Junior Duck Stamp Contest

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Hailey C, Dev of Design 8
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Riley K., Dev of Design 8
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Tarius L., Dev of Design 8
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Ben W., Dev of Design 8

Art students submitted illustrations for the annual national Jr. Duck Stamp Contest. The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is an  art and science-based curriculum that teaches wetland and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school. The program encourages students to explore their natural world, invites them to investigate biology and wildlife management principles and challenges them to express and share what they have learned with others.

South Ridge students have regularly done very well. Living in rural Minnesota students are well aware of the importance of protecting our wetlands. Knowledge of animal life, in particular ducks and birds, are more available, many of the students seeing ducks in their daily lives.

8th grade students shown here used colored pencils to demonstrate the characteristics of their chosen duck, the season and habitat the duck lives in.

MSAB Art’s Grant-Fall Performance with Frank Theater

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2tshirt with text copySouth Ridge students performed to a full house at the “Fall Family Night” in the school’s Forum. Performances included “Orpheus and Eurydice” (3-4th Grades), “Persephone and the Six Pomegranate Seeds” (3rd-6th Grades, afterschoolSTEAM), “Fischer and the Birds” (7th Grade morning Design class), and “Shingebiss and the Wintermaker” (7th Grade afternoon Design class).

Frank teaching artists Wendy Knox and Emily Zimmer have worked with students for 8 weeks writing, retelling stories, playing theatre games and acting out stories to build skills in writing, public speaking, body language and story telling. Activities built student’s ability to clearly express themselves in a public venue. Each group sang a song composed by Marya Hart (with lyrics supplied by students). Videographer Mark Tang has documented the process and will work with Wendy Knox and South Ridge teacher Carolyn Olson to produce videos that tell the story.

Video of the performance, Fall 2015.

Hour of Code

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It is the difference between reading and writing vs. just being able to read – and not write. The world is looking for people who enjoy and can write code for the internet. South Ridge students are getting ready to be that person.

Art students are spending time learning computer code on the site http://codecademy.org. There is a national push to introduce students in the US to computer code through an event called “Hour of Code”. Media Art students have their own web page and need to understand html language to manage their site.

Digital Art students will be building an extensive web site and will need to understand html to complete their assignment.

Students Screen T-shirts

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IMG_2683IMG_2693 IMG_2703 IMG_2717High school students in printmaking class are screening all the t-shirts needed for the MSAB “Lettin’ Off STEAM with Frank Theatre” . The process is meticulous and time consuming but students are excelling with the work!

Silk screens were prepared with a photo emulsion solution and a “positive” on clear plastic of the black and white image (to be printed) is “burned” on to the emulsion. The “positive” image is washed out of the screen leaving a beautiful sharp stencil. Textile ink is pushed through the screen with a squeegee. Students “flood” the screen and then “pull” the squeegee across as evenly as possible.

Students work in teams – printing, preparing, stacking in the rack to dry, replenishing ink, cleaning up ink, etc.

Everyone involved in the Frank Theatre Artist Residency , as well as the Printmaking students will receive a free t-shirt!

South Ridge Art Department receives Minnesota State Arts Board Arts Learning grant with Frank Theatre

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2-26b2-26cSouth Ridge School again has received the Art’s Learning grant through the Minnesota State Arts Board! This grant provides funding for professional teaching artists Wendy Knox and Emily Zimer to work with 3rd – 7th grade students building writing, and public speaking skills through theatre games and creative writing. Two residencies have been designed – the first in the Fall, the other in the Spring. Both residencies will explore traditional and cultural stories from around the world with the Spring residency focusing on the stories told to us through the stars taught in Ojibwe culture.

The Fall performance will be at the annual Title I and JOM parents night at South Ridge. Everyone is invited to attend! In the Sping Carl Gawboy, a local artist and historian (retired CSS prof) who is an expert on the star constellations and their stories will retell the stories with Frank teaching artists to the students. After discussion about their meaning students will retell these stories using their what they have learned in the residency.

South Ridge students have been invited to retell these stories at the Annual Elders Feat at the Brookston Center in April. Everyone is invited to attend and share in the feast and performance.

This project is made possible through the Minnesota State Arts Board, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment, Minnesota Power, Northland Learning Center, ISD 2142 American Indian Student Support and local foundations and business support such as Minnesota Power. Without the generous support such activities would not be possible.

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Still Life Paintings for “Art to Remember” Fundraiser

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306x400A still life is a painting, drawing, etc., of a carefully arranged group of objects (such as flowers and fruit) – Webster. Art students will be creating work based on fruit, flowers, and/or vegetables grown by local gardeners during the first few weeks of school. Images can be printed on cards and be made available for purchase. As a fundraiser students will raise money to help pay for their trip to the Twin Cities.

Students will be asking for your support in purchasing student art on cards through  the”Art to Remember” fundraiser. These are high quality printing runs on heavy paper stock. They make excellent gifts. All cards will be available before Winter holiday.

If you have any questions please contact Ms. C. Olson at 218-345-6789 ex 3400.