5th grade artstops teacher packet · mountains of north carolina, leary earned a master of fine...

5th Grade ARTstops Teacher Packet

1 Waterworks Visual Arts Center – Fall 2019 5th Grade ARTstops Curriculum

ARTstops Lesson: That Which Sustains: EARTH · BODY · SPIRIT

Gallery Visit: Welcome to Waterworks Visual Art Center‘s ARTstops! Upon arrival, you and your students will experience a 45-minute gallery tour of our current exhibitions and a 45-minute hands-on studio experience related to a current exhibition. Student questions and comments are encouraged during the gallery portion of your visit. We would like this to be an interactive experience for you and your students! Studio Activity: 3-D ABSTRACT SCULPTURE Students will create a 3-D sculpture inspired by the exhibition Abstractions from Nature. Dean Leary’s sculpture will serve as the primary inspiration for the project. During the studio activity we will briefly discuss how they can use his work in their own creative process. Before You Visit: In preparation for your gallery and studio visit, we encourage you to talk about the lesson the day before you arrive. Review the vocabulary terms with your students and facilitate a discussion using the questions on page 6. How you do this is up to you… however, we find that students who have been introduced to the ideas, vocabulary, and concepts surrounding the exhibition have a richer experience while they are here.



Included in your Packet · Exhibition Overview · Artist bios · Studio Activity · Discussion Questions · Vocabulary

Exhibition Overview: That Which Sustains: EARTH · BODY · SPIRIT

Fine art photographer CHRISTINE RUCKER, in partnership with the Yadkin Riverkeeper, brings

the Dance for the River project to Waterworks to spread awareness of the threats to clean

water everywhere and the Yadkin River specifically, to Rowan County and the surrounding

Piedmont areas. The exhibition includes 25 photographs. Rucker explains, “My goal was to

create a visual journey along the Yadkin River by photographing it through the bodies of

dancers, most of them from the University of NC School of the Arts, as they engaged with river

and the environment around them. The exhibit connects audiences with the Yadkin River, the

region’s primary water source, through dance and photography. Photographer Christine

Rucker who lives on the Yadkin River, photographed dancers as they improvised to the river’s

diverse landscape. The project illustrates not only the beauty of the river, but also the current

polluted state of it. “By putting a human scale to these issues, we are more aware what role we

play in that balance.”

http://christinerucker.com/




Sculptor DEAN LEARY explores the expressive possibilities of carving directly into wood and

stone. Abstractions from Nature is a collection of his sculptured works, inspired by natures

forms. Leary also enjoys “the freedom of simply beginning to carve and then ‘discovering’ the

form buried in the material.” Born in the small town of Swannanoa, located in the Blue Ridge

Mountains of North Carolina, Leary earned a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture/minor in painting

from East Carolina University. He taught sculpture and 3D design classes first at Mitchell

Community College and later at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. He currently works

from his private sculpture studio in Statesville.



Waterworks Visual Arts Center collaborated with the promoters of Carolina Bohemian Jam: The

Ultimate Hippie Tribute, to curate an art exhibition inspired by the peace, love, and music of

the Woodstock music festival – 50 years old this year. The art show was on view during the

3-day event, and is now a feature of Waterworks’ current exhibition, That Which Sustains:

EARTH . BODY . SPIRIT.

A panel of judges selected the work of twenty-eight artists from a larger number of

submissions. They chose pieces they felt best reflected the cosmic and groovy feeling of the

1969 music festival, which influenced generations, and is still beloved today.



Studio Activity: Sculpture is the art of making two- or three-dimensional representative or abstract forms, often by carving directly into stone or wood, or by casting metal or plaster. Size, texture, light and shade, and color are also important design elements. A sculpture may look exactly like a person or object, or may reflect shapes and forms that the artist invents. Sculpture can be in the round, meaning you can walk around an object and view it from many different angles. It can also be a relief sculpture, which is any work which projects from a wall or other background surface, on which it is carved. What are the four basic types of sculpture? Sculptures fall into four basic categories: molded, cast, carved or assembled. The media an artist uses for molded sculptures include clay, wax, papier-mache and plaster. Cast sculptures involve modeling the sculpture, making a mold of it and then casting (filling the mold) it in metal or other liquefied substance. Students will use heavy weight paper to construct a colorful abstract sculpture. An instructor will guide them through the process of designing shapes, then demonstrate cutting and assembling the pieces to create a work of art. The Elements of Art and Principles of Design embedded in this lesson include: three-dimensional, additive sculpture, subtractive sculpture, assemblage, positive and negative space. Individual sculptures may be gathered after completion and displayed in your school. Vocabulary:

Sculpture - an artistic object, figure, or design created in three dimensions—height, width, and depth. The act of creating three dimensional objects by carving or chiseling (wood or stone), by modeling (clay), or by casting (melted metal) or by assemblage (combining everyday objects, junk and scraps).

3 Dimensional - three dimensions = height, width, and depth

Additive - (material is added). Additive sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by separate parts added to make a whole. Used in many art mediums, this type of sculpture includes paper, wood, clay, metal and recycled materials.

Subtractive - subtractive (material is removed or carved out). Subtractive sculpting involves removing form from a sculpture (as in carving wood or chiseling stone).

Assemblage - a form of sculpture made of found objects arranged/grouped to create a new piece

Positive space - the objects or shapes within an artwork

Negative space - the space around and between those objects



Interdisciplinary Connection/Discussion Questions: Read the Exhibit Overview before facilitating inter-disciplinary connection discussion.

1) Artist Christine Rucker combines photography and dance to create a visual journey along the Yadkin River as they engaged with the river and the environment around them. During your visit to the Gallery, ask students to look for Christine’s work and think about how she uses photography and dance to tell the story of how the Yadkin river benefits our region. What can we as humans do to protect our natural resources for generations to come?

2) Sculptor DEAN LEARY uses natural stone to create his work. If you were an artist what

natural materials would you use in your work? Why ? 3) What do you know about Woodstock? How do you think it influences musicians and

artists of your generation?



ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Christine Rucker Artist Statement In “Dance for the River”, Rucker and dancers traveled to some of the most pristine stretches of water and to some of the most environmentally sensitive sites throughout the watershed, creating a one-of-a-kind series of images that interpret the river in new ways. “Few people have awareness of the river’s beauty and its importance when it comes to providing clean water. I wanted to show an uncommon perspective about the river; and offer an unusual way for people to learn about its benefits to our region”. The photographs have traveled to cultural centers along the river since 2018. Artist Bio Christine has been making photographs for over 20 years. She learned the craft of storytelling while working as a newspaper photographer out of college. She learned the fragility of life while volunteering for non-profit missions in third world countries. Her camera has taken her places that she would never have gone without it, and she has been fortunate to meet some amazing people along the way.

Dean Leary Artist Statement The majority of Leary’s sculpture is created by carving directly into stone or wood. This direct technique allows him to explore a wide range of expressive possibilities using natural materials that are rich in color and texture. Carving is a time honored method of sculpting and he has found that most people recognize and appreciate this traditional approach. “Quite often forms that occur in nature become the themes for my work. Tree, rocks, bones, seashells, and even clouds and waves are the fascinating inspirations for carving in stone and wood. Occasionally, however, I enjoy the freedom of simply beginning to carve and the discovering the form buried within the material.” Artist Bio Dean Richard Leary was born in the small town of Swannanoa located in the Blue Ridge

Mountains of North Carolina and grew up on Roanoke Island near the North Carolina Outer

Banks. After graduating from High School, he attended East Carolina University and earned a

Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture and painting. He taught classes first at Mitchell

Community College and later at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Dean currently

works in his private sculpture studio in Statesville, North Carolina. He has extensive experience

in fiberglass construction and in bronze and aluminum casting however most of his sculpture is

executed in stone and wood.



5th grade artstops teacher packet · mountains of north carolina, leary earned a master of fine...

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