Lysa Benton, MSAE student and K-4 art teacher at Mullen-Hall Elementary School in Falmouth, decided, due to budget cuts, to be the artist-in-residence in her own school this year. Her young students often ask her if she is a “real artist.” She brought in an art piece “SO BIG” and worked on it after school so that each time the students came back to class, they could see the piece developing.
Lysa generally starts each class with “creative brain aerobics”: students look at an art work and think of something to say or ask about it. She finds that their statements and questions are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Lysa asked the students for artistic advice on SO BIG and found that they had “impressive and thoughtful” suggestions.
The piece has been accepted to the peer-curated show of the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod, which Lysa’s students visit each year. She is looking forward to their suprise when they see SO BIG, to which they contributed their suggestions, in the show.
