Cultural District Art Squares

Project manager:

Anna Paradis

Email:

aparadis@winchesterps.org

School:

All primary schools

Telephone:

781-721-7020

Additional applicant:

Name:

Anna Paradis

School:

High School

Telephone:

7817217020

Type of Grant:

Collaborative

Curriculum:

Art

Target grade:

k-12

No. of staff:

Start date:

4/1/2024

Grant proposal

Summary:

Last year the Cultural District Group in Winchester created large photo stickers of student artists’ work and they were posted around town on the ground. WPS has been working to actively partner with town groups to foster strong relationships between the schools and the greater community. We are asking WFEE to sponsor 30 squares this year that will feature student artwork (k-12). WFEE’s logo would be prominently displayed on each sticker beneath each artist’s work. Art teachers from each building will curate a collection of 30 student pieces to be showcased around town. We see this as a great way to promote the arts in Winchester as well as the strong partnership between WPS and WFEE.

GRANT DETAILS

Educational Issue:

This community-interactive art initiative is in line with our district’s current focus on Performance Based Assessments. Students’ are sharing their ability to apply the skills and knowledge learned from a visual art lesson or unit of study with the greater community. The sharing of K-12 curriculum outcomes with the families and community members of Winchester is instrumental for those who support our school system to see and understand what students are learning and to feel connected to that experience. Supports Massachusetts State Standards, specifically Presenting and Connecting. Presenting: Teachers will guide students as they develop and refine various 2D artistic techniques and work for presentation in grades K-12. This process culminates in assessment practices which ask students to select work based on preference or set criteria and then describe what their art represents through titling, written explanation, and or verbal description. Students will be conveying meaning through the presentation of their artwork, causing viewers to reflect upon the various artistic styles and/or viewpoints. Connecting: As students create solutions to visual problems, they synthesize and relate their knowledge and personal experiences. Pictorial solutions reveal students’ individual reactions to external and personal inspiration, subject matter, material characteristics and limitations, teacher feedback and peer interaction. Through this process, students will distinguish their own preferences from those of others, their own style from that of others and at the advanced secondary level, their own artistic vision.

Goals & Outcomes:

Consider the following questions when developing your goals: What goals are reachable by the end of the school year? All 30 stickers will be created and displayed around town by the end of the school year. Is there a long-term impact on your classroom? We believe that this project can be the beginning of a long lasting partnership with the Cultural District and a way to foster a love of art in our students. How will your students and school benefit from this grant? Showcasing student artwork benefits our students and schools : Displaying student artwork provides students with an opportunity to learn from each other and to appreciate the work of others, nurturing empathy, respect, and a strong sense of community. By presenting student art work in a public venue, we signal to students that as teachers, as community members, we value what they do. This is their community as much as ours and in this community their creative voice is important. Students and community members will look at their work more frequently, be surrounded by their own creative output and see the direct impact they can have on their own environment and the people they share it with.

Activities:

If the grant is approved, Jenn Levatino will first work with the art teachers at each WPS school to curate student artwork. These pieces will be selected by 4/1/24. The next step will be to photograph the artwork and then create a digital image with the WFEE logo that is sent to the print shop. The stickers will be printed and placed around town by the start of the festival on 6/23/24.

Innovation & Collaboration:

An innovative approach to solving a problem This project will allow the great Winchester Community to see the artwork that our students create. This will reinforce WPS’s commitment to the arts and the town. A collaborative approach to addressing a need. Describe the involvement of other faculty, parent groups and/or students. This project will involve all 7 schools in Winchester, all of the art teachers in Winchester, and every WPS student’s work will be reviewed during the selection process. This is a true collaboration between all seven schools and the community.

IMPACT

Publicity:

The Cultural District will publicize the festival and artwork to the greater community. WPS will announce the student art work component in the weekly newsletter that is published by each principal.

Timeline:

Artwork selected by 4/1. Artwork digitized by 5/1 Sticker Printed and Placed around town by 6/23/24

Evaluation:

Jenn Levatino and I will oversee the process to ensure all timelines are met.

Budget and Explanation

Supplies:

Large Photo Stickers ($250 per sticker x 30 stickers)

$7500

Total Supplies:

$7500

Total

$7500

Budget Explanation:

The Cultural District worked with several vendors and variations of these stickers for last year’s festival. After much trial and error, they found a vendor that was competitively priced, produced quality work, and made stickers that were durable enough to adhere to pavement/bricks that could withstand weather and foot traffic. Because we are working in conjunction with the Cultural District Team, we believe that using their preferred vendor is the most cost effective option and will ensure a viable product.

Minimum Budget:

$5000

Description:

We could do fewer squares. We did 20 last year, which would cost $5000.