understanding of contemporary architects and architecture, we also discuss the work of
Canadian architect Frank Gehry,
American architect Frank Lloyd
