Art Inspires Art

Part 1: Art as Inspiration

Introduce:

• Read the book Jacob Makes a World: Jacob Lawrence, A Young Artist in Harlem by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts. This book explores how Jacob Lawrence found inspiration in the colors and people in his Harlem community. 
  • Ask students: based on the book, what are some things that inspired Jacob Lawrence?
• Lawrence was also inspired by other artists, such as Sandro Botticelli and Josef Albers.
  • Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter from the Early Renaissance. He painted portraits as well as famous scenes from history such as the Events in the Life of Moses and Temptations of Christ.
  • Josef Albers was a German-born American artist. His work serves as the foundation of many modern art education programs in the United States because of his work in color theory, which looks at how we perceive colors in relation to each other. 
• Show students these paintings by Sandro Botticelli, Josef Albers, and Jacob Lawrence.
  • For each artwork, ask students:
    • What do you notice? 
    • Why did that stand out to you?
    • If applicable, what do you see that makes you say that?
    • What kinds of lines did the artist use? What about the shapes? The colors?
  • In partners, using the Venn Diagram template, have students compare the works of Botticelli and Lawrence, and Albers and Lawrence.
  • After students complete the Venn Diagrams, pose the following question for a whole class discussion: in what ways was Jacob Lawrence inspired by other artists?

Part 2: Close Looking 

Field Trip - Recommendations for Teachers:

• Tell students that they are going on a field trip to a local art museum. 
  • Viewing art in person gives you the ability to see the various materials, textures, and details that an artist puts into the work. You’ll also experience its size and truly appreciate its power. In this lesson, students learned that Lawrence was inspired by art that he saw. Students are more likely to have a similar experience if they can see the art in person. 
  • If you do not have the ability to go to a museum in person due to cost, transportation, or other limitations, you can use The Google Art Project, Smithsonian Learning Lab, The Phillips Collection resources, or other online museum collections and resources.
• To select a space or exhibition at a local museum, consider the following:
  • Choose a space with minimal distractions. You can reach out to museum staff to discuss an exhibition that they think would be most appropriate for this activity and your age students.
  • Choose an exhibition that has cross-cultural connections. This might inspire discussions that connect to students’ personal experiences and varied content that students are learning. 

Looking 10x2:

• Once at the museum, go to a preselected room/exhibition and sit students in front of one artwork. Model for students the activity Looking 10x2.  
  • Together, look at the painting for 30 seconds. Tell students to allow their eyes to wander.
  • Share (or write) 10 things they noticed. 
  • Repeat this process again by looking at the painting for another 30 seconds and sharing (or writing) 10 things they noticed.
• Students will then walk around the exhibition (or view different art online) and pick a piece of art that they like. Depending on the age of the group, they can do this independently, in small groups, or with an adult teacher or chaperone. They will repeat the Looking 10x2 activity for their selected artwork: 
  • Pay particular attention to what they like most about the painting. 
  • Make note of the types of lines, shapes, and colors that the artist used.
• At the end of this activity, ask students the following questions and have them share their responses:
  • What kinds of lines, shapes, and colors did the artist use in the artwork you selected?
  • What about the artwork inspired you? 
  • Why do you think artists, like Jacob Lawrence, visit museums?

Part 3: Artmaking 

EXPRESS:

• Back in the classroom, students will create their own art inspired by their favorite artwork at the museum. 
  • Select an object or theme based on a piece of art you saw at the museum.
    • Think about a piece of artwork you really liked.
    • What was the artwork mainly about, in your opinion? This is the artwork’s theme. 
    • Take the theme from the artwork and create your own artwork that shows a similar theme.
  • For inspiration, pay close attention to the lines, colors, and shapes that the artist used, and try to use the artist’s style in your own work. 
• To encourage creativity and a range of personal responses, provide students with a variety of materials such as markers, paint, crayons, colored pencils, scissors, glue, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, paint, and construction paper. 
• Have each student present their artwork. In the presentation, they should explain how their piece is similar to and different from the art they saw at the museum.