Students were asked to research the artwork of Aaron Douglas, a prominent African American artist of the Harlem Renaissance. Students discussed the correlation between the "crucification", and the African American experience during the era of Jim Crow.
"The Crucifixion" by Aaron Douglas, 1927. Credit: Public Domain / Aaron Douglas.
This year, our first Culture Keepers project will be of course...an amazing mural!
The theme...African American history through dance. The inspiration...CVPA dance department, African American dance companies and visual artists.
The visual...for the mural students and staff are inspired by such artists such as Banksy and Aaron Douglas.
Artist: Aaron Douglas
Artist: Banksy
The Community...students are exploring how to use art to be agents of change in their school and community, the dance department is collaborating with Culture Keepers to give their input on how dance inspire their lives.
Discussion with CVPA dance department about mural
The process...Murals and public art, foster community engagment. To learn more about how artists can successfully collaborate with communities to make amazing artwork, students watched the documentary "Wasteland", a documentary about a famous artist who travels to Brazil to create a series of amazing artwork with actual Trash Pickers. The documentary is truly an inspiration to our Culture Keepers on how they can use art to positively impact the lives of others.
watching "Wasteland" Documentary
discussing "Wasteland" documentary
The goals...to create a mural that shares the African American history of dance and the inspirations, dreams, and goals of the CVPA dance department, to allow our Culture Keepers to make a positive impact in their school community through their creative vision.
