Create a colorful, site-specific outdoor installation with professional artists Anna Podris and Keith Norval. We will study amoebas, algae, plankton and bacteria. Students will explore drawing, painting, and learn about abstract art as they create an abstract amoeba with acrylic paint on wood. The whimsical amoebas will add color to your school grounds. Installation options include mounting on wood strips in groupings, hung vertically using wire or attaching to a fence using zip ties. This project is relevant to all grades studying biology. We will examine the visual appearance and parts and structure of single celled organisms. These cells often have fun abstract shapes and unusual color patterns that lend themselves to an abstract painting/sculpture. Students will make the connection between science and creativity as they plan the shape, colors and composition of their cells. To enhance the student's exploration of abstract art we will study artists from the past who have used amoeba like shapes in their paintings such as Miro and Kandinsky.

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Artist Background

Anna Podris and Keith Norval, both Savannah College of Art and Design graduates, are a husband and wife art team who are active in the local arts scene and in art education. They are founding members of the new City Market Artist Collective – a gallery run for and by artists. They have taught kids’ summer art classes to a variety of ages for many years at a variety of places including Artspace, Wild at Art and the NCMA. Both are professional painters and have taught mural painting, sculpture, sewing, printmaking, bookmaking and mixed media. They find that working with kids regularly helps keep them inspired in the studio. Their philosophy is to give kids the tools to create and creative freedom to explore. Every kid has their own unique imagination!

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Search Criteria

• Discipline: STEAM, Visual Arts
• Grade Level: Elementary, Middle
• Program Type: Workshop/Residency
• Cultural Context:
• Accepts bookings in Johnston County