Art with a Purpose

Art teacher Malia Urie shares award-winning student work and explains the role art has in influencing their world view, and the voice they have in impacting their community.

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ARTS EDUCATION IS AN IMPORTANT

component of the girl-focused education provided at the Academy. Recent research at the Brookings Institution indicates that arts education impacts students’ academic, social and emotional outcomes in significant ways. For example, students engaged in arts education experience greater compassion for others, as well as greater mutual respect with both peers and teachers. At the elementary school level, their research indicates that arts education helps students to think about things in new ways and contributes to their enjoyment of school. As we strive to provide our students with an unbeatable school experience, arts education is one of the centerpieces of our approach. In this article, art teacher Malia Urie shares how art is woven with study of topics in religion and social studies as students develop art with a message for submission to the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation’s ‘Inspired in Hawaii’ contest. And you’ll get to see the work of the winners this year from the Academy.

“Every year SHA students participate in the annual Clarence T.C. Ching

• Miyana Sander (Third Grade) - 2nd Place

• Zoey Kwon (Third Grade) - 1st Place

• Evelyn Morimoto (First Grade) - 1st Place

• Embree Sakamoto (Fifth Grade) - 3rd Place • Joy Wang (Kindergarten) - 2nd Place Foundation’s ‘Inspired in Hawaii’ contest. Clarence T.C. Ching was a successful businessman and philanthropist who did many things to “give back” to Hawaii. The contest included different categories such as essay, posters, digital posters and video asks students to follow the legacy of Clarence T.C. Ching, to “dream big and make Hawaii a better place!” The directions say

Art isn’t just pretty stuff. Because it is visual communication, Art has a role in society as a vehicle for change.”

to identify a problem and offer a thoughtful solution in a clear and creative way.

In the Lower school, the process starts with a long discussion. In grades 1-3, we used a lesson from their religion class as a guide. They were asked to think of ways that they can take care of animals, plants or each other in their own life, and pick one to focus on. Within that framework, we explored issues in their community, and beyond, that needed to be addressed. Some students focused on helping people when they fall down, while others chose planting trees or conserving electricity.

For grades 4th-6th, the discussion began with the following questions. “What

• Emi Fredette (Kindergarten) - 3rd Place

• Ellie Ma (Second Grade) - 2nd Place • Kaila Kim-Ng (Sixth Grade) - 2nd Place

• Jaiden Heresa (Sixth Grade) - 1st Place

• Sharlene Galamgam (Sixth Grade) - 3rd place, Digital Poster sorts of problems do you see in Hawaii and the world?” Drilling down a bit, “What are the biggest problems facing the most people?” and “What have you heard your parents discussing?” also, “What have you heard on the news or read about?” and finally, “What have you seen with your own eyes, or experienced personally?”

The problems they identified were generated by them, and ranged this year from Bullying, Homelessness, Global Warming, Pollution, Racial Discrimination, Homophobia, and of course, the Pandemic.

After the problems had been identified, next came the hard task of brain storming solutions. We spent a long time discussing the best way to solve these issues and listed their suggestions on the board. Then I asked them to discuss this further with their family and pick something that they felt strongly about because it would show in their art if they felt passionate about it.

In the next Art class, they were asked to create two quick sketches that included both the problem and the solution. I emphasized that art is communicating with pictures. If I could tell what their poster was about without them explaining it, then we knew they were on the right track. The best one was chosen based on their unique approach and clearness of the message, and then they moved on to the final drawing.

The final drawings were traced with Sharpie to help them stand out and colored in using various art materials including watercolor, oil pastels, colored pencils, and markers. When they were done, I chose 5-10 from each class to enter. This is always a hard task since they are so thoughtful and at this point have spent 8-10 weeks on them.

When we first started doing this assignment 10 years ago, I didn’t like doing it because it’s very time consuming, and I thought it would be difficult subject matter. But now I realize how much they get out of making these posters, and

• Cassidy Kopf (Fifth place) - 2nd Place

• Kennedy Barton (Fourth Grade) - 3rd Place

• Xiduo Jossie Wang (Second Grade) - 3rd Place

how much it impacts their world view to see that they have a voice and can impact their community. Art isn’t just pretty stuff. Because it is visual communication, Art has a role in society as a vehicle for change.

This year we had 13 winners from the lower school! “I am extra proud of my students this year because they started at home when we were quarantining, and so these posters really reflect what they care about.”

By the Numbers

28

courses are offered in visual and performing arts in the Upper School.

concerts/performances a year: 2 band concerts, 2 hula performances, 2 ballet performances, 2 choir concerts.

8

1,500+

bowls donated to the Empty Bowl Hawaii project since 2009 by the ceramic classes at SHA. Bowls sell for $20 each.

Selected Lower School choir students participate in the American Choral Directors Association’s annual conference and national choir. They have been to locations including Salt Lake City, Dallas, Kansas City, Santa Barbara, Minneapolis and Pasadena.

Lower school students participate annually in the E Mele Kakou (Let’s Sing) program provided by the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus and perform at Kawaiahao Church.

DID YOU KNOW?

Students participate in art and music at every grade level in the Lower School.