Diverse Materials, Multifaceted Makers
Students in all grade levels are almost finished with their "My Roots" projects, a mixed-media exploration of identity and background that is part of our Leadership module. This project is inspired by artist Radcliffe Bailey, who uses environmental materials such as Georgia red clay, seawater, and his own DNA in his works that explore themes of ancestry, race, and memory. Like Bailey's artworks, students' pieces include black and white photographs relating to their cultures as well as colorful layers of paint. Seventh grade students at Gardner Pilot Academy (GPA) incorporated original "I Am From" poems -- written during their humanities class -- into their artwork.