The Guest Artist Program is a unique and wonderful parent-run program at Arnold Elementary School. It was started over 30 years ago and has offered successive generations of students an opportunity to develop an appreciation of art, become comfortable discussing art, and get inspiration for their own artistic creations. Over the years, the program has accumulated a rich collection of large prints, reference books, and notes contributed by different participants.
The name Guest Artist (intended to be parallel with Guest Reader) is somewhat misleading. You do not have to be an artist or have a background in art to participate in the program. All you need is an interest in art, a desire to learn more about art, and a willingness to share the learning experience with students.
Guest Artists visit classrooms once (sometimes twice) a month for 30 to 50 minutes (depending on teacher preferences and time availability). They choose an artist or a topic to discuss based on their own interest or on themes that the students are currently studying in their regular classes or in art class. Then they can see what materials are available in the Guest Artist “closet” or through the art teacher, Mrs. Phebus, who has generously offered access to her materials. Many of the large prints have lesson suggestions on the back and there are numerous notes compiled by parents and organized by artist name. Additionally the school library and the local libraries have many children’s books on artists, which could be a great starting point for a presentation and a discussion. Guest Artists can also take advantage of the technology available at the school: they can use transparencies (available through Mrs. Phebus) and any reproduction can be enlarged and projected using a document camera (just let your teacher know in advance that you’ll need the document camera). A wealth of materials is also available on the web; in particular, the National Gallery of Art (www.ngagov), the Baltimore Museum of Art (www.artbma.org), and the Museum of Modern Art (www.moma.org) offer lesson plans and downloadable artwork. Depending on time availability, some volunteers add a hands-on activity (drawing, collage, coloring book, etc.) after the discussion to reinforce the concepts that were introduced.
Participants in the Guest Artist program agree that it is very enjoyable and rewarding for both students and volunteers. The elementary school years are a great time to introduce art to children as they are still free of preconceptions and their imaginations are ready to soar with the greatest works of art. One never fails to be amazed by the discoveries children make when they look carefully at a work of art. The Guest Artist program teaches children that art is accessible and relates art that can be found in museums to their own creativity.
If you are interested in participating in the program and would like more information, please contact Mary Thompson at tyjomo@verizon.net or Dina Vollen at dina@indexing.com.