Step Into Art with Mother Caroline Academy 6th Graders
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Step Into Art with Mother Caroline Academy�Sixth-Grade Students, 2020-2021
Mother Caroline Academy is a private, tuition-free school in Dorchester for girls (grades 4-8) from families with limited financial means. Step Into Art is a Newton-based art education non-profit that partners with Boston schools.
In its 13th year partnering with Mother Caroline Academy, Step Into Art reimagined this annual collaboration as a fully virtual program. Over a five-month period, 15 Mother Caroline sixth-graders actively engaged with great works of art from the Harvard Art Museums and the National Portrait Gallery. Participating in 15 Zoom lessons with Step Into Art, students assumed several important roles: viewer, artist, and writer.
The students drew particular inspiration from the poignant central image in Pablo Picasso’s Mother and Child and the rich patterned background in Kehinde Wiley’s portrait of President Obama as they developed portraits of their own. Using specially-designed Step Into Art art kits, students created meaningful watercolor paintings that represent important relationships in their lives, each one illuminated by a vivid background. They also expressed themselves in new ways as writers, composing descriptive and poetic reflections to accompany their portraits.
Enjoy the students’ creativity—
Step Into Art with us!
Pablo Picasso
Mother and Child, 1901
Harvard Art Museums
Kehinde Wiley
President Barack Obama, 2018
National Portrait Gallery
Step Into Art is grateful for the opportunity to run this partnership with Mother Caroline Academy virtually this year. Dedicated teachers and staff as well as generous supporters made this virtual program and online exhibition possible during this extraordinarily difficult year. Our deep appreciation extends to everyone involved.
The Step Into Art partnership program with Mother Caroline Academy represents a true collaboration, and many contributed to this newly imagined version of our partnership during the 2020-2021 school year. From Step Into Art: Susan Foster Jones, senior educator; Hannah Varden, artist-educator; and Abby Rischin, SIA founder. From Mother Caroline Academy: Lousillia Bailey, art teacher; Tom Savas and Hanna Shibbles, English teachers; Michelle Brito and Jennifer Muñoz, co-principals; Carrie Coughlin, director of development; and Annmarie Quezada, MCA head of school.
Finally, we wish to thank you for visiting this exhibition, giving the students a true audience for their creative work.
With Appreciation
Sarah
Step into my painting with me!
Come see my work of art!
Come hear old childhood sounds.
Don’t forget to notice the pattern for the background.
When I created this, I wanted to express friendship.
Along the way, I discovered different shadings and lightings.
Step Into my painting with me!
When you look at my work,
I want you to see imagination.
I want you to hear waves.
I want you to taste old childhood dishes.
I want you to smell Grandma's house.
I want you to hear laughter.
Step Into Art with me!
Anyla
This is a picture of me and my mom in summer. I am the girl wearing red and my mom is the one wearing a black F.R.I.E.N.D.S. hoodie. I chose to draw us in summer because I like summer. The reason why I chose to draw vines and flowers is because I like them and how they are, and how I drew them. I like that my drawing is about flowers and it mostly takes place in summer. When you are looking at my drawing I want you to notice how nice the background is and the flowers are and how the vines are drawn. If I had another chance to do this I would make it look like a picture frame with me and my mom in it.
E’Veyah
When you look at my work…
I want you to see two amazing butterflies like you and a person you love.
I want you to hear laughing and rolling around in the grass.
I want you to taste something sweet you can think about.
When you look at my work…
I want you to smell the fresh air.
I want you to hear me telling you what I want you to look at.
Come see me and my art!
Come hear me tell you what you are and what my painting is all about.
Don’t forget to notice how this can connect to you
When I created this, I wanted to express, “This Is Me”
Along the way, I discovered that it’s all about you and loving who you are for being you.
Sofia
Step into my painting with me!
Come see the art.
Come hear the words.
Don’t forget to notice the beauty.
When I created this, I wanted to express my love for my family.
Along the way, I discovered that it is good to have feedback.
Step Into Art with me!
Aaliyah
I chose to do a piece on me and my cousin Layla because we have a lot in common and we do a lot of things together. The flowers in the background represent how we both like flowers. The colors mean that we both like some of the same colors, but not all. My painting is based on a photo of us. We are jumping in the photo because we went to the park and had a lot of fun making videos for our channel. People will say sometimes we look like twins and we wear the same things. That is why I chose my cousin Layla to put in my Step Into Art painting.
Alicia
My drawing is supposed to represent me and my sister and my liking for flowers. While I was working on this, I noticed how much I liked flowers and how much I’ve been doing better in drawing. I also learned there were flowers that grew in my hometown.
Serena
Step into my art with me!
Come see the beautiful sunset.
Come hear the birds squawking.
Don't forget to notice
how happy the people are.
When I created this
I wanted to express
what my family looks like.
Along the way I discovered
how much I love my family.
Jazelle
Step into my painting with me! Come see the family trees and the mountains of a family's ups and downs. Come hear all the family howling of joy like a pack of wolves howl at the moon together. Don’t forget to notice the lower piece of the wolves that twirl together, representing that you can't split a daughter-father love apart. When I created this, I wanted to express the connection between my family and father. Along the way, I discovered how meaningful my background is. Step Into Art with me!
Seven
Hello, my name is Seven, and this is my painting of my mom and my grandmother. My mom is the one with the “I love my kids” shirt, and my grandmother is the one with the Walburger shirt. I love my mom and grandmother and that is why I have made a painting about them. I love them so much. There are some dislikes/likes to my painting. One thing I dislike is I accidentally painted in the eye, but I turned it into glasses. A few things I like about my painting are I really love the people in my painting, and I really love the background.
When you look at my painting I want you to see my love for the people inside the painting. I want you to smell Burberry perfume because my mom wears that perfume and my grandmother buys it. The taste that goes along with my painting is lobster. Me and my grandmother and mother love lobster.
Jekaiya
One thing that I would like people to see while looking at my art is that I worked hard. If someone would look at my painting they would see two girls going apple picking. I have trouble drawing people, but one thing that I learned about myself while drawing this is that I like to paint.
Nylani
My painting is about me and my dad. Me and my dad have a weird, awesome, annoying relationship. Me and my dad have fun together. We laugh, we fight, we play around. Me and my dad play around a lot, so sometimes it is hard for me to take things serious with him. I have an awesome relationship with my dad, but I have some things I can work on.
Sahra
This is my relationship drawing with my older brother. The reason why I choose my brother is that my brother is the one I turn to when things get too hard because not only does he have experience but he is someone I trust and he trusts me. I got the idea for this drawing from a picture that says “Friends Sometimes but Siblings for Life.” And it’s true. Me and my brother don’t always see eye to eye, but we are always going to be siblings.
Ava
Step into my painting with me!
Come see the colorful border
Come hear the scared voices of me and my friend
Don’t forget to notice the texture of the painting
When I created this, I wanted to express the scariness of the movie
Along the way, I discovered I like scary movies
Step Into Art with me!