Keith Haring Murals

We recently began a new project about Keith Haring.  My 5th graders had never heard of him before and it was exciting seeing them light up when they explored his work.  We started out by reading a biography on him.  I found it here.  I then showed a variety of his murals and artwork.  We also explored his website haringkids.com  The students really loved the silly flash videos they have on the website.  Students practiced drawing in his simplistic style.  I stressed the idea of being imaginative and creative.  I wanted them to think outside the box and come up with truly original and inspired ideas.  I explained that Keith Haring sometimes created artwork that was meant to simply be fun, and other times it was meant to send a message.  Once we practiced our drawing skills, students split into groups of 2 to 4 students and received large pieces of butcher paper to create their own mural.  They used tempera paint to add their designs. At the very end they will add black outlines around their shapes following the style of Keith Haring.  During the 2nd week of this project Google actually celebrated Keith Harings birthday on their homepage and students were so excited to tell me about it. So far, the projects are looking fabulous.  My only problem is finding enough space in my room to let them all dry.  I have 5th grade classes back to back, so by the time my 1st class leaves, almost all my surfaces are covered with wet murals.  My 2nd group has been doing a nice job steering clear of the wet projects and working in their areas in an organized manner.   It is great to see the students delegate tasks to one another and work so cooperatively in their groups!! Each group had to come up with a major theme for their artwork.  Some groups are doing themes that are about bullying, patriotism, friendship, saying no to drugs, etc. Others are doing fun and silly themes like dancing, sports, aliens, etc. I am glad I could incorporate a group project into my plans this year.  I  don't have too many done ones yet, will hopefully posts some finished projects soon!!