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Portraits of Peace
[ continued ]

Assignment: Part A
Create a self-portrait that incorporates your spirit, your personal icon, a cultural symbol, and a symbol from your collaborative exchange.

Procedure:

  1. Select a media of choice for your project. Your self-portrait may be a drawing, painting, collage, photograph, digital, sculpture, or mixed media. Size for work is to be a minimum of 8“ x 11” and no larger than 10” x 12”. (Week 1)
  2. In your journal, document a definition for peace. (Week 1)
  3. Select a personal icon that represents your Spirit. You may use the symbolic animal icon you selected earlier this year or you may define an entirely new symbol/icon. (Week 1)
  4. In regards to your cultural heritage, define a cultural symbol that you relate to such as a shamrock, the Nike swoosh, J, your flag, the golden arches, etc. Record this in your journal and explain where the symbol came from and why you chose it. (Week 1)
  5. Research Maggie Taylor, collaborative art, and Common Elements in your art journals. (Week 2)
  6. Via email, contact your assigned collaborative partner and discuss your ideas for a peace portrait that incorporates the above. Introduce yourself and your plan for your portrait (media, style, etc.) Ask them to tell you of their ideas for their portrait of peace. Ask them to “give” you a symbol of peace or harmony from their culture for you to incorporate into your work. You are to do the same. “Give” your partner a peace symbol that you have chosen and would like to share. You may decide jointly to incorporate one agreed upon peace symbol, a symbol that is part of a pair, i.e. lock and key, rabbit and the moon, etc. (Week 2)
  7. Sketch out ideas for your portrait in your journal. Continue your dialog with your partner. (Week 3)
  8. Work on your portrait. As you do so, document your work and the exchanges you make with your partner in your art journals. Try to email your partner during this time at least every two to three days. (Week 3 and 4)
  9. Scan your work into the computer and save in your art folder. Submit your work to be photographed digitally if it is not two-dimensional and cannot be scanned. (Week 5)
  10. Exchange your portraits digitally. (Week 5)
  11. Print one copy of your partner’s portrait to display alongside your portrait. (Week 6)
  12. Groups will be assigned to visit the local elementary schools to explain their portraits and the collaborative exchange. Groups will discuss what has been learned about the Japanese culture through this project. Students will lead the younger students in creating their own peace portraits.

Assignment Variation: Part B
Create a self-portrait that incorporates the same three agreed upon symbols. These symbols may reflect your spirit of hope for the future, your wishes for a peaceful world, and / or cultural symbols from your collaborative exchange for your peace portrait.

Procedure

  1. Select a media of choice for your project. Your self-portrait may be a drawing, painting, collage, photograph, digital, sculpture, or mixed media. Size for work is to be a minimum of 8“ x 11” and no larger than 10” x 12”. (Week 1)
  2. In your journal, document a definition for peace. (Week 1)
  3. In your journal, research and define symbols that you think reflect peace, hope, personal spirit, future dreams / wishes, good will, etc. Be prepared to share these with your partner via email in week 2. (Week 1)
  4. Via email, introduce yourself and your plan for your portrait (media, style, etc.) Ask your partner to tell you of their ideas for their portrait of peace. Via email, contact your assigned collaborative partner and discuss your ideas for a peace portrait that incorporates the same three agreed upon symbols. These symbols may reflect your spirit of hope for the future, your wishes for a peaceful world, and/or cultural symbols from your collaborative exchange for your peace portrait. Document the exchange and what symbols might be suitable in your journal. Week 2
  5. Research Maggie Taylor, collaborative art, and Common Elements in your art journals. (Week 2)
  6. “Give” your partner a peace symbol that you have chosen FROM THOSE DISCUSSED and would like to include in your portraits. Ask them to “give” you a symbol of peace or harmony from their culture for you to incorporate into your work. You are to do the same. This is a joint exchange. Your portraits will be different, but the common symbols will link your portraits. Decide which will be the third symbol you will both use. Sketch out ideas for your portrait in your journal. (Week 3)
  7. Work on your portrait. As you do so, document your work and the exchanges you make with your partner in your art journals. Try to email your partner during this time at least every two to three days. (Week 3 and 4)
  8. Scan your work into the computer and save in your art folder. Submit your work to be photographed digitally if it is not two-dimensional and cannot be scanned. (Week 5)
  9. Exchange your portraits digitally. (Week 5)
  10. Print one copy of your partner’s portrait to display alongside your portrait. (Week 6)
  11. Groups will be assigned to visit the local elementary schools to explain their portraits and the collaborative exchange. Groups will discuss what has been learned about the Japanese culture through this project. Students will lead the younger students in creating their own peace portraits. (Weeks 7 and 8)

• Vivian Komando now teaches art at Pope John Paul II High School, Henderson, Tennessee. (4.05)

• See more student work from this project in the Peace Project Gallery.

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