"A TOUCH OF GLASS" SIMPSON ELEMENTARY ARTS INCLUSION PROJECT SEPTEMBER 22, 27, 28, 2022

Day 1 September 22, 2022

This project titled, "A TOUCH OF GLASS" is inspired by the glass art of Artist, Dale Chihuly. The students learned about how glass is made and how artists infuse colors into glass. They were amazed by the hot kilns that fire the glass into shape as the artist blows and rolls and shapes the pieces. They were inspired by the installations of Cheekwood and museums where Chihuly displays his art. Each class had a different project so that the final installation would have lots of different kinds of art and colors. We focused on warm and cool colors. Visiting artist Kim Soule and Art Teacher, Kelli Combs led the students in the creation of all pieces used for the collaboration.

Day 2 and 3 we were meeting with more students and creating more glass like objects from recycled plastic, plastic cups and coffee filters to create the installation. Students were learning about the power of a group collaboration!

Dale Chihuly inspired installations are coming together! Ms. Combs and I have been using a heat gun to melt the plastic cups and form them into the perfect Mackia bowls in the style of Chihuly glass. The Chandeliers are growing as we add more to them each day. Some are warm and cool colors and some are a mixture. The first grade mackia bowls are drying and forming into the shapes to be added to an installation of all of them together. The colors are so outstanding!!