The Ratner School Art Program

I always want to slow the year down at this point. I know we have created so many wonderful pieces of art and have experienced wonderful creative ideas, but I feel like the year goes so quickly. Spring break is almost here and I marvel at how quickly the year has moved. I enjoy displaying the finished work from the students and want to thank you all for your patience in getting the work of your child back home. I hope it all arrives home intact, it is one of the challenges of the art program.

The 5th and 6th grade students will be participating in a Cuyahoga Arts and Culture collaborative project with Ursuline College this week in art. The project is titled "All Our Relations" and has a focus on the various bird species found in the schools ecosystem. Jennifer Schwartz and other Ursuline professors and students will be presenting and working with the students this week in both art and science. I look forward to this collaboration and am glad the students get the opportunity to work with Ursuline College.

Work by Columbus, Ohio artist Alexa Carson

Kindergarten Art

The class this past week overlapped the Seuss Awards presented by the 1st and 2nd students. The kindergarten students did not want to miss the awards, so we took half the class time to see the show. After the program, we returned to the art room inspired by the rhymes and the visual work of Dr. Seuss. I had some of the print-outs left over from the 1st and 2nd grade project and presented the materials to the kindergarten students. They wanted to make their own hats and added collaged characters to their work. They enjoyed creating silly rhyming poems while they worked and I enjoyed their enthusiasm.

1st and 2nd Grade

One of the favorite things I say to the students this age after a long and intense project is FREE ART DAY! They love to explore any material and medium in the art room and the class flies by.  I had several students ask to add to the ongoing piano painting project, so I pulled the piano into the middle of the classroom to have them paint more designs. Fun was certainly had by all. The second class of the week fell on Dr. Seuss day, so students created a Seuss inspired comic strip and collage or made a Seuss hat. What a fun week we had in art!

3rd and 4th Grade Art

Work continued this week on the zentangle cubes. I believe all the students will finish the pattern work this week and we will hopefully get the stands built for the pieces before spring break. We will not have class next week due to the IOWA testing, but we may get into the Maker Space this week to build the stands. The details and line control have greatly improved over the course of this project. I am constantly impressed with the level of work students this age can achieve. I love seeing the growth of our students in art, they never fail to amaze!

5th and 6th Grade Art

We have finished the seemingly never ending geometric solid project. Several students showed great concentration, the ability to see the pattern readily and were able to complete the project independently. Many students were successful at the tracing, cutting and folding steps, but had difficulty with the assembly. I was glad to see many students helping others complete their project and assisting when asked. I am proud of their persistence in finishing the project and I know they are looking forward to the next project!
As stated in the opening page, the 5th and 6th grade students will be working with Ursuline College this week in art and science. Please check with your child for a release form that we are asking for you to sign. I will also be sending the form in an email. I am excited that they are working with us and I am looking forward to seeing the work the students create.

7th and 8th Grade Art

We began working on a special project for the upcoming Gala. The students all created several miniature canvas paintings depicting landscapes. Some students recreated a small version of the Impressionist paintings, some based their paintings on the books they have read in Language Arts including Old Man and the Sea and The Pearl. Several paintings also added the element of collage and they are all mini masterpieces! The paintings will be presented as one framed work of art to be auctioned at the Gala on April 22nd.

So many paints for such a small canvas!