The New Mexico Bowl Trophy & Awards

Ah, yes! College football bowl games dominate the sports channels for all fans and innocent by standing family members to view over the holiday season. The New Mexico Bowl helped kick off this bowl season on December 18th with BYU defeating UTEP 52 - 24. This bowl game happen to catch my eye because of how they recognize the winning team and the offensive and defensive players of the game. The winning trophy and awards are original works of art created by Native American artists of the region. The trophy is created by using hand made terra-cotta coils. This same technique is taught in elementary art classes in Saline. Here you can see a traditional craft used to celebrate the competition between two colleges all the while supporting local artists of the New Mexico region.

Marcellus and Elizabeth Media | Ralph Aragon

SAS Student Exhibit

Gifts of Art

Saline Area Schools is proud to present

Student Artwork @

The University of Michigan Hospitals

December 13- February 7

Melody Jamshidi
Sophie Bugala
Griffin Granica	Harvest
Amanda Kubitz	Elementary
Makenzie Roehner
Ben O'Neil
India Pruette
Sophia Wood	Woodland Meadows
Annie Farrell	Elementary
Kevin Miller Caroline Krause Alex Taulbee
Jack Stuck Elizabeth Barsch	Pleasant Ridge
Ian Spitael	Elementary
Jordan Starkey
Ryli Harden
Maddie Miller
Anna LeChard	Heritage
Sarah Brannan	School
Connor Wall
Michael Lance Gretchen Walker Alex Bargo Camille Buckley
Vivienne Miller
Eddie Wang	Middle
Glory Ford	School
Catherine Wei
Jack Morgan
Louisa Antonelli
Grace Bowe
Emily LoPresto	High
Olivia Mendoza	School
Simon Rucinski
Alex Farmer
Cailin Newbert
Jen Ho
Lauren Branch
Katie Morgan
Elysse Childress
Kate Laramie
Jacob Corbitt
Ashton Cole

Gifts of Art Office

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Phone: (734) 936-ARTS

Fax: (734) 998-2396

E-mail: goa@med.umich.edu

Mailing address:

Gifts of Art

NI-5E06

300 North Ingalls

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5470

MAEA art confernce part 2

Another fun trip during the Michigan Art Education Association's conference was our visit to the Center for Creative Studies (CCS). This is a college where you can study all sorts of art related careers AND it is located across from the Detroit Institute of Art... what an inspiring location!!! We saw student work from the graphic design, automotive design, interior design, product design and advertising!! What an exciting place! I want to go back to college!!

MAEA art confernce

Mrs. Larsen and I attended the annual Michigan Art Education Association conference. This year it was held in Dearborn. We toured the Arab American National Museum (what a beautiful building) and saw a variety of history and art. One fun exhibit was the fashion of Arab American Alfred Shaheen. His Hawaii themed shirts were even worn by Elvis Presley!

Fighting Hunger One Bowl At A Time

When: Thursday Feb. 3, 2011

Time: 5:30- 7:30 pm

Location: Saline High School Commons

Cost: $10 per person or $30 per family advanced sales (there will be limited sales at the door depending on availability - Cost: $12 per person or $35 per family)

Join us for an evening of food, entertainment and community as we celebrate an opportunity to help end hunger!

Enjoy a bowl of soup, fresh bread, beverage and dessert prepared by the Culinary Arts students at Saline High School. Take home a handmade ceramic bowl created by Saline Area Schools Art Students in celebration of the project. Music provided by Saline High School students.

Net proceeds will be contributed to the Food Gatherers of Washtenaw County to help those in need.

Check out Food Gatherers of Washtenaw County to find out what they do to help eliminate hunger!

The handmade bowls have been specially designed by Saline Art department students, grades 3-12!

Food prepared by the Saline High School Culinary Arts department. Entertainment provided by the Saline High school Music Department. All promotional materials created by the Saline High School marketing department. Volunteer support provided by various Saline High School student and parent volunteers.

You Tube Video | Food Gatherers

Saline Art Teacher Shows Work

Christine Marsh-Leutgeb, Pleasant Ridge Elementary Art teacher, is showing her work at two venues this December. Her sculpture Moving Forward is part of a fundraiser for Arts Novi, a group of artists who are working together to sell their wares and raise awareness for the arts in the Novi community. Art will be auctioned off as part of the fundraiser on December 2nd at Gjeto's in Novi. Proceeds will help support the group's activities, such as booth space fees.

Also, she is the featured artist at the Pentamere Winery in Tecumseh. The show Wall Jewelry is on display throughout the month of December and the opening is this Saturday, December 4th from 4:30-6:30. Please join Christine and support the arts!

Motawi Tile Sale & Tile Workshop Dec. 4th

It only happens twice a year, the Motawi Tile Overrun Extravaganza and Mega Sale. If your still looking for that perfect gift or need an excuse to be creative, visit the tile shop on Saturday, December 4th between 10am to 3pm. You can shop until you drop and make a tile in the workshop. Make sure you map out how to get there and arrive early.

Motawi Tileworks

New DIA Exhibit Begins Nov. 21st

A new exhibit opens this weekend at the Detroit Institute of Arts! With the Thanksgiving holiday right around the corner, what better way to spend time with the family then to go check out this new show in addition to your favorites at the museum. Fakes, Forgeries and Mysteries includes works from a variety of cultures in a vast range of media and will appeal to a large audience, especially those interested in learning more about how the museum ticks from a scientific standpoint.

DIA | DIA Media Room

What is a logo?

What is a logo? That's what Heritage School is asking 4th and 5th grade students in order to help develop a logo for an anti-bullying campaign. Heritage is looking for an idea to symbolize the schools new slogan, B3 - Bye Bye Bullying. Parents will see information coming home this week when students receive an official entry form to participate in the school wide logo contest. The logo will be used to communicate that bullying is unacceptable an that we, as a school, can work together to keep a safe, happy, and enjoyable environment in school. Keep checking in to see the progress of the competition over the next few weeks as the school will announce the winner of the contest in December. To get more ideas and see how old logos can get a fresh look, visit the Brand New website.

11th Annual Art Walk Weekend Oct. 22-24

Join all the fun beginning on Friday, October 22 as Saline participates in its second Art Walk. Saline will be showcasing its local talent as part of a county-wide art celebration that includes Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Chelsea, Dexter, and Milan. Local artists include paintings from Saline Area Schools Middle School Art teacher Janice Martin at Saline Picture Frame and retired Art teachers Taylor and Charlene Jacobsen at Saline Mills. Please check out the links below for more information.

a3arts | annarbor.com

Star Wars Paper Collage

What could be more fun than a paper collage animation of Star Wars? Collage is a technique that is explored by all Saline School students in a variety of media. Construction paper collages are very popular with elementary art classes. This fun film using paper collage flashes you through the original trilogy in just over 2 minutes, so sit back, relax and enjoy!

Art Prize Finalists

Check out the 10 finalists for the Art Prize in Grand Rapids.

Freep.com | Art Prize

Calendar Of Events

Looking for that perfect thing to do with your family? Look no further! Check out local museum calendar's to find out what, where, and when. Keep these links in your favorites and check them often.

Detroit Institute of Arts | U of M | Toledo Museum of Art | Museum of Contemporary Art

The DIA Goes Inside Out

As a way to celebrate the Detroit Institute of Arts 125th birthday, the museum will be placing 40 reproductions throughout the Metro-Detroit area. To find out what paintings will be displayed and where, visit detnews.com.

Detroit Institute of Arts

No Cell Phones In The Museum!

The good old audio tour. Personally, I avoid the hand held audio guide whenever I go to a museum because I like to interpret the work for myself. It's only when a piece intrigues me or leaves me completely baffled that I try to find out more about it. That's exactly what happened when I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago this past week to see the Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art Show. How I learned more about the work is what makes this museum so exciting. Looking around next to the labels, my friend discovered a telephone number. I noticed him dialing the number on his cell phone and then I did the same. Shortly after we started, a gallery guard came over and said "no cell phones in the museum" and we looked at her, laughed, and pointed to the sign. She then apologized as we activated the museum's audio guide. It's interesting to see how the museum uses technology. What was once forbidden is now acceptable (as long as you don't actually hold a conversation, of course). What made this audio guide even more inviting, was that you listen to a recording of the actual artist explain their work. I found hearing the thought process directly from the artists to be very exciting, which made me dial up just about every number.

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago | Calder

A Good Investment?

An alleged work by British graffiti artist known as Banksy is up for auction on ebay. The opening bid is $75,000, yet nobody has posted a bid. Why? Well, his work can be very difficult to authenticate. After reading about the work and what is going on with the entire piece, I feel that it is a risky investment. If it turns out to be an original, providing the owner has enough information to support its authenticity, one could make some money. Check out more about the story of the Packard Plant graffiti and maybe you will want to place a bid on ebay.

Free Press | Ebay

Woodcut Printmaker

At the Ann Arbor Art Fair I was able to find a variety of artists that appealed to my interest. One artist is a woodcut printmaker by the name of Nick Wroblewski. It was hard to walk out of his booth with only one print. Check out his site and technique! The printmaking process is something that the art department explores each year in a number of different ways.

Nick Wroblewski | Nick's Process

2010 Ann Arbor Art Fair

Don't forget to check out the Ann Arbor Art Fair this week! The show begins on Wednesday the 21st and continues through the weekend until the 24th. For a list of times, directions, and all that other good stuff visit the art fair website.

Art Video

Click here to view!

Art Show Review

Click here to see highlights from the 2010 Spring Arts Festival.

Art Show Sneak Preview

Art teachers agree, the Spring Arts Festival is going to be a big hit.


(left to right) Ms. Martin, Mrs. Marsh, Ms. Maerz

T-Shirt Painting!

Saturday at the art show from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. be sure to check out our T-shirt painting activity! New designs developed by high school students are printed on T-shirts for you to paint. Add your own personal touch of creativity to a T-shirt and wear it. See you there!



Designs in picture by: Paula Popa, Cailin Neubert, and Sami Bailey

The Potter's Wheel

Andrea Opland, Saline High School Senior, would like to continue exploring ceramics after taking Pottery I with Ms. Koppleman. I ran into Andrea a few weeks ago after school practicing the art of the cylindrical form. She said that she was very frustrated at first when learning how to center the clay, but then was able to get the hang of it with a lot of practice. At the time I spoke with her she had only been throwing for about a week and I could see her excitement and determination for the potter's wheel.


Students from Ms. Koppleman's art room will be holding wheel throwing demonstrations at the Spring Arts Festival. We encourage you to check out the dedication that students like Andrea put forth to learn about the challenges the potter's wheel can bring.

Badge of Expression

This year at the Spring Arts Festival reception (Saturday 6-8) art teachers will be passing out a variety of art buttons. Don't miss out on the chance to wear an exclusive badge (while supplies last). These buttons will give you the chance to express your excitement, creativity, and overall love for art.

6th Annual Circle of Art

With all the excitement leading up to the Spring Arts Festival, it's a good time to bring up the annual Circle of Art at Saline Frame Shop.

"Turning Art Into Food"
The Circle of Art is a charity event that helps raise money for Food Gatherers. Local artists donate work to the auction, and in turn, 100% of the bid goes to Food Gatherers.

Make sure you go online to take a look and bid right this minute on all of the artwork your fellow community members have generously donated. Participating in the auction is not only a great way to contribute to this vital cause, but providing that you win a bid, you can also acquire an original piece of art.

The charity event takes place on Sunday, May 16th from 12 to 5p.m. It would be a great addition to a weekend of art and many of the Saline Art Department staff has work in the auction.

Countdown to Spring Arts Festival 2010

Well, it's that time of the year! It's time for Saline Area Schools annual Spring Arts Festival at Saline High School. The festival celebrates the many talented students in our community. This year continues the tradition and will be filled with many outstanding works for everyone to see. Please stay tuned to the blog this week as there will be daily posts leading up to the festival.

Saline Area Schools K-12 Art Department Presents...

Spring Arts Festival 2010

May 14th - 16th

Friday 4pm - 8pm

Saturday 1pm - 8pm
*Reception 6pm - 8pm

Sunday 1pm - 8pm

*Special events will take place at the reception, which include a raffle, T-shirt painting, meet and great with art teachers, and demonstrations!

Please join us in this annual celebration of art. We look forward to seeing you there.

Artists Are All Amoung Us

Saline Area Schools custodian Mary Dunham has a creative side. She works in watercolor to express herself. Mary has been painting for most of her life and communicates who she is in her pictures. She has shown her work at the Ella Sharp Gallery in Jackson, the Rinhill Gallery in Ann Arbor, and the Pentimire Winery in Tecumseh.

Also, Mary has submitted a painting in the upcoming Circle of Art charity event at the Saline Frame Shop.

When asked about her creative side Mary says "Painting is more true of me than any other side of me. It becomes 100 percent of the person I am. Each time I paint I learn more and become more".

Visiting Artist at Saline Middle School

The pictures are of guest artist, Autum Fisher. She is a stone sculptor working in limestone and marble. She came into Ms. Hughes’ class March 30th along with Nicole Bidden's students for career enrichment and showed slides of her work and gave the students a stone carving demonstration. As you can see students were allowed to use her tools and carve into the stone.

Quotes regarding the arts by JFK

President Kennedy was a great supporter of the arts; inscribed on the walls of the River Terrace, just outside the Grand Foyer, you will find quotes from speeches in which he spoke of his vision for America's cultural life.

THERE IS A CONNECTION, HARD TO EXPLAIN LOGICALLY BUT EASY TO FEEL, BETWEEN ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLIC LIFE AND PROGRESS IN THE ARTS. THE AGE OF PERICLES WAS ALSO THE AGE OF PHIDIAS. THE AGE OF LORENZO DE MEDICI WAS ALSO THE AGE OF LEONARDO DA VINCI, THE AGE OF ELIZABETH ALSO THE AGE OF SHAKESPEARE, AND THE NEW FRONTIER FOR WHICH I CAMPAIGN IN PUBLIC LIFE, CAN ALSO BE A NEW FRONTIER FOR AMERICAN ART.
Letter to Miss Theodate Johnson, Publisher, Musical America, September 13, 1960

I AM CERTAIN THAT AFTER THE DUST OF CENTURIES HAS PASSED OVER OUR CITIES, WE, TOO, WILL BE REMEMBERED NOT FOR VICTORIES OR DEFEATS IN BATTLE OR IN POLITICS, BUT FOR OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE HUMAN SPIRIT.
On behalf of the National Cultural Center which would come to bear his name November 29, 1962

TO FURTHER THE APPRECIATION OF CULTURE AMONG ALL THE PEOPLE. TO INCREASE RESPECT FOR THE CREATIVE INDIVIDUAL, TO WIDEN PARTICIPATION BY ALL THE PROCESSES AND FULFILLMENTS OF ART — THIS IS ONE OF THE FASCINATING CHALLENGES OF THESE DAYS.
"The Arts in America,” Look, December 18, 1962

THIS COUNTRY CANNOT AFFORD TO BE MATERIALLY RICH AND SPIRITUALLY POOR.
State of the Union Message, January 14, 1963

I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH WILL REWARD ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ARTS AS WE REWARD ACHIEVEMENT IN BUSINESS OR STATECRAFT. I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH WILL STEADILY RAISE THE STANDARDS OF ARTISTIC ACCOMPLISHMENT AND WHICH WILL STEADILY ENLARGE CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH COMMANDS RESPECT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD NOT ONLY FOR ITS STRENGTH BUT FOR ITS CIVILIZATION AS WELL.
At Amherst College, October 26, 1963

I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH WILL NOT BE AFRAID OF GRACE AND BEAUTY.
At Amherst College, October 26, 1963

Art Video

Click here to check out this cool video!

MAEA Honors

Congratulations to the following Saline students for receiving honors in the 2010 Michigan Art Education Association Show!

Libbey Hansen – Woodland Meadows – Oil Pastel Pueblo - Top 100 in the state!

Libbey’s work will hang at the Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids
June 14, 2010 - June 25, 2010

Kaitlin Walper – Harvest – Painted, Textured Rectangles – Top 100 in the state!

Kaitlin’s work will hang at the Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids
June 14, 2010 - June 25, 2010

Maddie Nowosielski – Pleasant Ridge – Collage Cubist Face – Top 100 in the state!

Maddie’s work will hang at the Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids
June 14, 2010 - June 25, 2010

Jess Wolma – Middle School – Tempera Zebra – Top 100 in the state!

Jess's work will hang June 1 through June 11 at Gallery 103 at Kendall College of Art and Design, in Grand Rapids.

Clara Wong – Middle School - Mixed Media / Cubism – Michigan Department of Education

Clara’s piece will hang at the Michigan Department of Education for one year, April 6 2010 through April 2011. The Michigan Department of Education is located at John A. Hannah Building 608 West Allegan St. in Lansing. Hours are Monday through Friday 8:00am until 5:00pm

Sarah Richtner – Saline High School – Acrylic / Staircase – Governor’s Traveling Show – Top 18!

Sarah’s piece will be displayed in May as part of the Michigan Youth Arts Festival (MYAF) and will also be part of the Governor's Traveling Show. The MYAF exhibit will be held at Western Michigan University at the Richmond Gallery, in Kalamazoo. Dates for MYAF are May 13-15.

Olivia Mendoza – Saline High School – 3D Cornell Type Box – Michigan Youth Arts Festival

Olivia’s piece will be displayed in May as part of the Michigan Youth Arts Festival (MYAF). The Exhibit will be held at Western Michigan University at the Richmond Gallery, in Kalamazoo. Dates for MYAF are May 13-15.

Matisse Grids

The fourth graders at Pleasant Ridge recreated paintings by Henri Matisse using the grid system. Each student was given a 1" by 1" square from a photo of the painting "Green Stripe". Students used oil pastel to mix and blend colors to match the colors, lines, and shapes. Then, all of the squares were put back together to recreate the image of the painting.

MAEA Region 3 Art Show Blog Site

Check out this blog created by a grandparent of a student from a neighboring school district. It captures the excitement of this years MAEA Art Show at Adrian College. Click here for additional pictures of the show.

Motawi Tile: Make-a-Tile Workshop March 18th

Grades 7 through adult can join Motawi Tile at the Saline Public Library on Thursday, March 18th from 7p.m. to 9p.m. Space is limited and registration is required. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to create a tile of your own and learn more about Motawi Tileworks.

K-6 Library Art Show

To celebrate Youth Art Month the Saline Public Library will be showing K-6 student art during the month of March. Stop in to see the wide variety of work while you hunt for an art related book. Also, travel through the past school years with the permanent collection throughout the library.

Saline Public Library

Location:
555 N. Maple Road Saline, MI 48176

Hours:
Monday - Thursday 9 am - 9 pm
Friday & Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday 1 pm - 5 pm

Student Collage

Frances Iseda, 5th grade student from Mrs. Robke's room, created this collage with her grandmother. It's always great to see the art that students create outside of the classroom. Frances enjoys making art and learning about different collage techniques from her grandmother, which make this piece special to her.

Ice House Detroit

Artists Gregory Holm and Matthew Radune are working together to bring attention to Detroit's foreclosure rate. Detroit leads the nation in foreclosures and by using art as form of expression, this temporary instillation will help draw the attention that this crisis needs. Check out the links below to learn more about the project and follow along with the process from the beginning. The Detroit Ice House Blog is very informative and is updated frequently. To listen to a short visual mission statement, click the kickstarter link. Also, Time Magazine has included the Ice House in the national spotlight as they visit Detroit.


Ice House Detroit Blog|Time Magazine|Kickstarter

Why Art Education is Crucial

A recent article published in the Feb.2009: Art Education issue of "Edutopia," discusses why art education is crucial, and school districts at the forefront of art education. The article discusses how comprehensive and innovative arts initiatives are taking root in a growing number of school districts. Some communities, such as New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis, are forging partnerships between the school district and the city's vibrant arts community in order to build stronger educational art programs. Communities, such as those in Dallas, are also using art to reinvent its school district. It is always great to see how other school and states are emphasizing art in theirs schools.

Click here to read the article.

-Cyndi Koppelman

Giacometti Sculpture Sells for $104.3 million!

An anonymous buyer purchased Alberto Giacometti's Walking Man I for $104.3 million dollars. The pricey transaction took place in London at Sotheby's and sets a new record for the highest purchase ever made for a piece of art. To learn more about this and try to answer why might someone pay that much money for a work of art, click here.

MOMA Giacometti Exhibit|Artcyclopedia

Final Jeopardy Question 1/28/10

Yesterday's Final Jeopardy topic was 19th Century Artists. Alex read the quote "With an apple I will astonish Paris" and showed a still life painting.








Who is...click here

Jeopardy|Quotes

The 28th Annual Plymouth Ice Festival January 22-24

Looking for a way to stay cold? The Plymouth Ice Festival takes place this weekend! The spectacular promotes ice sculpture as an art form and features over 100 sculptures and entertainment ranging from live music to family shows and treats for all ages. What can be more exciting than ice, chainsaws, and activities for the whole entire family!

Realistic to Non-Objective Art

What is abstract art? That is what I am asking 5th grade to think about with our current project. Abstract art can be difficult to understand or accept, especially when I go to the art museum with my family. I always hear "I can do that" or "this isn't art" as I travel through the galleries during our visit. It takes very little to understand a lot. The first thing you need to do, and this is what I tell my students, is learn about what you are looking at. Ask questions and think about what the artist is trying to communicate. Only then will the magic begin. One way to help understand abstract art is to classify the difference in style from work that is realistic. Classifying the stylistic qualities helps students apply ideas in the process of creating their own work. Challenge yourself and take the Realistic to Non-objective Quiz online to strengthen your understanding of the stylistic qualities of abstract art.

Tim Burton: Artist & Film Director

Most of us by now have experienced the world of Tim Burton. Whether it was in Batman (89, 92, 95), Edward Scissor Hands, or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), chances are you have purchased a ticket to one or more of the movies in his amazing filmography. Currently at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City there is an exhibition on Tim Burton. I would absolutely love to hop on a plane and go to New York (on a regular basis if I could) to visit some of the greatest museums in the world, but when traveling to New York is not an option, we must find other ways to be a part of the events. One thing I enjoy most about how we share information today is how we can visit somewhere without leaving the comfort of our computer chair. Yes, you may not experience everything a place has to offer, but technology can open doors to create more interest and opportunities. Whether I am looking for something to do locally, planning out a vacation, or viewing an exhibition that I cannot attend, looking online gives us options that never existed. Thanks to the wonderful MOMA website, we can get a taste of the Tim Burton show. You have to check out this site! Not only does it let you experience a lot of his work and learn about who he is, but the website has to be the best I have ever seen. See for yourself! I promise you won't be disappointed.

While you are there, expect to get side tracked, but don't forget to click on the family activity guide.

Kindergarten Sculptures Inspired by Louise Nevelson

Until now, the Kindergarten students have been creating 2 dimensional pieces of art. So, to start the new year, I decided to introduce the students to a different art form: the exciting work of Louise Nevelson, a Russian-born American sculpture artist. Louise Nevelson creates 3 dimensional shallow-relief work using found objects, which she often arranged inside of boxes and then painted white, black, or gold. For information about this artist, please visit http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/7aa/7aa729.htm and http://www.guggenheimcollection.org/site/artist_work_md_117A_2.html. The students have had a lot of fun using found objects to create the shallow-relief sculptures!! All of the artworks will be displayed at the entrance of Houghton school within the next month!
Works in progress:

The Tournament of Roses Parade

As Michiganders we are very familiar with the Rose Bowl and one of the most exciting events during New Years Day, watching the Tournament of Roses Parade. While I was watching the parade this year I recognized, more than ever, what a terrific celebration of the arts it really is. The sculptures on the floats, the music, and the time that goes into making the parade happen. Just the fact that all the floats are constructed from organic materials is an accomplishment in it's own. Sculpture can be made from anything, and this proves just that. Take time to learn more about the parade and past trophy winners with the links below.

Tournament of Roses|Trophy Winners Photo Galleries