Topsfield Fair was back with a vengeance, Oct 1 –11, and so was the Greenhouse pumpkin exhibit machine. It is difficult to express adequately the level of intensity and creativity that goes into this project and others like it. What amazes me (Mr. Danny) in particular is how Ms. Julia manages to keep it fresh, new and exciting after 20+ years of entering this competition.
It is artistic masterpiece on a whole different level to juggle, weave and fine tune all the variables: making sure students at all levels are engaged and contributing in a meaningful way. This means balancing the complexity of design and implementation so that the middle schoolers are challenged, while keeping sufficiently simpler tasks for the young ones to feel important and included in the final product.
In the end, the magic of modeling, cajoling, guiding and then letting go has to be honed so that students know they have produced excellent work together and by themselves. This last is most important, and lacking in much of American art instruction, where the height of children’s “creativity” and (therefore “art”) is simply being allowed to do what they want—without instruction, guidance, mentoring, etc. The whole thing plays out as if art begins and ends with post modernism, and Picasso never had to complete anatomical studies or sketch out, plan and develop his ideas. Nonsense.
For us, this project, our approach to art, and to education in general can be seen through the same prism. This toggle leads to true lifelong learning, and produces incredible results. It also may be why our kids are still creating their own art to decorate their apartments in med school. Quite poetic.
Even though we had to skip the trip to the fair and the parade due to staffing and covid concerns, we none the less still scrambled, pouring our energy into decorating the school like never before.
