Cow Parade

As many people worried about the end of the world coming, during the summer of 1999, cows took to the streets of Chicago for a moo-ving display of creativity, and a chance for some to thumb their noses at the Y2K scare and recapture the imagination of the nation. The idea came from a Swiss art director, Walter Knapp who was influenced by a similar display of lions in the city of Zurich in 1986. Many cities have followed suit doing their own version of “Cows on Parade.” Cities across the world joined Chicago in this “street art” – moose moseyed into Toronto, Canada; angels ascended in Los Angeles, California; gorillas gamboled in Bristol, UK; elephants were escorted into Rotterdam, The Netherlands; and in Minneapolis artists created Snoopys that strolled the streets in honor of Charles Schultz.

Throughout time, I have had my students take on a similar challenge. We have recreated cows, snowmen, Pandas, and Snoopys – just to name a few. The challenge is always one of having each original to the others in the class. So, to help with that, this year I added a new spin to that the challenge, PUNS! It almost brought some to the “tipping” point I must say, it was an “udderly” perfect idea!

A Twist on Teaching Line

Kooky - crooked - spirals - wavy - bending - zig-zags - twirling - repeating - weird - wiggly. 

These were just a few of the adjectives that filled our art space discussion, as the third and fourth grade artists studied the art element line the other day.

Sure, you can always grab some drawing tools and have them draw lines, but this year I wanted to take our lines to another level. We made 3D lines using bright and colorful quilling paper. It's narrow, long, and easy to manipulate for the most part. A few Band-aids later, from all the paper cuts, my new approach to line study appeared to have been a success.

We curled, we bent, we rolled, we stretched - not only paper strips, but our imaginations. Our 3D sculptural lines and forms came alive with each new idea. My little artists were thrilled with the variety of lines that were emerging and interacting with other lines as our study continued. It appeared as if there were an endless supply of movement found in our creations and around the room as everyone wanted to share a new way they discovered to shape their lines. Gotta love collaboration!