Multi-Arts Program • Recent Art Projects • Upcoming Art Competitions

Patchwork Puzzles (click on image to view larger)
Created by all of our students, and a few teachers, in the Multi-Arts classes during October 2007.



This project was conceived as a way for students to have a concrete experience creating a visual symbol of how they “fit” into the class, in their work together, and to illustrate some of the best aspects of themselves that they bring to their work.

Each class brainstormed a large list of symbols/ objects, and through a series of voting they selected one (by simple majority) to use as their puzzle “frame”. Liz drew a large sketch of their choice on butcher block paper and cut them into unique pieces. Students brainstormed a list of: (people, places, or things) they loved, or their favorite activities or skills they were good at (or hoped to be good at), or dreams and wishes they have. Then each student selected a puzzle piece to illustrate their “five things” with colored pencils or plain pencils only. Finally, each student had to locate the correct place for their puzzle piece to fit into the whole puzzle (with only the shape of the puzzle to guide them!).

Please enjoy deciphering the favorite activities, loves, skills, and dreams of our students encoded in these patchwork puzzles!

sugar skull art
Created by the 2nd & 3rd grade classes.



Sugar skulls are traditional for Dia de Muertos, a Mexican holiday on Nov. 1-2, that is a celebration of family ancestors who have died. Rather than treating death as a scary thing, and the skeleton as frightful (Halloween traditions in the U.S.), this tradition is a reminder that death is a natural part of the life cycle. The sugar skull figures are dressed and depicted in normal clothes and settings as the belief in the power of memory to keep alive the connection between worlds. Sometimes there is an element of humor or irony, and the sweetness of the sugar adds a certain lightness to the festivities.