Second Grade Creates Masterpiece With Visiting Artist

“It’s important for our students to be a part of our community through the arts and to see how they can make their mark in history,” says Lower School art teacher Evelyn Hoffmann.

Guided by her passion for art and inspired by McDonogh’s 150th Anniversary, Hoffmann collaborated with local artist Suzanne HerbertForton to engage second grade students in a mosaic project, now adorning the walls of Elderkin Hall. Hoffmann connected with the visiting artist through Arts for Learning Maryland, a nonprofit devoted to enriching the lives and education of Maryland’s youth through educational and culturally diverse arts programs. They arranged for Herbert-Forton to show her art in the Tuttle Gallery and to teach the Lower School artists how to create 4x4 clay relief tiles, each depicting their impression of McDonogh as home.

Visiting artist Suzanne Herbert-Forton shows Elea P. ’34 how to create texture on a clay relief tile.

In preparation for the project, Hoffmann explained the concept of home as a source of comfort and joy, which sparked the students’ creativity as they sketched their ideas. When Herbert-Forton — who is known for her clay relief work— joined the classes, she explained the process of building off a flat surface and adding textures to help things stand out. Before long, images such as the library, being with friends, and riding the bus emerged on the young artists’ square tiles. Hoffmann says, “It was really exciting to see how different and unique all the students’ pieces were,” noting that there was little repetition among their visions of McDonogh as home.

In the time between creating their clay relief tiles and glazing them, the students had the opportunity to visit the Tuttle Gallery with Herbert-Forton. Sitting beneath one of her mixed media pieces featuring a constellation of stars, they peppered her with questions about her art. Hoffmann, who values the opportunity for her students to speak with working artists explains, “The students not only got to work with her in the classroom, but they also saw her art, asked questions, and learned where this skill can take them in the future.”

After the 64 individual tiles were glazed and fired in the kiln, the second grade’s collective masterpiece was hung. Reflecting on the 150th Anniversary project Hoffmann says, “It’s now a part of our history. The kids are excited because they see it in the hallway every day and know that they are part of the School’s history.”

—Meredith Bower