Visual Art: Painting the Corners

Greetings, teachers! We're pleased to announce that our Visual Arts curriculum will be undergoing an exciting transformation in 2012. We will be adding grade-level appropriate pre and post visit lessons for you to do in your classroom. As the lessons are completed and edited by the Hall of Fame's research team they will be added to this page. Please check back throughout the year for additional materials.

If you have further questions about this subject unit, please contact the Education Department at 607-547-0347.

Introduction

Art is window into history and vision into the future. Artists throughout history have interpreted historical moments through prints, painting, drawing, sculpture and photography. In baseball art, the artist specifically tells a story of a significant moment in American history that can be analyzed and interpreted by the viewer. By examining artwork students will become investigators of life through the history of baseball. By using knowledge of history, art and baseball students will discover clues left by artists to tell the story of baseball as it relates to American culture

Objectives

In completing this lesson, students will:

• Examine art that reflects images of baseball through various mediums.
• Analyze various pieces of art and discover the visual clues left by the artist that represent the time period it depicts.
• Understand the relevance of art, baseball, and American history and their connection to each other.

In Advance of a Field Trip or Videoconference

Pre-Program Classroom Activities

1. Find examples of a medium and experiment with it in an artistic way to better understand its texture and application. These might include paint, wood, plaster, clay, paper, etc.
2. Have students familiarize themselves with well-known players in baseball history. Each student should be responsible for studying a different player. When all students complete their research, have them present their profiles to assemble a montage of player biographies. This could also be done with famous artists.
3. Create a museum in the classroom by displaying a collection of artwork representing different artists and mediums. Have students develop exhibit text for each work that describes the artist and style (e.g. abstract or realistic), the era, medium, size, etc. Students should review the work and list their opinions.

Vocabulary
Aesthetics
Artifact
Asymmetry
Caricature
Commercial Art
Era
Expression
The Great Depression
Harlem Renaissance
Illustration
Integration
Interpretation
Jazz Age
Medium
Memorabilia
Museum
Perception
Preservation
Retro
Technique
Technology
Three-dimensional

Post-Experience Wrap-Up

Post-Program Classroom Activities

1. Create a museum in the classroom by displaying a collection of the students' own original sports artwork. A suggestion might be to re-create a postcard, advertisement, postage stamp or nostalgic baseball card representing a player from an earlier era. Have students research and develop exhibit text for each work that describes their style (e.g. abstract or realistic), the era represented, medium, size, etc. Students should review each others' work and list their constructive opinions. Invite other classes to tour the museum.
2. Develop a creative plan for a new baseball team in your community. Include artistic renderings of team colors, a logo, mascot, uniform ensembles and marketing materials.
3. Write a short essay, haiku or poem about a specific piece of sports artwork. Refer to the work's importance, expression and/or representation of a particular moment or milestone in history.

Relevant National Learning Standards

This unit meets National Learning Standards in History, Fine Arts, Visual Arts, and Language Arts. Contact us for information on specific standards: 607-547-0347.