Art in Action Inspires Burlingame Students

Classrooms at in Burlingame are frequently transformed into artist studios thanks to Art in Action, an innovative, volunteer-supported, art curriculum program. As you walk through the halls of the school, you can’t help but marvel at the student-created artwork, inspired by such artists as Salvador Dali, Georges Seurat, Utagawa Toyohiro and Frederic Remington. At , the program was recently adopted for third-grade classrooms.

Kim Kovisto, parent of a first-grader at McKinley, had heard about Art in Action, a nonprofit organization providing art curriculum to schools, when she lived on the East Coast, and once transplanted to Burlingame, brought the idea to the McKinley PTA a year ago. She was delighted to learn that there was already considerable interest in bringing the program to McKinley. With support from principal Paula Valerio, the teachers, parent volunteers and the PTA, the school began implementing the program this past September.

Kovisto and fellow parents Jessica Watson and Michelle Jackson serve as coordinators for the program. They assist the teachers, make sure they have adequate supplies and line up the parent volunteers.

Enthusiastic teachers and parent volunteer docents are what make the program tick at McKinley. A background in art history is not required. Art in Action supplies teacher and docent training, the curriculum and lessons--which are created by art educators to be developmentally appropriate by grade level and follow California’s standards--and art supplies. On the Art in Action websiteteachers and volunteers can view lessons and instructional videos. Art in Action also provides kits with the necessary art supplies for each lesson and classroom. Classrooms generally have one or two Art in Action lessons each month. The cost is $14 per student per year and at McKinley, most of the funding is provided by the PTA.

At McKinley, more than 30 parent volunteers are involved in the program. The aim is to have two parent volunteers per class, and some classes surpass that goal. Every volunteer “docent” is required to participate in a two-and-a-half hour training for each grade level before helping out in the classroom.

 In a typical lesson, students might watch a video about the life and work of a famous artist, then sketch in the manner of that master and follow with paint. On the day I observed Mrs. Mitchell’s second grade class, students were learning about overlapping figures and contrasting colors, after learning about Ernst Kirchner, a 20^th-century German expressionist painter.

“I really like this program,” Mitchell said. “It exposes students to a wide range of artists and it helps all students feel successful.”

Parent volunteer Rena Gilligan, whose daughter is in the class, said “It makes art approachable and breaks down the artistic process so all kids can follow. It’s a great equalizer.”

McKinley will host a student art show at the school to highlight Art in Action and student work on April 27, 2011. In the meantime, student work is on display around Burlingame. You can find it at , 1123 Burlingame Avenue; , 275 Primrose; Earthbeam, 1399 Broadway; and , 1219 Broadway.

Art in Action at BIS

At (BIS), art teacher Gail Schauer has been integrating Art in Action into her seventh-grade art classes for the past two years, and tying in the curriculum with seventh-grade history topics as well.

“For instance, we studied a Yoruba ivory bracelet from West Africa, the Taj Mahal coordinated with the Islamic Empire, the Chi Rho page from the Book of Kells tied in with medieval Europe and The Creation of Adam from the Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by Michaelangelo went with the Renaissance,” she said. “From these studies the students were able to do an African animal in clay, a radial symmetry piece and Arabic calligraphy to make beautiful designs, a large European calligraphy letter with designs within it and make a drawing of the hands from The Creation of Adam. The students inspire each other. The appreciation for art pieces which are famous and for the art created in class grows and is exciting to see.”

Art in Action Began in Menlo Park

Art in Action was founded in 1982 by Judy Sleeth, an art history teacher and parent in Menlo Park, who didn’t want her children to be without art in classroom when budget cuts hit California schools. Now a national nonprofit organization, Art in Action can be found in more than 105 public and private schools around the country and serves 30, 000 students.

The expansion across the country began in 2008, when the organization decided to go viral with the help of the Internet. “We wanted to make art education accessible to as many students as possible,” said Betsy Halaby, program director at Art in Action, “so we decided to follow the future.” Last summer the organization also began a campaign to attract homeschoolers.

“Our curriculum is well-suited to this market where a parent and child can learn and do art together,” she said.

Art in Action Benefit

Tickets are nearly sold out for Art in Action’s third annual benefit, a luncheon and silent auction to be held on March 7, 2011 at the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club in Menlo Park. The “Atelier d’Artistes” will feature local California artists demonstrating techniques and sharing stories. Student artists from Redwood City will participate in a demonstration lesson and guests will be welcome to join in. For information and reservations, check the Art in Action website