Final phase
The finished portraits are now the basis for the final phase of the project. Allowing for Portraits of Wellness, as defined by the students, through other drawings that define community, neighbors, “your” room. The objectives of the process are to reinforce a sense of community and build a visual expression of community from these images. The best defense against HIV/AIDS is education. For middle school students, a greater awareness of drug addiction and shared needles appears to be an appropriate and effective topic. The use of Art as a Self-Portrait, reinforcing wellness, is the ultimate objective of the lesson.
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How each student sees themselves as part of a community will vary a great deal. They recognize that the 36 portraits represent one community. Now they are asked to depict themselves or their community in the final session of this unit.
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Since our school is, for many students, the strongest community in their lives, suggestions will be made to illustrate themselves in some way as part of the school community.
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Discussions of other communities that they may be a part of will also be suggested. Examples include family, friends, their churches, clubs, after-school programs and athletic teams. A variety of media will be available for this final depiction of “Your Community.”
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Several students may elect to work in groups of two or three, if they come up with a project idea that is larger scale and incorporates several viewpoints.
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It is here that ideas of diversity and cultural differences may play a part in defining what represents a community. Hispanic and African-American are the dominant cultural influences that may emerge, but other ethnic groups such as Chinese, Irish, Italian and Middle Eastern may also be depicted. To bring about these influences a discussion of where we come from and what communities our parents come from may play a part in brainstorming about what to draw. Perhaps, drawings of food or celebrations, special events or family traditions like barbeque and favorite games, etc may be the topic the student chooses to draw.
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This final drawing of community will complete the portrait of wellness concept; moving from portraits of self to a portrait of their community. This may take several classes to complete but the intention of this unit is to reach a broader expression of community and the role that art plays in sharing that idea of community with others.