Making Dias De Los Muertos Meaningful

Ceramic Calaveras

Making Dias De Los Muertos Meaningful

(ROUGH DRAFT___ Feel like I will read this tomorrow and say, what was I thinking?!?)

Ok, so I'm a member of an art teacher Facebook page.... and of course I have to keep up with all 11k AWESOME art teachers there. One day I saw that an art teacher had posted they were doing Calaveras.  They had found cookie cutters and were stamping them on slabs.  I really wish I could remember who this was to give credit, as it was years ago.  Of course I had to keep up with them!  If someone is doing something amazing my kids have to do it too!  Thus began the hunt for the cookie cutters.  They are made by FRED.  And at the time were being sold at Francesca's.  So I called every Francesca's in my area... sold out.... finally found one and the sales person was sweet enough to hold it for me.  Now you can order off AMAZON... 

https://www.amazon.com/Fred-Friends-SPIRITS-Cookie-Stampers/dp/B00B5EE1IM

I wasn't Amazon savvy then.  (And Amazon prime is a blessed curse!) Then I get this idea... I should invite all the Spanish classes in for this... Totally reasonable... 100+ kids in my classroom.... And a math teacher I'm buddies with too just because his Calculus kids deserve a break and he hates missing out on fun.

About my community.  I teach in a very diverse community. It used to be mainly Hispanic and I had many kids of migrant families.  As our area began to grow, suburbs popped up.  After Hurricane Katrina we had another influx of people. I also have quite a few kids whose families are from Africa, Iraq, Albania, the Philippines to name a few.  Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons and Hispanic Catholics are dominant religious beliefs. (Last year I actually had a kid say to me after he asked about my religious beliefs; "I never met a white Catholic before." After saying it he said he didn't mean it offensively.)  It is a conservative community but a truly American Melting pot if there was one.  And it is beautiful. In doing this for the last... 3 years?  I have never had a problem... One kid choose to sit out because of their beliefs, and I will respect that.  My grandmother was raised Jehovah Witness.  I try to be sensitive to my kids feelings as they navigate high school.  Why am I giving you all this cultural context?  Because I think that if this is addressed respectfully you can create an amazing learning opportunity that is not offensive to anyone. And I'm not doing this for "fun". But I will admit I do have a coveted pair of leggings to wear the day of glazing....  Not really Dia de los Muertos... but multi functional for Anatomy drawing too!

One thing I really try to emphasize is that this is NOT Halloween.  It is a way to honor those who have passed before us, to remember them, to celebrate them.  And many cultures do this... Look at Greek Vase Painting... Egyptian tombs...  the vinyl "In Loving Memory of...." that people put on the back windows of their cars.

The prep work: Roll out tons of slabs and stamp them with the skulls.  Cut and punch holes.  I will enlist the help of kids if I can get them, but I will punch the holes.  Sometimes they get them in the very center of the forehead and the skull looks as if it was executed, and then other times too close to the top and it won't hold.  Smooth the sides so they are not sharp after bisque firing.  Let dry.  If I can I like them to dry on a light grate.  I think I found mine for $14 at Lowe's.  

       

Prep your kids:  Here are a ton of resources I have not compiled yet... But I will do 4 centers... they have 25 minutes for each activity.  I want them to learn about the History and purpose of Calaveras.  Make a symmetrical paper flag, learn about Veronica Castillo and Trees of Life, and then evaluate the image.  In the end I would also like the kids to be able to define Cultural Appropriation and be able to evaluate how it is or is not okay in their work....  Post Assessment could be a Frida Dia De Los Muertos skull image where I ask my students to evaluate the validity of the work... maybe we could move on to tattooed Marilyn Monroe?

http://exhibitionofthedayofthedead.blogspot.com/2011/11/drafted-up-kids-fact-sheet-tonight-to.html

http://archive.azcentral.com/ent/dead/teachers/teacherpacket_edited.pdf

https://www.tes.com/us/teacher-lessons/day-of-the-dead-powerpoint-11288244

http://nationalgeographic.org/media/dia-de-los-muertos/

http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/1972-november-2-the-day-of-the-dead

http://www.mexic-artemuseum.org/images/uploads/education/Day_of_Dead_Guide.pdf

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/chngmexico/210

http://www.fridakahlostory.com/frida-blog/frida-and-dia-de-los-muertos

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi7gs6E6_fPAhXHlFQKHQxkCrsQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anothermag.com%2Fdesign-living%2F1467%2Ffrida-kahlos-monkeys-dogs-birds&bvm=bv.136593572,d.cGw&psig=AFQjCNEs6eMGiIGzf6I8b5d4ViZTXV8Ing&ust=1477549455861540

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-cubias/dia-de-los-muertos-is-not_b_6056734.html?

Tree of Life

http://www.treeoflife.net.au/Tree-of-Life-Craft-(Mexico)-from-Tree-Of-Life.net.au.html

http://folklorebazaar.com/the-magic-of-mexican-tree-of-life/

https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/ver%C3%B3nica-castillo

http://www.mastersoftraditionalarts.org/artists/385?selected_facets=

Veronica Castillo video https://docarts-cms.s3.amazonaws.com/asset/video/video-000385-1415386785.mp4

http://www.treesoflifeexhibit.com/veronica-castillo/

http://www.kpbs.org/photos/2013/dec/06/33011/

http://lakeshorepublicmedia.org/stories/craft-america-veronica-castillo-builds-tree-life-poinsettia/

The day of the gazing... have lots of glaze (or acrylic paint if you choose) palettes all ready made.  You can cover with saran wrap to prevent from drying if you need.  I like to use Mayco Stroke and Coat Underglaze for this....  It is stable low and mid range firing.  Colors don't change much, light can go over dark.... But they are $$$$...  Right now I am mostly using Duncan Concepts, well because years ago I ordered a lot for a lesson and still have them.  Yes I do mix them with the Stroke and coat.  Turns out fine.  Choose 5-6 colors.  Do not over complicate the color thing.   Concepts do need a coat of clear.  I will have clear glaze also laid out in containers and have instructions at the tables for each kid.  Brushes will also be at the tables.  I and a few students will have an under-gaze pencil for the kids to put their initials and the first initial of their teacher and period.  (R.T.   B3)  When you have four different teachers this is a help to ensure everyone gets their work back.  Kids apply underglaze.  Small brushes are helpful.  Then they let it dry for a few minutes... and put on a coat of clear.  Teacher make sure everyone has their name on back.  I generally have the kids bring the skulls directly to the kiln and I load them in from there checking the back of each one.  If I have a TA or good student this becomes their job.  Send one or two kids around to refill glaze and make sure all brushes are washed. 

  

Make sure you go home and relax.  Have a good dinner and go to bed early.  This is exhausting.  And I imagine what it feels like everyday to teach elementary, except you have what 8 different lessons?

When you unload enlist a few kids to tie some yarn on these so they hang.  If I have kids that did not want their or were in more than one class I have them put a dot on the back.  The dotted ones become gifts for the support staff, maintenance.... everyone that makes our job possible.  You could get a little frame from the $ store and out it in with a nicely written Thank you....  Just an idea...  

  

Honestly I was thinking about not doing it this year... I am tired, I have no TA's.  My classes are 40, 39, 38....  my sons need a lot of help on their homework... one has Latin and is studying Medea (That's a joyful story...) But my husband delivers for a big company and saw one in someone's window... he told me about it because he wanted me to know the impact I make on the daily life in my community.  There it is folks.  We make an impact. Everyday.  Even though we don't see it in the hundreds of pounds of clay to pug, or the hours of kiln loading, the paper towels left on the floor... we are there peeking out of windows as a reminder of the amazing times school held for these amazing people.  IMPACT. )  And I remember pulling into parking lots and seeing them hang from car windows. Ok, ok.... now one of my former student teacher is in my district and is doing these, so I guess I can no longer assume in the near future they are all from my kiln.  But this impact is why I spent two hours last night making 41 and why I am spending the time right now to share what I have learned with everyone else.... it is worth it.  Do it. Many kids will never have the opportunity to take Ceramics or to decorate a sugar skull.  But because of this lesson... they had it and maybe, just maybe it will bring us together rather than pull us apart.  In the long run kids will not remember what we taught them, but how we made them feel.  

Empty Bowls

   

Empty Bowls Project 

It's not as difficult as it sounds.  But takes some planning.

     WOW!  It has been a while since my last post.  I have been super busy.  People keep asking me how I did Empty Bowls... the logistics of it all.  So here is the past, failures and tips.

2013 Empty Bowls Promo Video

Past:  Ceramics Club began doing Empty Bowls in 2008.  I had a Club president that was a go-getter.  He would come with a typed agenda and copies for everyone.  This kid pushed me to be better. (It is amazing when we have one of those kids.)  We began by doing it at our school; one evening a year.  Then our district began to do district art shows.  This was a natural transition as I was trying to get the other three high schools involved in Empty Bowls as well.  For several years it became the tradition to do Empty Bowls at the District Art Show.  The last year of the district show (we no longer have district art shows) happened to be a year that my club kids were really non- committal and Art Show day was my moving day.  (Alas after 10 years of teaching we bought a house!!!) So I didn't do it.  Sometimes you just can't care more than the kids.  The year after that was another year of uncommitted kids and our override failed so I was going back to school becoming Adobe Photoshop Certified in case I needed to talk an alternate path.

Things that work:

1. Get your kids to understand the importance.  I had someone form St. Mary's Food Bank some talk about food insecurity with my Club kids.  That gave them purpose for the activity. Last I checked that program no longer exists where a speaker will come in and teach about food insecurity.  Now I do a mini lesson.  One activity I do is number the kids 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4..... all the 4's stand.  This is the average number of kids in each class that does not get enough to eat in each day.  I explain that hunger is a silent poverty.  You can't judge a persons skin, hair, clothes, shoes, grades... to know if they are hungry or not.  Hunger does not discriminate.  There can be a number of reasons why a kid doesn't get enough to eat each day...  this is a lively conversation because kids hold so many false ideas. (Be prepared to handle many stereotypes and false ideas respectfully.)

2.  If your kids cannot wheel throw (or you don't have wheels), use plaster hump molds to make bowls.  There are many cool ways to make bowls.

3. Start working on bowls way ahead of time.  Like WAYYYYY... it will take so much longer than you think.  Get a production line going.

4.  Cereal Bars ( similar to a salad bar is my preference) Students can bring in a variety of cereals, canned fruit... for toppings.  I keep a box with plastic serving bowls and spoons, paper towels, for the day of the event.  Some events love to do soups or pasta.  I did soup one year.  Due to all of our regulations I had to get the cafeteria manager to volunteer to heat the soup, then we had to find something to keep it warm.  We had to keep an eye on the temperature... on top of the people serving all had to have food handlers cards.  Afterwards there was a ton of soup left.  A ton.    While the soup was delicious it is harder and harder to get restaurants to donate.  The pick up is generally when I am teaching, refrigeration is key and maintaining proper temperature is huge.  With cereal; life is so much easier. If there are boxes left- donate them to the food bank.  In New York there are several poshy cereal places... like the Ramen trend.  It also beacons to the fact the sometime when money is tight dinner is a bowl of cereal as it is cheep an generally fortified.  Milk can be kept in a cooler with ice.  Please remember there is no one way...  You can do it anyway you want.  Cereal works best for me right now where I am.  I have been to them where pasta is served.  I have been to them at fancy restaurants where they don't even serve out of the bowl you pick.  They place a small soup cup in the bowl you picked but the soup doesn't actually touch the bowl you choose.  They bowls my kids make are sometime shallow or sculptural... so I also have some paper bowls  on hand if patrons would prefer to eat out of those.  Find the way that works best for you where you are right now and don't be afraid of change.

5. Advertise:  Make fliers to hang around the school.  Treat it like a campaign.  They do not need to be warm and fuzzy.  When I began this it was 1 out of every 5 kids did not get enough to eat a day.  Now it is 1 in 4.    "No bowl should go Empty".  It's all about the PROPAGANDA.

6. Turn it into a tradition.  My club kids looked forward every year to designing the Empty Bowls Shirts.  We would get them printed up.  ( Or your club could silk screen them themselves!) And give them to people that volunteered at the event.  Kids in Student Council, Key Club and ROTC loved to help out.

7.  Involve the Campus and Community.  We would make a ton a bowls.  And then invite clubs to come in and glaze the bowls.  If kids wanted to reserve the bowls they could.  ( Underglaze pencils work awesome for writing a tracking number on the bottom of the reserved bowls.  You can also have a form that you put the number on as well.  The form might include the person's name, phone number, e-mail... I would e-mail everyone that reserved a bowl to remind them about the event and to come pick up the bowl after firing.)  We also had a day care on campus.  I would send bowls and glaze ( Mayco Stroke and Coat is excellent for this... bright colors stable at 06 to 5...) along with a letter to parents describing what we were doing.  If the parents wanted to purchase the bowl they could.  ( We sold several bowls before the event this way.)  Invite other teachers to come in and glaze or to make a bowl.  I cannot tell you how much the other teachers think Ceramics is "play" time.  Pairing them up with a club kid put the kid in a leadership role and opened the staff member's eyes to the art.  Host parent workshops on the weekend.  This is awesome community building with your parents.  If you use slump molds and under glaze this activity is most successful. Also pre- roll out slabs the day before.  And these parents often end up volunteering for you later on.

8. Let the Food Bank you plan to donate know you are doing this.  Often they will send a representative with a banner to hang and other information.  Things that as a teacher you might not know the answer for.

9.  Know your district's money collection policy.  Every few years ours changes.  I have to keep up to date.  And stay flexible and creative.  We used to be able to deposit money into our club account and then write a check... 12 years ago.  Then we could not.... I would ask a Food Bank Representative to collect money at this point.  The whole "ask forgiveness later" motto is stupid in this case.  You do not want to have any shadow cast over your reputation when you are trying to teach kids how to use art to advocate for solutions in their community.  I handle money as little as possible. I do not get paid to host a club and I am certainly not going to risk my job.  So for that reason know all your districts rules.  Each district is different.  Go to your principal for problem solving and support.

10.  Have a variety of bowls.  They should look different.... be exciting and fun.

11.  Empower your kids.  Have them do research... Have them make signs, iMovie advertisements.... whatever.  Have them research how this all started.  (I believe it was started by a high school in Michigan.)

12.  Here is how I run the night...  After a location is determined, food is collected, advertised....  Set out tables of bowls... We sell for $10 each.  Patrons can look and choose a bowl.  Then they pay for their bowl.  ( I avoid taking money if at all possible- parent volunteers or Food Bank Representatives will take $)  Then the kids sanitize the bowls.  We have three plastic bins of hot water. One is soapy (dawn dish soap is the best) and two are just water.  We do a soapy scrub and two water rises.  Then the bowl is dried with paper towels.  The patron is given the bowl and may choose cereal and toppings.  We generally have 5-8 types of cereal and 10 toppings.  To finish a student will offer milk and a spoon.  I adapted this model from the AZ Clay Association which will host an even every October at the Arizona Center.  When field trips were easier to do, I'd take my kids there first to see what an Empty Bowls even was like before hosting our own.  Mesa Community College also hosts a pretty big one.

13. Take the next day to relax.  Your body will be sore.  If it is a work day... well I go to work... but don't plan this for the day before grades are due... or the day you are supposed to be moving or anything like that.  Start small.  Have fun.  Make sure your glazes are food safe.  Don't do all the work, if you do the kids don't learn.