Curricular Resources > 1993 Volume IV > Unit 11 (93.04.11) > Section 7

The Minority Artist in America

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 93.04.11

Unit Guide

Points of View— Looking at Five Contemporary Female Artists of Color: Amalia Mesa-Bains, Howardena Pindell, Faith Ringgold, Betye Saar, and Pablita Velarde

Eva Scopino

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GLOSSARY

ancestor— a person from whom a person descends; such as a mother, father, grandparent, etc. Ancestors came before you.
assemblage— a work of art made from a collection of particular things put together in a certain way; a sculpture that has many parts.
autobiography— the story of one’s own life shown, told, written, painted, etc. by oneself.
ceremony— a special occasion established by custom. It can be religious or non-religious; for example, a wedding, birthday party, funeral.
civil rights— basic human rights guaranteed to each individual, especially equal treatment of all people.
collage— a work of art made from various objects pasted together.
culture— the habits, skills, art of a given people in a given period of time; civilization.
customs— habits and practices which are commonly used in a society and carried on by tradition. For example, it’s our custom to bring a present to a birthday party.
discrimination— a difference in treatment of persons, usually unfair treatment.
document— to prove or show something.
folklore— the traditions, beliefs, customs, etc. of a people. Folk tales, legends, and fairy tales are folklore.
heritage— things handed down from one’s ancestors or the past. Do your grandparents tell you stories or show you special ways of doing things? Do have something that belonged to one of your ancestors? Do your parents make special foods they learned about from their parents?
heroine or hero— a person who displays great courage; someone admired for qualities or achievements and regarded as a role model. Who is your heroine or hero? Why?
installation— a work of art made up of things, arranged in a space; an environment created by an artist. You can walk into an installation—it’s usually a room filled with things.
myth— a traditional story, with an unknown author, based on history or nature and containing religious beliefs. Myths explain some phenomenon of nature, such as how the first people started. Myths usually tell about gods and goddesses.
prejudice— suspicion, unfavorable judgment, or hatred of other races, religions, etc.
pueblo— a Spanish word for village
racism— discrimination based on race. This is against the law.
ritual— acts, words, gestures determined by tradition that are part of a ceremony. For example, making a wish and blowing out candles on a birthday cake.
sexism— discrimination based on male or female gender. This is against the law.
shrine— a place that is sacred, by association or religious belief.
stereotype— a fixed idea that has no individuality; for example, girls can’t be mechanics, or boys can’t be nurses.
symbol— something that stands for or represents something else. A feather is a symbol for flying.
tradition— long-established customs, beliefs, and practices handed down from generation to generation. What are some of your family traditions?

AMALIA MESA-BAINS. Create a shrine to honor someone you admire or who is very important to you.

Objectives
Students will be able to:

-define/describe shrine, altar, and installation;

-design and create 3-D art work that pays homage to someone;

-evaluate and discuss works of art.

Materials

assorted scrap cardboard, cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, etc.
acrylic or tempera paint
glue, hot glue, or masking tape
scissors
pencils, markers, or crayons
assorted objects such as: photos, memorabilia, cutout pictures, fabric, beads, fringe, shells, feathers, leaves, flowers, wood scraps, foil, bric-a-brac, etc.

Overview
A shrine can be any size or shape. It can be painted, covered with fabric or foil, etc. and/or made up of various objects like an installation. Work individually or in groups.

Strategies

1. Read about Amalia Mesa-Bains’ life and look at her shrines. What are some basic elements of a shrine? What makes them unique? What are they for? Have you ever seen one? Who do you want to honor, and what can you include in the shrine that relates to him/her? What colors and materials will you use—what mood or feeling are you trying to create? What aspect(s) of her/his life do you want to highlight? Example: If you made a shrine to Michael Jordan, what would it look like/include? How can create a shrine for him which is not stereotypical? How do you think Michael feels about being a gifted athlete? What other aspects of his life can you show?
2. Experiment with materials for the size and shape of your shrine. What will it look like? How do the size and shape relate to the admired person?
3. Construct your shrine from cardboard, tape, glue, etc.
4. Paint the shrine and decorate it; or cover it with foil, fabric, etc. Use objects and colors that relate to the person as well as the mood, emotion, and information you want to convey.
5. Glue/arrange objects and pictures on, inside, or around the shrine.
6. Once it’s completed, look at your work and decide on a title for it.
7. When completed, evaluate the shrines as a group. In what way does each shrine honor a person? What do various objects or pictures tell you? Why were certain colors used? How do the shrines make you feel?

HOWARDENA PINDELL. Create a non-rectangular collage-painting that is autobiographical.

Objectives
Students will be able to:

-define/describe autobiography, heritage, symbol;

-design/create a non-rectangular painting-collage that is autobiographical;

-evaluate and discuss art work.

Materials

paper, cardboard, or canvas
acrylic or tempera paint
glue, scissors, tape
collage materials such as: photographs, postcards, memorabilia, magazine pictures, colored paper, stickers, glitter, beads, fringe, shells, bottle caps, feathers, leaves, flowers, buttons, foil, etc.
Optional: needle and thread or sewing machine to sew your work

Overview
A collage-painting incorporates painting and collage. Yours can be any size or shape you want, except rectangular. It will be autobiographical—all about you!

Strategies

1. Read about Howardena Pindell’s life and look at examples of her collage-paintings. Define and discuss autobiography. Have you ever written an autobiography? How can you tell about yourself in visual language? Will you tell your whole life story or one experience? Which experiences have been positive and which negative? Have you traveled to or lived in other places? What were they like? What is your heritage? How can you show this visually? What materials and colors will you use? How do they relate to you? What mood are you trying to create? Remember that Howardena often uses shapes other than rectangles—what shapes will you use in your collage-painting? Why?
2. What experience(s) will you depict? Think about how they made you feel.
3. To begin your work, start with one shape, a picture of yourself, or a personal symbol. Cut this out of fabric or paper. You’ll add to this.
4. Add collage elements—pictures and objects—onto your picture. Use things that appeal to you or are about you. Glue, tape, staple, or sew them on or around your picture. You can paint and decorate them if you wish; or create small separate paintings and attach them.
5. Continue to build your collage-painting until you are satisfied. Is it a maze, spiral, coil, triangle, diamond, or irregular?
6. Once completed, look at your work and decide on a title for it.
7. Evaluate works as a group. What can you tell about each person from his/her collage-painting? What patterns and shapes were used instead of rectangles? How do they relate to the subject matter? What is each collage-painting about?

FAITH RINGGOLD: Create a story quilt that tells a story about your heritage, family, a heroine/hero, or discrimination.

Objectives
Students will be able to:

-define/describe heritage, discrimination, heroine/hero;
-create art work that tells a story about an aspect of their heritage and/or a heroine/hero;
-evaluate and discuss art work.

Materials

plain and decorated paper, canvas, scrap fabric, felt, patterned wallpaper acrylic or tempera paint
hot glue or white glue
stapler
scissors
pencils or crayons
permanent or cloth marker (black or other dark color)
OPTIONAL: collage items such as: photographs, magazine, cutout pictures, sequins, beads, fringe, glitter, shells, feathers, buttons, etc. tie-dying materials: fabric dye, rubber bands, bucket, sink.
NOTE: if you are making a functional quilt you will also need: cotton batting and backing fabric, needle and thread or sewing machine

Overview
A story quilt can be small or large, individual or group-oriented, and made in a variety of ways. It can be made from collage and paint or crayons, or incorporate fabric, sewing, and found, natural, and decorative objects. It can be made from uniform squares sewn or joined together, OR it can be pieced from irregular shapes.

This is a good project for integrating other subject areas such as social studies, writing, math, etc. You might create a story quilt about Black Historical figures; Women’s Herstory; feature poetry or other writing forms, etc.

Each story quilt has three parts: pictures, writing, and a border. For your story quilt pick a theme, such as heritage, discrimination, family, Black History, heroines/heroes, ethnic foods, etc. Each student can make one section to be put all together with a common border OR each can make a complete story quilt. Sections/quilts can be any size.

NOTE: If you are working in fabric and wish to create an actual quilt, you will need to sew the pieces. When the front is completed, you will need another piece of fabric slightly larger than it to back it, and a piece of cotton batting the same size for the inside layer. Sew the three layers together inside-out, turn, then close (sew) the opening.

Strategies

1. Read about Faith Ringgold’s life and look at examples of her story quilts and other works. What is heritage? Why is it important? What can you learn from it? What are some of the best things about your own heritage? How can you tell Faith’s heritage from her work? What patterns, objects, or designs would you use to illustrate your own heritage? What is discrimination? What are some examples you may have noticed or experienced? What is a heroine/hero? What story do you want to tell about your heritage, family, discrimination, or your heroine/hero?
2. You might want to start your story quilt by painting a picture (yourself, family, role model, heroine/hero, etc.) on plain paper, fabric, or canvas. Other subjects related to heritage include important cultural, historical, or sports figures. What emotion are you trying to convey? Realism is not important.
3. Paint a background for your picture; or create one from collage: pasted papers, photographs, cut-out pictures and words from calendars, old greeting cards, magazines, newspapers, etc.
4. On a separate sheet of paper, write several lines about the person you are featuring. Who is she/he? Why is she/he important to you? What does he/she dress or look like? What are some things she/he told or showed you? TELL A STORY ABOUT THE PERSON OR EVENTS.
5. Arrange and glue, tape, or staple the painting onto a larger piece(s) of painted or decorated paper, canvas, or fabric (you can also tie-dye fabric if you wish). The backing can be made of one piece or several sections. 6. Arrange the written information on the backing along with the painting OR write directly on the paper/canvas/fabric with a marker.
7. Create a border around your picture from decorated papers or fabric cut and pasted in certain patterns; or by painting various patterns, cultural artifacts, symbols, designs. You can also use tie-dyed fabric for the border. Faith Ringgold often uses patterns based on traditional African textile designs.
8. Enhance your “story quilt” further, if desired, by adding objects such as feathers, buttons, beads, glitter, shells, fringe, etc. as well as embroidery, weaving, and stitchery. Attach objects with glue or sewing.
9. Once completed, look at your work and title it.
10. Evaluate and discuss the works as a group. What story does each quilt tell? How did each student depict heritage, discrimination, or a heroine/hero? What do the various patterns, colors, objects tell you?

BETYE SAAR. Create a box assemblage that tells about your heritage and/or points out discrimination or stereotypes.

Objectives
Students will be able to:

-define/describe assemblage, discrimination, heritage, stereotype;
-create art work about discrimination, heritage, and/or stereotype;
-evaluate and discuss art work.

Materials

cardboard, wood, or plastic box of any size (e.g. shoe or cigar box)
acrylic or tempera paint
assorted paint brushes
glue or hot glue
scissors
objects for assemblage such as: photos, memorabilia, bric-a-brac, cutout pictures, pebbles, food labels, glitter, shells, wood, feathers, leaves, flowers, buttons, foil.

Overview
Your box assemblage can be any size. Its theme can be heritage, discrimination, and/or stereotype. Collect objects and pictures that relate to your theme. What your assemblage will look like depends on what you want to say: it might be covered with feathers to represent a bird, or filled with news clippings about apartheid in South Africa.

Strategies

1. Read about Betye Saar’s life and look at examples of her assemblages. How can you show heritage? discrimination? How do stereotypes about certain cultures make you feel? Can you think of stereotypes on TV commercials, programs or movies? Do you feel insulted by certain images? What are some symbols that make you think of your ancestors?
2. Look at the shape and size of your box. How will it be displayed—open to show what’s inside, or closed? Will it be seen only from the front or from all sides?
3. Gather the objects and images you are going to use. How will you arrange them in order to transform the box into an assemblage? What do you want to say? You might want to base your work on a dream. What emotions are you trying to convey—sadness, surprise, anger, etc. How can you create texture? You can also use letters and words.
4. Glue or staple things onto/inside/around your box.
5. You can also paint your assemblage. Use colors that have personal meaning or are related to your theme. Do you want to use bright colors? earth colors? all one color? What are you trying to say? You can also incorporate foil, fabric, feathers, fake fur, etc.
6. Once completed, look at your assemblage and decide on a title for it.
7. Evaluate the box assemblages as a group. What can you tell from each one? What feelings do they give you? Etc.

PABLITA VELARDE. Create a painting that documents, in detail, aspects of your neighborhood, environment, family, etc.

Objectives
Students will be able to:

-define/describe documentary;

-create a painting that documents details and aspects of their world;

-evaluate and discuss art work.

Materials
paper, canvas, or cardboard

paint (watercolor, gouache, acrylic or tempera)

pencils and erasers

variety of round and flat brushes

palettes, plates, or pans for mixing colors

Overview
Your documentary painting can be any size you want. Imagine that some aspect of your world is being destroyed. You have been chosen to paint it in order to preserve it or tell about it. What will you include?

NOTE: This can also be a mural project. Work in teams and sections. Decide on the theme (neighborhood, fashion, architecture, food, etc.) and plan/sketch sections. Paint on heavy paper or fabric and mount it on the wall OR paint directly onto clean, dry walls. For walls, use acrylic paint because it is waterproof once dry.

Strategies

1. Read about Pablita Velarde’s life and look at examples of her work. What can you learn about her people from her paintings? (Dress, customs, food, transportation, landscape, etc.) In order to tell about your world, what details will you document in your painting? How do you get food; what do you eat; wear? What styles, jewelry, hairstyles, music, etc. are popular? What transportation do you use? What does your house or neighborhood look like? What leisure activities do you enjoy? Where do you hang out?
2. Sketch/plan your painting first, if desired. Plan out areas. What’s most important to you? What figures or areas do you want to emphasize? What will be in the foreground, middleground, background? You can simplify shapes and also include symbols, patterns, and words if you like.
3. Determine which colors you will use for various aspects of your picture. What mood are you trying to create? What do you want to emphasize—which areas do you want dark and which light?
4. Paint large flat areas first, then add details. Example: exactly what kind of baseball hats and sneakers are your figures wearing? Where are they standing? What type of foods are they eating? Detail the colors, shapes, sizes, etc.
5. Once completed, look at your painting and decide on a title for it.
6. Evaluate the paintings as a group. What can we tell from each one? What do the details tell us? How can we tell what’s important to each artist? Etc.

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