FREE Mask-Making Workshop for students!

Mrs. Leban is looking for talented artists interested in creating decorative masks out of plaster after school. These masks will be donated to the District 205 Foundation and used as decorations for their Midnight Masquerade fundraiser on October 22nd.

The Sandburg art room has benefitted from several District Foundation grants – the most recent being this year’s new SMARTboard and set of 3 iPads! We’d like to thank the Foundation for their generosity by making as many masks as possible to help decorate at their event.

This opportunity is open to ALL Sandburg Middle School students, grades six through eight, regardless of whether you’ve had art this year or not.

You must be able to attend all of the dates listed below, in order to finish your mask on time for our deadline, which is October 19th. IT WILL GET MESSY, SO BE PREPARED!

Here’s when we’ll be meeting:

• · Wednesday, October 5th from 3:20 to 4:20 in the art room
• · Wednesday, October 12th from 3:20 to 4:20 in the art room
• · Friday, October 14th from 3:20 to 4:20 in the art room
• · Monday, October 17th from 3:20 to 4:20 in the art room (optional, if time is needed)

All you need to bring is yourself! A 4:20 bus is available to take home for $1 each day, if needed. Otherwise, you must plan for your own transportation home.

Any questions? Please email or talk to Mrs. Leban in the art room (room 027 in the basement).

Masterpiece Me!

Last week, I gave the art room iPads to a few eighth grade students who finished their work early.  One of the apps we had a ton of fun playing with is called "Masterpiece Me!" and you get to put your photo into a famous work of art!  Here's a little gallery of some of the photos that were made:

Can you spot Mr. Leban as the Mona Lisa in the photos above?

Fun with Manga

My brother's girlfriend drew a portrait of me Manga-style.  I think it makes me look much younger and prettier than in real life!  I wonder if I could convince the yearbook staff to make it my yearbook picture this year... ?!!! Ha ha!

PTA Reflections Program

Hello!  It's that time of year again - the PTA Reflections Program is in full swing!  Time to show off YOUR talent in the arts.  This year's theme is "Diversity Means."

There are a variety of ways to show off your skills!

• Visual Arts
• Photography
• Literature
• Musical Composition
• Film Production
• Dance Choreography

Entries are due in the main office at Sandburg by October 21st.  You may obtain additional information from the Sandburg website.

Informational sheet #1
Informational sheet #2

If you decide to enter the Reflections contest, and show me your entry before turning it in, I will gladly give you extra credit points in art class (assuming you're in art at the time).  Just be sure to stop by the art room with your project and talk to me about it!

Art Makes Any Classroom Nicer!

Mr. Burgett, our Industrial Technology teacher, hung up some Pop Art prints made by art students a few years ago.  We studied hand tools, and drew them up close before making foam printing plates and printing our images in bright colors.  One of each print was saved and given to Mr. Burgett (you know, since they work with hand tools in that class and all...).

I love how the images make a bright and cheerful border around the CAD lab!  When I came in to photograph the final display, he told me that he was going to LEAVE them up, since they make his room look so nice!

Yayy!  I say there should be art for every classroom!

The first firing of the school year.

Seventh and eighth grade students are nearing the completion of their first clay constructions of the year, which means it's time for the first firing of the year!

Seventh grade is working on tiny clay cupcake sculptures that double as keepsake boxes.  This is a project we did in seventh grade last year, too.

Eighth grade is completing an entirely NEW project.  They're making functional mugs that will be glazed (and food safe for drinking), so that they can use their mugs in the library for hot chocolate during silent reading classes!  To keep with the "reading" theme, mugs have been decorated with designs and symbols relating to a favorite book or book genre.

Art Room 2011-2012!

For my first full "official" post this year, I thought I'd do a little photo update of the art room to show you how it's laid out, and what's new...

Above is an overview/wider shot from the back of the room (by my desk) to the front.  My screen (which is now a SMARTboard!) has been relocated to an actual wall where we can walk up to it.  Last year, the screen was in front of the windows on the opposite wall.

In this shot, you can actually see part of the old roll-up screen hanging above the windows.  I relocated the big drafting desk to this wall, along with my favorite tall filing cabinet covered in my sticker collection.  The wall with the clock used to house all the AV equipment that now is over by the SMARTboard, so I'm right now int he process of patching and painting the wall.  I think I'll pick something really fun, color-wise.  Stay tuned.

Here's a shot of my relocated desk.  I put it in front of the kiln, which is nice because it's extra-safe away from students' hands (we've never had issues in the past, but still!) and also keeps clay projects farther from passer-bys.  Clay projects are stored on the tall black wire shelves you see on the right side of the photo.  You can also see part of the rolling bulletin/chalk board in this photo.  That changes location ALL the time!

The toy cabinet!  I collect lots of things, which actually can come in quite handy when you have a case of artist's block, or need inspiration for still-life objects.  I put a lock on it to discourage "borrowing" of my favorite things, like tiny skeleton mariachis and my robot pencil sharpener.  Wouldn't want those to get lost anywhere!  But the glass makes viewing for sketching purposes very very easy.

Last but not least... the SMARTboard!  I'm so excited about using it this year, I even took a class on how to use it over the summer.  Sixth graders are already familiar with the technology because some of them had one in their fifth grade classroom - how lucky!

I'm just now getting it set up "just right."  I have a desktop PC connected to the board, along with my iPevo document camera/webcam.  I also recently purchased a wireless tablet which will be connected to the PC, and will allow me to control the screen from far away, while students can walk up and use the touch screen.  I LOVE being able to teach "on the fly" with so much information and easy-to-use technology at our fingertips - literally!


Have a great long Labor Day weekend everyone - I hope to start posting more regularly now that the room is 95% done, and classes are getting into the swing of things!