Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program

Tag: symbols

  • Leaves From Roots

    Leaves From Roots is the brainchild of Britt Black, BTSALP Visual Art specialist at Philo T. Farnsworth Elementary School (Granite School District.) The exhibit celebrates the rich and diverse cultures that make up the community and student body of the school. This project comes with a lot of thought and meaning. Students have been working since the start of the 2019-2020 school year to create a leaf based on an investigation into their own roots.

    These artists know that there was once a member of their family that brought them and their culture to Utah, whether it was quite recently or hundreds of years ago. Perhaps this family member was their great, great grandmother. Perhaps it was they themselves.

    They researched this idea and created symbols and stories to display for their family traditions, celebrations, cultures, languages, motifs and flags on their leaf. All based on their research. The actual leaves which they cut out are shaped from these countries of origin. You will see in these young artists’ work that they joyfully and vibrantly show ways they celebrate through line and color. You will see pictures and symbols telling stories from their families and how their families worked hard to get here. You will see pictures and symbols marking the countries that ultimately influence their culture and pride

    This is the beautiful, diverse, colorful community of Farnsworth Elementary School displayed in hundreds of leaves.

  • Mosaic Murals at Sprucewood Elementary

    Jonathan Hale, BTSALP Visual Art Specialist at Sprucewood Elementary School (Canyons School District,) worked with each grade level to create a colorful mural. Each Mosaic Mural is a compilation of concepts taught at each grade level. Students worked to develop images in clay and then used recycled and donated items to complete the picture. Students reviewed and explored grade level concepts while creating and constructing these mosaic murals.

    1st Grade Mosaic Mural

    Connections to Grade Level Learning: The main focus of the 1st grade mural is on changes that occur; the seasons change bringing different kinds of weather. In spring the caterpillar changes into a butterfly, plants and flowers grow from seeds. In fall the tree leaves change color and fall to the ground.

    The flowers and the snowflakes were constructed using composite shapes. The students explored their knowledge of community making bees, complete with the queen bee and worker bees. The mural emphasizes colors as a way to show temperature and the seasons.

    2nd Grade Mosaic Mural

    Connections to Grade Level Learning: The main focus of the 2nd grade mural is on the local, state and national symbols. Students created their homes, neighborhoods, and communities including their very own Sprucewood Elementary School, stores and the post office. Students then represented state symbols like the Utah State flag, Utah’s Dinosaur Monument and Arches National Park. At the national level students helped to make the United States flag and the Statue of Liberty. In addition to the local, state and national symbols, students created phases of the moon with shapes divided into equal parts.

    3rd Grade Mosaic Mural

    Connections to Grade Level Learning: The main focus of this mural is the interconnection of the sun and earth and the rotation of the moon. The mural also includes elements of space with constellations, satellites, spaceships, and the occasional math problem. The constellations were made using a grid with students calculating the area and perimeter of their creations.

    4th Grade Mosaic Mural

    Connections to Grade Level Learning: The mural focuses on the state of Utah. This mural highlights the many rock formations and types of Utah land forms, how they are formed and the effects of erosion. It also features fossils, Petroglyphs and and the people who told their stories through them. The mural also showcases the meeting of the two railroads at Promontory Point in 1869, Utah counties and even an Allosaurus. The water cycle is featured along with mathematical concepts of symmetry, angles and rays.

    5th Grade Mosaic Mural

    Connections to Grade Level Learning: The main theme of this mural is the formation of the United States of America. Each mural has a central image and four quadrants that highlight the explorers, patriots, inventors and Yankees that helped shape the American we know and love.

  • Cache County Glass Project

    What do Egyptian hieroglyphics, bus stops and colored glass have in common?  Read our latest newsletter and find out!

    Cache County Glass Project

    Sixth grade classes (90 students) at Canyon Elementary worked with glass artist, Carrie Trenholm and created fused glass panels inspired by ancient cultures. Students learned about West African Adrinka textile designs & symbols, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and symbols/imagery relating to cuneiform tablets.

    Carrie was in the schools Monday through Thursday with an Art Show on Friday (November 27 – December 1). Utah State University Anthropology Museum director came the first day and showed work from the collection. “That was really cool!”

    Students created abstract designs representing something about themselves and inspired by ancient symbols. Each student created an individual glass piece and as a group the pieces were assembled together onto a clear glass plate (6 in each group).

    Altogether 5 collaborative panels were created for each class. The panels were adhered to a metal frame and installed inside the school as a legacy project.

    Later this year, the panels will be photographed and reproduced as bus placards, placed inside Cache Valley Transit District (CVTD) buses.

    Art in Transit Show

    6th Grade Teachers: Tricia Parker, Logan Smith, Allison Tyson
    Visiting Artist: Carrie Trenholm
    Principal: Stacie Williams
    BTSALP Art Specialist: Melanie Haslam
    Cache District Arts Coordinator: Maele Shakespear
    BTSALP Program Director/USU: Aurora H. Villa