A Bird in the Hand - Art Gallery of Alberta

Interpretive Guide & Hands-on ActivitiesThe Alberta Foundation for the ArtsTravelling Exhibition Program | 2013A Bird in the HandI once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a villagegarden, and I felt that I was more distiguished by that circumstance than I should have beenby any epaulet I could have worn.Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramThe Interpretive GuideThe Art Gallery of Alberta is pleased to present your community with a selection from its TravellingExhibition Program. This is one of several exhibitions distributed by The Art Gallery of Alberta as partof the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program. This Interpretive Guide has beenspecifically designed to complement the exhibition you are now hosting. The suggested topics fordiscussion and accompanying activities can act as a guide to increase your viewers’ enjoyment and toassist you in developing programs to complement the exhibition. Questions and activities have beenincluded at both elementary and advanced levels for younger and older visitors.At the Elementary School Level the Alberta Art Curriculum includes four components to providestudents with a variety of experiences. These are:Reflection: Responses to visual forms in nature, designed objects and artworksDepiction: Development of imagery based on notions of realismComposition: Organization of images and their qualities in the creation of visual artExpression: Use of art materials as a vehicle for expressing statementsThe Secondary Level focuses on three major components of visual learning. These are:Drawings: Examining the ways we record visual information and discoveriesEncounters: Meeting and responding to visual imageryComposition: Analyzing the ways images are put together to create meaningThe activities in the Interpretive Guide address one or more of the above components and are generallysuited for adaptation to a range of grade levels. As well, this guide contains coloured images of theartworks in the exhibition which can be used for review and discussion at any time. Please be awarethat copyright restrictions apply to unauthorized use or reproduction of artists’ images.The Travelling Exhibition Program, funded by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, is designed to bringyou closer to Alberta’s artists and collections. We welcome your comments and suggestions and inviteyou to contact:Shane Golby, Manager/CuratorTravelling Exhibition ProgramPh: 780.428.3830; Fax: 780.421.0479Email: shane.golby@youraga.caThis package contains:Curatorial StatementArtist BiographiesVisual Inventory - list of worksVisual Inventory - imagesBackground InformationArt Across the CurriculumCurriculum ConnectionsWhat is Visual Learning?Elements of Composition/Reading Pictures ToursExhibition Related ProjectsGlossaryCreditsSupport MaterialsOur GalleryAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramCuratorial StatementA Bird in the HandA bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.Alexander PopePastorals - SpringThe earth is truly blessed with an amazingvariety of creatures. All possess their ownunique and special characteristics and,throughout time, have intrigued and inspiredmankind in a multitude of ways. None, however,have proved to be such a continuous source ofwonder as birds.Since early man first saw birds take flight,these winged creatures have captured hisimagination. Birds feature in the creation mythsand have been worshipped as gods, or serveas messengers of the gods, in many of theworld’s cultures; they have inspired the musingsof philosophers, poets and other writers; theyhave motivated the investigations of scientists,engineers and architects; and, since man firststarted drawing, painting and sculpting in cavesover 30,000 years ago, birds have been asubject in visual art.own relationships to the ‘fine featheredfriends’ who share our homes, our backyards,and the very air we breathe.What do you think of when you see a raven,or spy the first robin of spring?How do you feel when you hear the cry ofgeese as they fly south in the fall?Have you ever wished you could...fly?I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulderfor a moment, while I was hoeing in a villagegarden, and I felt that I was more distiguishedby that circumstance than I should have beenby any epaulet I could have worn.Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)Why has there been this fascination withthese creatures? What characteristics do birdspossess to warrant the creative attention ofmen and women?The art works in the exhibition A Bird in theHand, drawn from the collection of the AlbertaFoundation for the Arts, examine the manyways birds have been approached by visualartists. Featuring art work produced in a varietyof media by some of Alberta’s most importantartists and art educators, this exhibitionexamines not only how birds have beenportrayed by visual artists, but also exploressome of the reasons for and possible meaningsbehind these investigations. In the process,these works invite the viewer to consider theirIllingworth KerrMagpies, Winter Sun, 1982Linocut on Paper9 inches X 5 7/8 inchesA Bird in the Hand was curated by ShaneGolby (Art Gallery of Alberta) for The AlbertaFoundation for the Arts Travelling ExhibitionProgram. The AFA Travelling Exhibition Program isfinancially supported by the Alberta Foundation forthe Arts.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramArtist BiographiesIllingworth KerrIllingworth Kerr was born in Saskatchewan in 1905 and, in his early years, divided his timebetween Ontario and Saskatchewan. When he was very young Kerr made drawings of animalsand received some guidance from his mother, an amateur water colourist. In 1924 he wentto Toronto and attended an art course at the Central Technical School. He then entered theOntario College of Art (1924-1927) where he studied under Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald,F.H. Varley and J.W. Beatty. Kerr returned to Saskatchewan in 1928 and established a studio. In1936 he travelled to England where he worked in documentary film productions and studied atWestminster School of Art, London. From 1945 to 1946 he taught at the Vancouver School of Artand then moved to Alberta where, from 1947 to 1967, he was the Head of the Art Departmentat the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art (renamed the Alberta College of Art in 1960) inCalgary. Throughout his career Kerr also wrote and published short stories. He has been thesubject of several solo exhibitions, retrospectives and catalogues, and is considered one ofAlberta’s most prominent artists.Marion NicollMarion Nicoll (1909-1985) was among the first artists in Alberta to embrace abstraction. Bornin Calgary, she defied the conservative art establishment of 1950s Alberta and introduced anew era of artistic production in our province - one that was not only aware of but informed byinternational art movements. Her work is known for its beautiful, elemental quality, in which theenvironment is reduced to symbolic and metaphoric forms. Nicoll’s strong, decisive canvasesand richly coloured prints earned her a place in the Royal Canadian Academy - the first womanpainter from Alberta ever elected - and the unofficial title “the Emily Carr of the Prairies.”Marion Nicoll’s other contribution to art in Alberta was made through her teaching. Threegenerations of artists studied with her between 1931, when she started as a student instructorat the Alberta College of Art, and 1965 when she retired. The list of students, most of who claimNicoll as an important influence in their careers, includes such significant artists as: Alex Janvier,ManWoman, Katie Ohe, Stan Perrot and George Wood.George LittlechildGeorge Littlechild was born in Edmonton in 1958. As an infant Littlechild was taken bygovernment agencies and put into a series of foster homes (non-native) where he remaineduntil he was eighteen. This government policy of breaking up native families and attempting todestroy indigenous cultures came to be of great significance to Littlechild’s life and work. Hereceived a diploma in Art and Design from Red Deer College in 1984, and a BFA from the NovaScotia College of Art and Design in 1988.Littlechild’s art is motivated by a drive for self-understanding and self-healing. The core of hisart practice was, and is, research and narrative exploring the lives and ways of his ancestors.Specific issues dealt with in his paintings are residential schools, the colonization of America byEuropeans, and the attempted cultural genocide of his people through institutions and legislation.Littlechild’s work is hybrid and shows an approach to artmaking that is as western as it isinfluenced by his Cree heritage. His art is firmly situated within the context of contemporaryAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramArtist Biographies continuedpainting, often simultaneously utilizing strategies of printmaking, photography, collage, foundobjects, text etc. His prints and paintings are characterized by bright and vivid colours, heavyoutlines, layered paint and impasto.Artist Statement:My art...”is art that speaks from the heart, the social and the political. My art is charged withenergy and colour, vibrant, magical and thus enabling the soul to travel. I envision. I rely on theintuitive, the spiritual, the emotional. To tell stories through my art. I am a storyteller, a visualist.A conveyer of messages...I began to create art as a small boy. My foster mother saw that Ihad a talent (and) was encouraging, loving....She saw the gift in me. Scribblers were filled, artlessons began at an early age....Art school, exhibitions and books, lectures, teaching and therest is history.”Maxwell BatesMaxwell Bates was born in Calgary, Alberta in 1906 and studied at the Provincial Instituteof Technology. He spent the years 1931-1939 in London, exhibiting regularly. As a memberof the British Expeditionary Force sent to France in 1940, he was captured by the Germansand interned in a prison camp from 1940-1945. Returning to Calgary in 1946 he worked asan architect before moving to Victoria, B.C. in 1961. Bates has received many awards for hispainting and was a Fellow of the International Institute of Arts and Letters and a member of theRoyal Canadian Academy. He received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Calgary in1971.Bates’ expressive style, forceful approach to applying colour in bold strokes, and his simple yetstructured compositions provided an alternative approach to landscape paintings, one whichdiffered from The Group of Seven and the English landscape traditions.James Agrell SmithJames Agrell Smith was born in Stettler, Alberta. Although he attended summer school coursesat Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB in 1944, he was considered a self-taught artist. Uponhis discharge from the Canadian Army in 1947 he worked as a freelance artist (1948-1950) untilhe took on full-time employment with Canada Post in Red Deer, Alberta. James Agrell Smithhelped form the strong foundation of today’s printmaking practice in Alberta. He was electedan associate member of the CPE (Canadian Society of Painters, Etchers, and Engravers) in1952, with full membership in 1954. Smith was instrumental in setting up the Western Chapter,Edmonton Branch of the CPE. He exhibited prints in the influential Hart House show entitledWestern Printmakers Exhibit in 1957, as well as exhibiting consistently during the 1950’s and60’s. He retired in 1970 and died in Red Deer in 1988.Agrell Smith’s images are realistic, strong in character and narrative. The traditional black andwhite images are usually small in format. Smith had a great interest in texture and achieved thisin his work through the use of cross-hatching, stippling, and broad jagged cuts, often repeatedfor effect. His work is found in the public collections of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the ArtGallery of Alberta, and the Glenbow Museum as well as many private collections.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramArtist BiographiesGrant LeierGrant Leier was born in Lloydminster, Alberta in 1956 and was educated at the Alberta Collegeof Art in Calgary and the Illustrator’s Workshop in New York City. Grant Leier has had numeroussolo exhibitions of his paintings in Western Canada and California, as well as textile andassemblage works featured in important group exhibitions organized by public art museums.Grant Leier is known for his sense of colour and design. His intent is to create “happy visualmemories” that contribute to the perception of a happy place and time.Dale Auger (1958-2008)Born a Sakaw Cree from the Bigstone Cree Nation in northern Alberta, Dale was a highlytalented speaker, educator and visual artist. His vividly coloured and highly provocative paintingscaptured the attention and imagination of audiences and are included in numerous high-profilepublic and well-known private collections throughout the world. Auger began working towardcapturing the deeper, more spiritual complexities of Native life in the contemporary world. Dalewas an award winning children’s book author and illustrator. His book, Mwakwa – Talks to theLoon: A Cree Story for Children, was illustrated and written in English and Cree and won theaward for “Aboriginal Children’s Book of the Year” at the Anskohk Aboriginal Literature Festivaland Book Awards in 2006. He studied education at the University of Calgary and graduated witha doctoral degree in 1999.Thelma Manarey (1913-1984)Born in Edmonton, Manarey was educated at the Institute of Technology and Art in Calgary (nowthe Alberta College of Art). Actively involved in the arts in Edmonton, Manarey was a memberof the Alberta Society of Artists and a member of the Canadian Society of Painters-Etchers-Engravers.In 1973, she was awarded the Performing and Creative Arts/Visual Arts award from hercity for her “outstanding contributions to the cultural life of Edmonton”. Manarey worked in manygenres including realism, impressionism, cubism and abstract impressionism as well as manymediums including watercolour, acrylic and oils. However, she is perhaps best known for herminiature etchings.June MontgomeryJune Montgomery works in watercolour, primarily interpretive studies that are inspired by Northwestcoast carving and myths. Deeply moved by the stories and myths told around the campfireon a field trip in her early childhood, Montgomery has shown a sensitive and sympathetic understandingof the Northwest coast heritage through her medium.“It is the artist’s need to translate what he finds beautiful, poetic or socially significant; then totranspose that concept to canvas not only for himself, but for others to share.”Her work is well represented in a large number of private and corporate collections in thewestern provinces and Ontario.John WillTwo of a Feather is an early work reflecting influences referring to a printmaking teacher of JohnWill’s at the University of Iowa. Will is distinguished in the fields of printmaking and painting andhis works often incorporate photography and video into his diverse practice. John Will was bornin 1939 in Iowa and until recently has taught at the University of Calgary.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramArtists BiographiesPat StrakowskiBorn in 1937, Strakowski attended the Alberta College of Art in Calgary where she received adiploma in Textiles in 1979. Her work is found in the many public collections across Alberta. PatStrakowski’s source of inspiration for her work comes from life and the diversity of its forms,incorporating myths, legends, beliefs and traditions. She leaves her sculptures open ended toenable the viewer to personally relate to them according to their own life experience.Betty Price (b.1917)Betty Price trained at the University of Calgary Fine Arts faculty, her major interests being in ArtHistory and Anthropology. She was a founding member of the Calgary Artists Society whom shehas exhibited with throughout the province. Her interest in design and primitive art is noticeablein her work, which has been the subject of five shows in Calgary and is in a number of corporatecollections.“I have always been fascinated by colour, and the property of its changing relationships in juxtapositionto other colours. It is a form of manipulation on my part of play that excites me…I amstrongly drawn to abstract forms, but try to contain my bent, and make my images familiar to theviewer. I feel I will never exhaust the possibilities that are open to me.”Robert Hope (b.1948)Robert Hope studied Fine Art at the Banff School of Fine Arts, the University of Calgary, andthe Alberta College of Art in Calgary. He has exhibited his work across Alberta, in Regina andVancouver. Robert Hope is a member of the Alberta Society of Artists and his artwork is innumerous private collections in Canada, the U.S.A., England, and Australia.Marcia PerkinsCalgary artist Marcia Perkins was born 1946 in Washington, D.C and has been a resident ofCanada since 1976. “How does one paint awareness, absurdity, love, irrationality, the inevitablenessof death? …I think of my portraits as a different kind of mirror, one anchored in form, butwhich leads to a world that is not pictorial. “Harry SavageBorn 1938, Harry Savage received training at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary, majoring inprintmaking. Savage is primarily interested in portraying the prairie landscape in watercolour.He also produces photo-serigraphs, usually in a series, which are often political or environmentalstatements. Savage was one of the pivotal members of the group producing the “Let It Be”series of posters on wildlife conservation.Dorothy Henzell Willis (b. 1899-1985)A self taught painter, Dorothy Henzell Willis was president of the Edmonton Art Club for manyyears.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramVisual Inventory - List of WorksDale AugerCaller of the Morning Prayer, 1999Acrylic on canvas18 3/16 inches X 18 1/16 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsMaxwell BatesCock and Hen, 1955Lithograph on paper5 inches X 15 1/2 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsRobert HopeWoodies, 1991Ink, watercolour on paper9 inches X 6 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsIllingworth KerrSnow Geese, 1983Original lino block, synthetic floor tile on wood4 1/2 inches X 9 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsIllingworth KerrSnow Geese, 1983Linocut on paper4 7/16 inches X 9 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsIllingworth KerrMagpies, Winter Sun, 1982Linocut on paper9 inches X 5 7/8 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsGrant LeierSister Loves the Zoo, 1983Acrylic, oil, ink on Illustration board29 15/16 inches X 13 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsGeorge LittlechildUntitled, Illustration from “A Man called Raven”Acrylic, pastel, crayon on paper, 199610 7/8 inches X 23 1/4 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsGeorge LittlechildA Feeling Came Over the Forest, 2008Acrylic, watercolour, crayon on paper22 7/16 inches X 16 1/8 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsThelma ManareyChickens, 2001Silkscreen on paper10 inches X 12 1/16 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsJune MontgomeryThe Raven Sleeps on Totem, 1982Watercolour on paper22 5/8 inches X 24 5/8 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsMarion NicollNorthern Nesting Grounds, 1964Clay print on paper14 inches X 17 11/16 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsMarion NicollChristmas Tree Highlights, December 1952Vol. 6, No. 3 , 1999Clay print on paper5 5/16 inches X 4 7/8 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsMarcia PerkinsDreamless, 1994Oil on canvas board12 inches X 12 1/16 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramVisual Inventory - List of WorksBetty PriceBirds and Decoy, 1979Watercolour on paper17 11/16 inches X 20 9/16 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsHarry SavageOne for the Mantle, 1973Photo-silkscreen on paper15 5/8 inches X 23 1/2 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsJames Agrell SmithChild and Blackbird, 1975Woodcut on paper6 3/4 inches X 8 3/4 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsPat StrakowskiConverging to the Point of the Most Familiar, 1989Mixed media, fabric, feathers, buttons, string, paper mâche, wire13 3/4 inches X 30 7/8 inches X 4 15/16 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsJohn WillTwo of a Feather, 1963Etching on paper18 1/8 inches X 12 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsDorothy Henzell WillisAcceptance, n.d.Oil on mounted paper20 1/2 X 29 5/16 X 1/8 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsTOTAL WORKS: 20 works–19 works in 19 frames–1 3D work in plexi glassAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramVisual Inventory - ImagesJames Agrell SmithChild and Blackbird, 1975Woodcut on paper6 3/4 inches X 8 3/4 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsDorothy Henzell WillisAcceptance, n.d.Oil on mounted paper20 1/2 inches X 29 5/16 X 1/8 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsThelma ManareyChickens, 2001Silkscreen on paper10 inches X 12 1/16 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsJohn WillTwo of a Feather, 1963Etching on paper18 1/8 inches X 12 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsMarcia PerkinsDreamless, 1994Oil on canvas board12 inches X 12 1/16 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramVisual Inventory - ImagesIllingworth KerrSnow Geese, 1983Original lino block, synthetic floor tile on wood4 1/2 inches X 9 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsIllingworth KerrSnow Geese, 1983Linocut on paper4 7/16 inches X 9 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsIllingworth KerrMagpies, Winter Sun, 1982Linocut on paper9 inches X 5 7/8 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsHarry SavageOne for the Mantle, 1973Photo-silkscreen on paper15 5/8 inches X 23 1/2 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsBetty PriceBirds and Decoy, 1979Watercolour on paper17 11/16 inches X 20 9/16 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramVisual Inventory - ImagesJune MontgomeryThe Raven Sleeps on Totem, 1982Watercolour on paper22 5/8 inches X 24 5/8 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsMarion NicollChristmas Tree Highlights,December, 1952, Vol. 6 No.3Clay print on paper5 5/16 inches X 4 7/8 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsMarion NicollNorthern Nesting Grounds, 1964Clay print on paper14 inches X 17 11/16 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsGeorge LittlechildA Feeling Came Over the Forest, 2008Acrylic, watercolour, crayon on paper22 7/16 inches X 16 1/8 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsGeorge LittlechildUntitled, Illustration from “A Man called Raven”, 1996Acrylic, pastel, crayon on paper10 7/8 inches X 23 1/4 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramVisual Inventory - ImagesMaxwell BatesCock and Hen, 1955Lithograph on paper5 inches X 15 1/2 inchesCollection of the AlbertaFoundation for the ArtsGrant LeierSister Loves the Zoo, 1983Acrylic, oil, ink on Illustration board29 15/16 inches X 13 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsDale AugerCaller of the Morning Prayer, 1999Acrylic on canvas18 3/16 inches X 18 1/16 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsRobert HopeWoodies, 1991Ink, watercolour on paper9 inches X 6 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts20 works total–19 works in 19 frames–1 3D work in plexi casePat StrakowskiConverging to the Point of the Most Familiar, 1989Mixed Media, fabric, feathers, buttons, string, papermâche, wire13 3/4 inches X 30 7/8 inches X 4 15/16 inchesCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramJune MontgomeryThe Raven Sleeps on Totem, 1982Watercolour on paper22 5/8 inches X 24 5/8 inchesBackgroundAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramCross-Curricular ConnectionsScience (Grades 1-9)1.4 Students will show growth in acquiring and applying a respect for living things and environments, andcommitment for their care.1.5 Creating Colour: Students will explore coloured materials, learning about different colours, how theyare created, what happens when they are mixed and how they can be transferred from one material toanother. Students will learn to distinguish and describe colours and work with a variety of materials tocreate, modify and apply colours. In the process, students learn that different materials have particularproperties and that the properties and interactions of materials have to be taken into account when theyare used for a specific purpose.1.6 Seasonal Changes: Students will describe seasonal changes, and interpret the effects of seasonalchanges on living things.1.10 Senses: Students will describe the role of the human senses and the senses of other living things, inenabling perception and action.1.11.6 Needs of Animals and Plants: Students will identify the requirements of animals to maintain life;i.e., air, food, water, shelter, space; and recognize that we must provide these for animals in our care.2.10.8 Small Crawling and Flying Animals: Students will identify ways in which animals are consideredhelpful or harmful to humans and to the environment. Students will describe the relationships of theseanimals to other living and nonliving things in their habitat, and to people.3.10 Animal Life Cycles: Students will describe the appearances and life cycles of some commonanimals, and identify their adaptations to different environments6.5 Air and Aerodynamics: Students will describe properties of air and the interactions of air with objectsin flight.6.5.6 Students will describe means of propulsion for flying animals and for aircraft.7. D.1 Structures and Forces: Students will describe and interpret natural structures, including thestructure of living things and the structures created by animals (e.g., birds’ nests).9. A.1. Biological Diversity: Students will investigate and interpret diversity among species and withinspecies, and describe how diversity contributes to a species survival. Students will identify examples ofniches, and describe the role of variation in enabling closely related living things to survive in the sameecosystem (e.g., investigate different bird species found in a local park ecosystem, and infer how each isadapted to life within that ecosystem).9. A.3. Biological Diversity: Students will describe in general terms, the role of genetic materials in thecontinuity and variation of species characteristics; and investigate and interpret related technologies.Students will distinguish between, and identify examples of, natural and artificial selection (e.g., evolutionof beak shapes in birds).AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramCross-Curricular ConnectionsLanguage Arts (Grades K-9)K.1.2. Consider the ideas of others: Students will listen to experiences and feelings shared by others.1.1.2. Extend understanding: Students will ask questions to get additional ideas and information on topicsof interest.2.2.3. Understand techniques and elements: Students will identify main characters, places and events in avariety of oral, print and other media texts.3.5.1 Relate texts to culture: Students will identify and discuss similar ideas or topics within stories fromoral, print and other media texts from various communities.4.4.3 Demonstrate attentive listening and viewing: Students will connect own ideas, opinions and experiencesto those communicated in oral and visual communications.5.5.1 Appreciate diversity: Students will discuss personal understanding of the lives of people orcharacters in various communities, cultural traditions, places and times portrayed in oral, print and othermedia texts.6.4.3 Demonstrate attentive listening and viewing: Students will identify the tone, mood and emotionconveyed in oral and visual presentations.6.2.2. Construct meaning from texts: Students will observe and discuss aspects of human nature revealedin oral, print and other media texts and relate them to those encountered in the community.6.2.2 Experience various texts: Students will discuss the author’s, illustrator’s, storyteller’s or filmmaker’sintention or purpose.7.2.2 Experience various texts: Students will experience oral, print, and other media texts from a variety ofcultural traditions such as drawings and prints.7.2.2 Experience the artistry of prints: Students will discuss how techniques such as colour, shape,composition, suspense, foreshadowing and flashback, are used to communicate meaning and enhanceeffects in oral, print and other media texts.8.2.2 Experience various texts: Students will make connections between biographical information aboutauthors, illustrators, storytellers and filmmakers and their texts.8.2.2 Experience various texts: Students will expect that there is more than one interpretation for oral,print and other media texts, and discuss other points of view.9.5.1 Appreciate diversity: Students will examine how personal experiences, cultural traditions andCanadian perspectives are presented in oral, print and other media texts.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramArt Curriculum ConnectionsArt Connections (Grades K-6)REFLECTION-Art takes different forms depending on the materials and techniques used.-An artwork tells us something about its subject matter and the artist who made it.-Tints and shades of colours or hues affect the contrast of a composition.-All aspects of an artwork contribute to the story it tells.-Artistic style affects the emotional impact of an artwork. (Grades 5&6)-Artworks can be appreciated at many different levels, literal, and symbolic. (Grades 5&6)DEPICTION-Animals and plants can be represented in terms of their proportions.-Movement of figures and objects can be shown in different ways.-Forms can be overlapping to show depth or distance.-Shapes can suggest movement or stability-Images can be portrayed in varying degrees of realism.-The direction of shapes determines the static or dynamic quality of the work. (Grades 5&6)COMPOSITION-Families of shapes, and shapes inside or beside shapes, create harmony-A composition should develop the setting or supporting forms, as well as the subject matter.EXPRESSION-Everyday activities can be documented visually.-Details, patterns or textures can be added to two-dimensional works.PRINTMAKINGStudents will explore the use of print-making materials and the application of paint, using brushes androllers (brayers).Students will use print-making images in making pictures or compositionsStudents will apply print-making techniques to composition, including block-out techniques, combination oftypes of printing, and use of more than one colour. (Grades 5&6)Grades 7-9DRAWINGCareful observation of form and surface qualities is necessary for the realistic recording of natural objects.COMPOSITIONStudents will investigate the use of controlling colour, space and form in response to selected visualproblems.Students will investigate the use of pattern and emphasis in the creation of compositions.ENCOUNTERSStudents will investigate natural forms, manmade forms, cultural traditions and social activities as sourcesof imagery through time and across cultures.Students will consider the natural environment as a source of imagery through time and across cultures.Students will identify thematic and stylistic variations of works as characteristics of certain artistic periods.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramBirds in Art History - A Brief SurveyBirds have been a subject of artistic expression almost since thedawn of man. The history of the fine arts began around 40,000BC during the Paleolithic or Old Stone-Age. The oldest knownrock engravings are in Australia, but within the next 30,000 yearsexamples of artistic expression are found on every continent.The oldest cave paintings yet discovered were found in 1994 atChauvet Cave in Southern France. These paintings have beendated at 32,000 years B.C. E. and, among the many figuresportrayed, are representations of owls. The oldest sculptures offigurative art, found in a cave in south western Germany, are aset of 30,000 year old carved ivory figures. Among the creaturesportrayed in these sculptures are birds.Owl FigureChauvet CaveRa BoatEgyptian Wall ImageBirds have figured in the mythologies/religionsof many of the worlds cultures. In mostinstances these representations involveGods/Goddesses who are portrayed ashaving both human and bird characteristics.In ancient Egypt, for example, Ra, the SunGod and King of the Gods, was representedwith the head of a falcon. The God Horus,who symbolized the Pharoh while Thoth, theGod of Wisdom, were also portrayed with birdheads.If portrayed other than in religion, birds are always shown in conjunction with human activity.Either they form an incidental element in the background or the portrayal is of a hunting scene inwhich they are the victims. In other words, for most of human history, birds were rarely the mainor only subject portrayed in a work of art. If they were portrayed, they were intimately linked tohumans in some way.Hunting Scene with Boomerang,Tomb of NakhtXVIII Dynasty, Egypt (1150-1292 BC)AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramBirds in Art History - A Brief Survey continuedThe Protestant Reformation of the 1500s had a tremendouseffect on art production in Western Europe. Religious andpolitical turmoil in Europe during the 16th century split the LowCountries into two nations with differing social values and artistictastes. In 1568 the northernmost provinces of the Low Countriesbroke away from Spanish control, becoming the modern daynation of the Netherlands. The southern provinces, meanwhile,remained under Spanish control. In this region, now known asBelgium, the Catholic Church and Catholic court continued tobe the most important patrons of the arts and religious subjectscontinued to be a central theme in artistic production. The Dutchnorth, on the other hand, became a country populated mainly byProtestant Calvinists who frowned on religious images. Artiststhus had to look to other subjects for artistic expression and tomeet the needs of their upper class patrons, and so turned tolandscapes, still life, and genre paintings. Through these ‘new’subjects the protestant artists of the north conveyed morals andreligious messages through concealed symbolism. Dutch art,which embraced the style of realism, provided an allegorical viewof nature that provided a means for conveying various messagesto contemporary viewers. Paintings, even those representingeveryday objects and events, often provide reminders about thebrevity of life and the need for moderation and temperance inone’s conduct. These concerns are expressed in Willem vanAeist’s painting Still Life with Dead Game of 1661, and JanWeenix’s painting Falconer’s Bag of 1695. In van Aeist’s workthe dead birds remind the viewer of the brevity of life, while inWeenix’s painting the focus is on the rendering of the landscapeand the details of the still life in which the birds and flowers havebecome the central subjects in the work. The expertise of Dutchartists with every-day reality as seen in landscapes and still lifepaintings elevated these genre in artistic import. Van Aeist’spaintings, with their superb illusions of fur, feathers, and flesh,for example, set a major precedent for later French, British, andAmerican sporting still lifes.Willem van AeistStill Life with DeadJan WeenixFalconer’s Bag, 1695AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramBirds in Art History - A Brief Survey continuedIn North America birds were first addressed as a subjectin art during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. One ofthe most important artists to address this subject was JamesAudubon. Audubon was inspired in his work by an earlierornithologist, Alexander Wilson.Alexander Wilson (1766-1813) was a Scottish-American poet,ornithologist, naturalist and illustrator. Born in Paisley, Scotland,he left Scotland in 1794 to find a better life in America. Wilsonfirst obtained employment as a schoolteacher near Philadelphia.In 1801 he moved to Gray’s Ferry, Pennsylvania, and there metthe famous naturalist, William Bartram, who developed Wilson’sinterest in ornithology. In 1802, Wilson decided to publish abook illustrating all the North American birds. With this in mindhe traveled widely, watching and painting birds and collectingsubscribers for his book. The result of Wilson’s efforts was thenine volume work, American Ornithology (1808-1814), in whichthe author illustrated 268 species of birds, 26 of which had notpreviously been described. In 1810 Wilson met John JamesAudubon in Louisville, Kentucky, and this meeting probablyinspired the younger man to produce his own book of birdillustrations. Several species of bird were named for Wilson,including Wilson’s Storm-petrel, Wilson’s Plover, Wilson’sPhalarope and Wilson’s Warbler.Alexander WilsonGold Winged Woodpecker,Black Throated Bunting,Blue BirdJohn James Audubon (1785-1851) was, for over half a century,America’s dominant wildlife artist. His book Birds of America,a collection of 435 life-size prints, quickly eclipsed the work ofAlexander Wilson and is still the standard against which 20th and21st century bird artists are measured.Audubon was born in Saint Dominique (present-day Haiti) butraised in Nantes, France. During his youth he took a livelyinterest in birds, nature, drawing, and music. In 1803 he wassent to America where he lived on the family-owned estatenear Philadelphia. There he hunted, studied, drew birds andconducted the first known bird-banding experiment in NorthAmerica.In 1819, after a decade in business, Audubon began his questto depict American’s birds with nothing but his gun, artist’smaterials, and a young assistant. Seven years later, in 1826, hesailed to England with his partly finished book “The AmericanWoodsman”. With its life-sized, highly dramatic bird portraits,along with his descriptions of wilderness life, the book was animmediate success and by 1838 Audubon had achieved fameand comfort.James AudobonWhite GeyrfalconsAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramBirds in Religion, Myth and SymbolismBirds, with their marvelous ability to ‘escape’ the earth and soar through the skies, havebeen seen by many cultures as links between the human world and supernatural realms.Holding a special place in the collective imagination of humanity, they assume a varietyof roles in the world’s mythologies and religions. Many of the artists in the exhibition ABird in the Hand explore, through their imagery, the roles birds have played in humanity’sspiritual belief systems.One of the most import roles birds play in many cultures concerns the creation of the world.In the mythologies of Egypt, Southeast Asia and Siberia various types of birds, or bird spirits,are responsible for the creation of the universe, the earth, and the first peoples. For manyNorth American Native Peoples the Raven is responsible for many formations of the earth,for the naming of plants, and for bringing light to mankind and teaching humans many skills.In some cultures this creative role goes beyond the physical world. Cultures in Europe andAsia, for example, credited birds with establishing their social orders, especially kingships. Theassociation of birds with the act of creation may be a primary consideration or inspiration behindJune Montgomery’s painting The Raven Sleeps on Totem of 1982.Due to their power of flight, birds have also been linked to matters of life, death, and themovement of the human soul. Some cultures have associated birds with birth, believing that aperson’s soul arived on earth in bird form. Aspects of this belief have persisted into the presentday in the story that storks bring babies.Birds are also associated with death. Carrion-eating birds such as vultures, crows and ravens,for example, were connnected with disaster and war. In some myths birds act as guides to theafterlife or mediators between humans and the divine. In other cultures the soul, once freedfrom the body, takes the form of a bird. In Jewish tradition, for example, the dove is the guidefor the human soul. In Christian tradition the dove is a symbol of the immortal soul ascending toheaven. In Greek and Celtic lore the dead could reappear as birds while, in Islamic traditon, alldead souls remain in the form of birds until Judgment Day. The associations of birds with deathor acting as mediators or guides to the afterlife are clearly seen in the works Kyofu by RobertHicks, Converging to the Point of the Most Familiar, by Pat Strakowski, Acceptance by DorothyHenzell Willis, and Caller of the Morning Prayer by Dale Auger.Besides playing direct roles in religious/mythological systems, many birds have been imbuedwith symbolic meaning. Eagles, because of their strength and majesty, have many divine orroyal associations. By adopting the eagle as their symbol, kings from ancient to recent timeshave tired to suggest that they, too, had some divine or heroic qualities. In the myths of manyFirst Nations peoples, the eagle is a culture hero and a spirit of war or hunting. Male peacocks,because of their beautiful tail feathers, can suggest either foolish vanity or divine glory. Owlsplay a dual role. While symbols of wisdom, patience, and learning, because they hunt at nightthey are also associated with secrecy and darkness and have also been seen as omens ofdeath. Robins, on the other hand, are associated with compassion and good fortune, as arebluebirds and woodpeckers.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramArt Styles - ExpressionismExpressionism refers to an aesthetic style of expressionin art history and criticism that developed during the late19th and early 20th centuries. Artists affiliated with thismovement deliberately turned away from the representationof nature as a primary purpose of art and broke withthe traditional aims of European art in practice since theRenaissance.Expressionist artist proclaimed the direct rendering ofemotions and feelings as the only true goal of art. Theformal elements of line, shape and colour were to be usedentirely for their expressive possibilities. In European art,landmarks of this movement were violent colours andexaggerated lines that helped contain intense emotionalexpression. Balance of design was ignored to conveysensations more forcibly and DISTORTION becameEdvard MunchThe Scream, 1893an important means of emphasis. The most importantforerunner of Expressionism was Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). Van Gogh used colour andline to consciously exaggerate nature ‘to express…man’s terrible passions.’ This was the beginningof the emotional and symbolic use of colour and line where the direction given to a line isthat which will be most expressive of the feeling which the object arouses in the artist.The Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) was also extremely influential in thedevelopment of expressionist theory. In his career Munch explored the possibilities of violentcolour and linear distortions with which to express the elemental emotions of anxiety, fear,love and hatred. In his works, such as The Scream, Munch came to realize the potentialities ofgraphic techniques with their simple directness.By 1905, Expressionist groups appeared almost simultaneously in both Germany and France.Only English painters stood aside from the movement as Expressionism, with its lack ofrestraint, was not congenial to English taste. Between the world wars expressionist ideaswere grafted on to other art movements such as Cubism and evolved into other forms such asAbstract Expressionism and Tachisme.In the exhibition A Bird in the Hand, excellent examples of expressive distortion of shape andthe use of line and colour to express feelings and mood are seen in the works Chickens byThelma Manarey and Cock and Hen by Maxwell Bates.Thelma ManareyChickens, 2001Silkscreen on Paper10 inches X 12 1/16 inchesAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramArt Styles - AbstractionAbstract Art is a term commonly applied to20th century art styles which developed inreaction to traditional European conceptionsof art as the imitation of nature.By one definition, abstraction involvesthe reduction of natural appearances tosimplified forms. In this sense, abstractionmay involve the depiction of only theessential or generic forms of things byelimination of particular variations. Withinthis, abstraction can, but does not needto, include distortion and stylization.Distortion involves using incorrect orunusual reproductions of the shapes ofWassily KandinskyComposition IV1911things, whereas stylization involves the representation of something through using a set ofrecognizable characteristics.In contrast to reduction as described above, abstraction may also involve the creation ofindependent constructs of shapes and colours which have aesthetic appeal in their own right.Abstract painting was pioneered between 1910 and 1913 by the Russian-born painter WassilyKandinsky in Munich, Germany and in Paris by the Czech artist Frantisek Kupka and the Frenchartist Robert Delaunay. Kandinsky, the most influential of the three, was the first to plunge intopure abstraction.In the exhibition A Bird in the Hand , the simplification of natural appearances through bothdistortion and stylization is witnessed to greater or lesser extents in the works of a number ofthe artists. Excellent examples are expressed in the works Birds and Decoy by Betty Price andNorthern Nesting Grounds by Marion Nicoll.Betty PriceBirds and Decoy, 1979Watercolour on paper24 inches X 18 inchesMarion NicollNorthern Nesting Grounds, 1973Clay print on paper14 inches X 17 11/16 inchesAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramArt Media - Print-MakingPrint-making is a process used by many of the artists represented in the exhibition ABird in the Hand. Print-making involves transferring an image from one surface to another. Itis unlike painting and drawing because the original work is created on the metal plate, wood orstone used rather than on paper or canvas and the artist can make several copies or editions ofthe same image. A print is made by creating a design on a selected base/ground such as stone,wood or metal, which is then inked and pressed against paper thus leaving an image. Printmakingis not to be confused with a reproduction. Reproductions are just what the name implies:copies of original works of art. An original print will be made by the artist in a limited edition,numbered and signed by the artist. A reproduction, on the other hand, is actually a photographiccopy of an original, printed for commercial issue. Original prints are printed on high quality paperwhereas reproductions are usually printed on a semi-glossy paper of quite low quality.Print-making originated in China after the invention of paper, around 105A.D.Three main types of print-making techniques are utilized by artists in the exhibition A Bird inthe Hand. Each method makes use of different tools and materials and, because of this, resultin very different appearances.1/ Intaglio Techniques of print-making refer to printing from below the surface of a metalplate. This is opposed to woodcut or lino-cut printmaking, known as relief methods, where theimage is obtained from raised marks. In intaglio print-making the artist incises or erodes thesurface of a flat sheet of metal to obtain indentations. This plate is then inked to allow theseindentations to hold ink while the rest of the plate is wiped clean. A print can then be taken onpaper using a copperplate press. The main methods used in this form of print-making includeetching, drypoint and engraving. The use of etching is seen in John Will’s work, Two of aFeather.Etching consists of covering a metal plate, usuallycopper, with an acid-resistant ground, drawing uponthe ground with a steel needle to remove the groundand expose the metal beneath, and placing theplate in an acid bath. The acid etches the plate onlywhere the metal has been exposed. The etchedlines which result will retain ink when the plate isinked and then wiped, and then this ink is pressedout of the lines onto the paper by running the platethrough a press. This method of print-making isvery popular because of its ease and rapidity ofexecution and the freedom of line it allows. As in allengraving techniques it is the depth and width ofthe incisions which control the tone of the printedline. In etching, the depth of the line is determinedby the length of time the plate is left in the acid bath.The longer the time, the deeper the lines and thusthe more ink the lines will hold thus making themdarker.John WillTwo of a Feather, 1963Etching on paperAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramArt Media - Print Making continued2/ Relief Processes in print making include the methods of wood cuts, wood engravings,and linoleum (lino) cuts. In both wood cuts and wood engraving, the artist cuts into a woodblock (called the matrix) to achieve the desired image. Fruitwoods such as cherry, apple andpear, and some hardwoods like box, sycamore and dogwood are desired because of their densityand durability. The wood block may be sawn either length wise with the grain (side wood) oracross the grain (end wood). The two different cuts result in two different techniques called woodcut, which uses side wood, and wood engraving, which utilizes end wood. The use of wood cutis seen in the work, Child and Blackbird by James Agrell Smith while the lino-cut technique iswitnessed in the print, Snow Geese by Illingworth Kerr.Woodcuts are the oldest technique for makingprints. A wood cut is characterized by large areas ofblack and white and a lack of very fine detail. Because ofthe lengthwise run of the grain, it is very difficult to incisea finely controlled line. This contrasts a wood engravingwhere, because of the smoothness and absence of grainin end wood, may have very fine lines engraved into it.The basic tool used in wood cuts is a gouge which isused to remove wood from either side of the desiredline. In this manner it allows the line to stand free fromthe lowered surface. It is these raised lines which holdthe ink which is transferred to the paper to create theimage. If shading should be required in the work, tintingtools may be employed. These are small V shapedinstruments which will cut a trench in the wood with asingle stroke. With patience, care and ability the tintingtools may be used to produce crosshatches in the wood.James Agrell SmithChild and Blackbird, 1975Woodcut on paperLino cuts, the method used to create the print SnowGeese by Illingworth Kerr, are created in much the sameway as wood cuts. As included in this exhibition withthe Illingworth Kerr print, the main difference in creatinga print is that instead of using wood as the matrix,the artist uses a panel of linoleum. Because cutting intolinoleum is easier that cutting into hard wood, a varietyof cutting tools are used to create a much greater varietyof lines in terms of depth, width, and refinement.Illingworth KerrSnow Geese, 1983Lino Cut on paperAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramArt Media - Print-Making continued3/ Planographic Techniques of print-making, which involve the methods of Lithography andSerigraphy, are the most recent of the graphic print-making techniques. These methods involvesurface printing where designs are neither cut in relief, as in wood cuts or lino cuts, nor engravedas in intaglio etching.Lithography, the method utilized by Maxwell Batesin the print Cock and Hen, is a method of surfaceprinting from stone. This method of printmaking wasdiscovered in 1798 by Aloys Senefelder, a Bavarianplaywright who was experimenting with methods ofduplicating his plays.In lithography, the design is drawn on the flat surfaceof a slab of special limestone known as lithographicstone. The process is based on the antipathy ofgrease and water. The artist draws his design witha greasy ink or crayon on the stone, which is thentreated with chemical solutions so that the greasycontent of the drawing is fixed ‘into’ the stone. Wateris then applied to the slab. The moisture is repelled bythe greasy lines but is readlily accepted by the remainderof the porous surface of the stone. The stone isthen rolled with ink which adheres only to the drawing.A sheet of paper is then placed on the stone which isthen passed through a lithographic press. The inkeddrawing is transferred, in reverse as with all prints, tothe paper. Since its invention lithography has attractedartists as a means of original expression. Since all theartist often has to do is draw on a stone (the printingbeing often left to a lithographic printer), lithography isa very direct and graphic means of expression.Serigraphy, or Silk-Screen Printing, is a moderndevelopment of Stencil Printing. In this method acut stencil is attached to a silk screen of fine meshwhich has been stretched on a wooden frame, andcoloured ink is forced through the unmasked areasof the screen onto the paper beneath by means ofa squeegee. The process has been widely used forcommericial textile printing but in the 1930s wasdeveloped, particularly in the United States, as anartists’ medium for making prints in broad masses ofbrilliant and opaque colour. In the latter part of the20th century this method was refined so that actualphotographic images could be utilized in the printingrather than creating a stencil image. This is seen inHarry Savages’ print, One for the Mantle.Maxwell BatesCock and Hen, 1955Lithograph on paperHarry SavageOne for the Mantle, 1973Photo-silkscreen on paperAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramIllingworth KerrSnow Geese, 1983Original Lino BlockCollection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsVisual Learning &Hands-On ActivitiesAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramWhat is Visual Learning?All art has many sides to it. The artist makes the works for people to experience. They in turncan make discoveries about both the work and the artist that help them learn and give thempleasure for a long time.How we look at an object determines what we come to know about it. We remember informationabout an object far better when we are able to see (and handle) objects rather than by onlyreading about them. This investigation through observation (looking) is very important toundertanding how objects fit into our world in the past and in the present and will help viewersreach a considered response to what they see. The following is a six-step method to lookingat and understanding a work of art.STEP 1: INITIAL, INTUITIVE RESPONSE The first ‘gut level’ response to a visual presentation.What do you see and what do you think of it?STEP 2: DESCRIPTION Naming facts - a visual inventory of the elements of design.Questions to Guide Inquiry:1. What colours do you see?2. What shapes are most noticeable?3. What objects are most apparent?4. Describe the lines in the work.STEP 3: ANALYSIS Exploring how the parts relate to each other.Questions to Guide Inquiry:1. What proportions can you see? eg. What percentage of the work is background? Foreground?Land? Sky?2. Why are there these differences? What effect do these differences create?3. What parts seem closest to you? Farthest away? How does the artist give this impression?STEP 4: INTERPRETATION Exploring what the work might mean or be about.Questions to Guide Inquiry:1. How does this work make you feel? Why?2. What word would best describe the mood of this work?3. What is this painting/photograph/sculpture about?4. Is the artist trying to tell a story? What might be the story in this work?STEP 5: INFORMATION Looking beyond the work for information that may further understanding.Questions to Guide Inquiry:What is the artist’s name? When did he/she live?What art style and medium does the artist use?What artist’s work is this artist interested in?What art was being made at the same time as this artist was working?What was happening in history at the time this artist was working?What social/political/economic/cultural issues as this artist interested in?STEP 6: PERSONALIZATION What do I think about this work? (Reaching a consideredresponse).AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramElements of Composition TourGrades 1 – 12Objectives:Through an examination of selected works in the exhibition A Bird in the Hand, studentswill:a) learn what the elements of design areb) learn how the elements are used in art workc) apply their knowledge to other works in the exhibitionMethodology:1. Before viewing the exhibition, discuss with students what artists do and whatmaterials artists use to create their works.*artists create works which explore the world around them; they expresstheir thoughts and feelings about the world and issues that they feel areimportant. Traditionally artists used such materials as paint, rock, clay ormetal (for sculpture) and a host of drawing materials such as ink, conté,charcoal, pastels or pencil crayons. Today, the range of materials hasexpanded to include everything from garbage to raw meat. In other words,just about anything can be used to create art.2. In the above discussion, introduce the theme of elements of design– the “tools” artists use before using paint, pencils, paper etc.*line, shape, colour, texture, space – for example: Before a person candraw a house, what do they have to use? Answer: lines3. In the exhibition, A Bird in the Hand, focus on the following works asthey relate to the elements of design:A) LINE: SEE Magpies, Winter Sun by Illingworth KerrQuestions to Guide Inquiry:–What do you see in this work? -birds, landscape, mountains. There are lines aroundeverything.–How was this work created? What makes this image and composition? – there are birdsin the foreground, the landscape in the background. The lines direct the the viewer’sattention towards the centre of the composition.–How would you describe the shape of the lines? What other types of lines could aperson make?AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramElements of Composition Tour continued– The lines form a radial composition suggesting depth. They outline the birds as well asthe landscape. Lines can be vertical, horizontal, zig-zag lines, curving lines and diagonallines.–What are some differences in the shape of the lines? – have the students ‘draw’ thedifferent kinds of lines in the air and notice the difference in motion and speed of thelines based on direction and thickness.–What affect do the lines have on the work? What do the lines do in the work? – the linesadd a graphic quality to the work, there is no shading, everything is 2-dimensional/flat- like a colouring book image. This gives an intensity to the objects making an overallstrong image.–What ‘speed’ do the lines have in this work? How might this relate to the subject of thework? –the lines have an urgency and strength to them that may relate to the motion ofthe birds in flight.B) SHAPE: SEE Northern Nesting Grounds by Marion NicollQuestions to Guide Inquiry:–What kinds of shapes can a person make? – squares; circles; triangles; rectangles etc.–How can such shapes be organized? – organic or geometric shapes–What are organic shapes? What does this term mean and how are organic shapesdifferent from geometric shapes? – organic shapes are those found in nature; muchmore free-flowing than geometric shapes–What kinds of shapes do you see in this work – organic or geometric? - primarilyorganic.–Why are the shapes primarily organic in nature? - the organic shapes represent birds,they form an oval shape to portray a nest or family of birds.–What effect does the use of these shapes create? * answers here may varyconsiderably – generally speaking, organic shapes are much friendlier’ and freer and, asused in this construction, create a feeling of unity or family. The repetitive oval shapescreates a nurturing environment; the birds are nesting, creating new life. In this work thefigures are balanced within the composition.–What feeling is created by the use and space of the shapes? What meaning mightthis presentation have because of these differences and what is the ‘real’ relationshipbetween the figures?C) COLOUR: SEE Sister Loves the Zoo by Grant LeierQuestions to Guide Inquiry:–What do you see in this art work? How would you describe what you see? - a woman, abird and a colourful background.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramElements of Composition–How would you describe the colour of each object? What objects are lightest? darkest?Where are they located within the painting? Foreground? Midground? Background?–Where are the warm colours located within the painting? Where are the cool colours?–Describe the use of complementary colour within the artwork. How does this use createfocus or direct the viewer’s eye towards certain areas or objects?The use of red/green complementary colour directs the viewer’s attention towardsthe objects in the foreground and creates space and intensity. The use of brightcomplementaries in the background creates a balance between background andforeground.*Be as descriptive/use as many descriptive words as possible.–How does the colour of the painting make you feel? The colours are bright and cheerful.–What narrative/story could you put to this image?D) TEXTURE: SEE Cock and Hen by Maxwell BatesQuestions to Guide Inquiry:–What does the term texture mean? - Texture can be actual, simulated or invented.–What do you see in this work? - a cock and a hen in a natural setting.–How has texture been created in this work? - The textures are simulated. The printmakingtechnique that is used is important to create the mark-making that resultsin scratchy, irregular lines. The surface quality of the print portrays the grasses andlandscape the birds are in. The variety of lines presented indicate a change in texturalquality from the grasses to the implied textural surface of the birds.–What is the mood created in this work, how does it make you feel? - sombre, happy etcbecause...The print presents a harsh, rugged feeling that expresses some discomfort tothe landscape these birds are in.E) SPACE: SEE Untitled, Illustration from “A Man called Raven” by George LittlechildQuestions to Guide Inquiry:–How would you describe the space in this work? Is there an obvious foreground,midground and background?–Where are the objects located within the space? What makes you think this? -based onthe size of the objects, overlapping, and the use of warm and cool colours, some objectsappear closer than others. For example, based on the size of the moose, it is furtheraway in the picture than the fish who appears much larger. The warm colours of the fishalso bring it closer to the foreground.–How has the artist divided up the painting? The painting is divided into three verticalparts. Why has the artist done this? Possibly to show different areas in nature, i.e. land,sky and water. The warm pinks and reds in each section as well as the similar markmakingallow the viewer’s eye to travel across each vertical that separates the painting.–What are possible narratives within the work?AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramReading Pictures TourGrades 4-12/adultsObjectives:The purposes of this program are to:1/ Introduce participants to Art and what artists do – this includes examinations of art styles; artelements; the possible aims and meaning(s) in an art work and how to deduce those meaningsand aims.2/ Introduce visitors to the current exhibition – the aim of the exhibition and the kind of artworkfound in the exhibition.-the artist (s) - his/her background(s)-his/her place in art history3/ Engage participants in a deeper investigation of artworks.Teacher/Facilitator Introduction to Program:This program is called Reading Pictures. What do you think this might involve?-generate as many ideas as possible concerning what viewers might think ‘Reading Pictures’might involve or what this phrase might mean.Before we can ‘read’ art, however, we should have some understanding what we’re talkingabout.What is Art? If you had to define this term, how would you define it?Art can be defined as creative expression - and artistic practice is an aspect and expression of apeoples’ culture or the artist’s identity.The discipline of Art, or the creation of a piece of art, however, is much more than simple ‘creativeexpression’ by an ‘artist’ or an isolated component of culture.How many of you would describe yourselves as artists?You may not believe it, but everyday you engage in some sort of artistic endeavor.How many of you got up this morning and thought about what you were going to wear today?Why did you choose the clothes you did? Why do you wear your hair that way? How manyof you have tattoos or plan to get a tattoo some day? What kind of tattoo would you choose?Why.....? How many of you own digital cameras or have cameras on cell phones? How many ofyou take pictures and e-mail them to other people?AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramReading Pictures Tour continuedArt is all around us and we are all involved in artistic endeavors to some degree. The photographswe take, the colour and styles of the clothes we wear, the ways we build and decorateour homes. gardens and public buildings, the style of our cell phones or the vehicles we drive,the images we see and are attracted to in advertising or the text or symbols on our bumberstickers – all of these things (and 9 billion others) utilize artistic principles. They say somethingabout our personal selves and reflect upon and influence the economic, political, cultural, historicaland geographic concerns of our society.Art, therefore, is not just something some people in a society do – it is somethign that affectsand informs everyone within a society.Today we’re going to look at art - paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures – and see what art cantell us about the world we live in – both the past, the present and possibly the future – and whatart can tell us about ourselves.Art is a language like any other and it can be read.Art can be read in two ways. It can be looked at intuitively – what do you see? What do you likeor not like? How does it make you feel and why? – or it can be read formally by looking at whatare called the Elements of Design – the tools artists use or consider when creating a piece ofwork.What do you think is meant by the elements of design? What does an artist use to create a workof art?Today we’re going to examine how to read art – we’re going to see how art can affect us emotionally...and how an artist can inform us about our world, and ourselves, through what he orshe creates.Tour Program:Proceed to one of the works in the exhibition and discuss the following:a) The nature of the work - what kind of work is it and what exhibition is it a part of?b) Examine the work itself: – What do visitors see?– How do you initially feel about what you see? Why do you feelthis way? What do you like? What don’t you like? Why?–What is the work made of?–How would you describe the style? What does this mean?AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramReading Pictures Tour continued–What is the compositional structure? How are the shapes and colours etc. arranged? Why arethey arranged this way?–How does the work make them feel? What is the mood of the work? What gives them thisidea? Discuss the element(s) of design which are emphasized in the work in question.–What might the artist be trying to do in the work? What might the artist be saying or what mightthe work ‘mean’?c) Summarize the information• At each work chosen, go through the same or similar process, linking the work to thetype of exhibition it is a part of. Also, with each stop, discuss a different Element ofDesign and develop participants visual learning skills.At the 1st stop, determine with the participants the most important Element of Designused and focus the discussion on how this element works within the art work. Do thesame with each subsequent art work and make sure to cover all the elements of designon the tour.Stop #1: LINEStop #2: SHAPEStop #3: COLOURStop #4: TEXTUREStop #5: SPACEStop #6: ALL TOGETHER – How do the elements work together to create a certain moodor story? What would you say is the mood of this work? Why? What is the story ormeaning or meaning of this work? Why?Work sheet activity – 30 minutes•Divide participants into groups of two or three to complete this activity. Give them 30 minutes tocomplete the questions then bring them all together and have each group present one of theirpieces to the entire group.Presentations – 30 minutes•Each group to present on one of their chosen works.Visual Learning Activity Worksheet:* Photocopy the following worksheet so each participant has their own copy.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramReading Pictures Tour continuedVisual Learning WorksheetInstructions: Choose two very different pieces of artwork in the exhibition and answerthe following questions in as much detail as you can.1. What is the title of the work and who created it?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. What do you see and what do you think of it? (What is your initial reaction to thework?) Why do you feel this way?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. What colours do you see and how does the use of colour affect the way you ‘read’the work? Why do you think the artist chose these colours – or lack of colour – for thispresentation?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4. What shapes and objects do you notice most? Why?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramReading Pictures Tour continued5. How are the shapes/objects arranged or composed? How does this affect yourfeelings towards or about the work? What feeling does this composition give to thework?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6. How would you describe the mood of this work? (How does it make you feel?) Whatdo you see that makes you describe the mood in this way?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7. What do you think the artist’s purpose was in creating this work? What ‘story’ might heor she be telling? What aspects of the artwork give you this idea?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8. What do you think about this work after answering the above questions? Has youropinion of the work changed in any way? Why do you feel this way?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9. How might this work relate to your own life experiences? Have you ever been in asimilar situation/place and how did being there make you feel?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramPerusing Paintings: An Artful Scavenger HuntIn teaching art, game-playing can enhance learning. If students are engaged in learning,through a variety of methods, then it goes beyond game-playing. Through game-playing we aretrying to get students to use higher-order thinking skills by getting them to be active participantsin learning. Blooms’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, which follows, is as applicable toteaching art as any other discipline.1. knowledge: recall of facts2. comprehension: participation in a discussion3. application: applying abstract information in practical situations4. analysis: separating an entity into its parts5. synthesis: creating a new whole from many parts, an in developing a complex work of art6. evaluation: making judgements on criteriaA scavenger hunt based on art works is a fun and engaging way to get students of any age toreally look at the art works and begin to discern what the artist(s) is/are doing in the works. Thesimple template provided, however, would be most suitable for grade 1-3 students.Instruction:Using the exhibition works provided, give students a list of things they should search for that arein the particular works of art. The students could work with a partner or in teams. Include a blankfor the name of the artwork, the name of the artist, and the year the work was created. Followingthe hunt, galther students together in the exhibition area and check the answers and discuss theparticular works in more detail.Sample List:Scavenger Hunt Item Title of Artwork Name of Artist Year Work Createdsomeone wearing a hata specific animallandscapea bright red objecta night scenea house*This activity was adapted from A Survival Kit for the Elementary/Middle School Art Teacher by Helen D.Hume.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramAn Artful Scavenger Hunt– TemplateScavenger Hunt Item Title of Artwork Name of Artist Year CreatedAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramStyrofoam Relief PrintsGrades 4-8Objectives:Students will, through the studio activity, gain an understanding of:a) What a print is (multiple images).b) How a simple Styrofoam print image is created.c) How a Styrofoam print image is related to other types of prints (i.e. linocuts).Materials:–Styrofoam printing plates (1 per student (approx. 3 ½ x 7”) these could be collected from grocerystore meat departments or deli departments and should be cut before class– 2-3 block printing watercolour inks (the ink dries very fast so make sure to wait until the lastminute to roll it out on the glass and the plate. Use immediately. You could also use temperapaints.– Small plexiglas pieces to roll out ink on (one for every 4 students)– Brayers-one per Plexiglas plate– Pencils or nails for mark-making, crosshatching/shading,etc.– Construction paper (for printing on) two 8x10” pieces per student– Drawing paper (for rough design work)– Newsprint– Pressing tools such as clean brayers, spoons, or even fingertips– Still life set-up/landscape or an image based on the exhibitionMethodology:1. Using drawing paper, have students create their drawing. Drawing encourages students tothink about subject matter.–Ask what they are interested in drawing within the still life/landscape/or an image based onwhat they saw in the exhibition.– Have students draw at least two small images they would like to print and have them showexamples of what they draw on paper before they make their plate.2. Demonstrate the use of Styrofoam as the printing plate as well as how to draw into the Styrofoamwith a pencil (or nail) to create their image. Remember the marks that are created do notgo through the plate but only indent the Styrofoam or create grooves.3. Pass out Styrofoam plates (one per student) and pencils and have students transfer theirimage to their plates.4. Roll out ink evenly on the plexiglass and show students how not to over-ink their plates. If thishappens, ink will get in the grooves and the lines will not show. Explain that the lines they havedrawn will be white.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramStyrofoam Relief Prints continued5. Lay construction paper over the inked plate and, using a spoon (or other implement), evenlypress the paper over the plate. Make sure the paper is at least 2 inches larger than the Styrofoamplate.6. Remove the construction paper to reveal the transferred, printed image.*Note: The printed image will appear in reverse compared to the drawn plate image.7. Printing more than one print:*A student may print more than one print but he/she has to wash off the plate and dry itthoroughly with a paper towel.1. Draw into styrofoam to create image. 2. Use brayer to evenly ink plate.3. After placing paper over plate, pressevenly with spoon or clean brayer.4. Carefully lift paper from styrofoamplate to produce finished print!AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramLino-Cut PrintsLino Cut is a relief method of print-making. In this method the image is created by cuttinginto a sheet of linoleum to create the image. When the sheet is inked, the ink sits on thesurface or on the raised areas. The areas which do not hold ink show up white in printingand this forms the image. Lino Cut is the method used by Illingworth Kerr in the printSnow Geese.Grades 9 to 12Objectives:Students will, through the studio activity, gain an understanding of:Materials:a) what a print is (multiple images)b) how to create a linocut print image– a piece of line for each student (approx. 5”x7” in size– while thelino can be any size, if it is too large, the process, which is quiteinvolved, could prove frustrating for many students.)Red-Winged Blackbird Linocut– hot plate and tin dish for heating the lino plate (to create ease ofcutting)– lino cutters (different sizes if possible)– block printing watercolour inks– small Plexiglass pieces to roll the ink out on– brayers (one per Plexiglas piece)–pencils– drawing paper– newsprint for proofing lino plates– construction paper or cartridge paper -two 8x10 pieces per students (for good prints)– spoons or other pressing implement– still life/landscape materials or an image based on the exhibitionMethodology:1. Using drawing paper, have students create a still life or landscape drawing.– drawing encourages students to think about subject matter– ask what they are interested in drawing in the still life/landscape or an image based onwhat they saw in the exhibition.– have the students draw at least two small images that they would like to print and havethem show examples of what they draw on paper before they make their plate.2. Demonstrate the use of lino as the plate and how to cut into the linowith a linocutter to createtheir image (remember, the marks cut do not go through the plate but only indent it or creategrooves.)AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramLino-Cut Prints continued*Heat up the lino in the tin dish prior to cutting into it but DO NOT leave the lino on the dish unsupervised.Turn off the heat before placing the lino in the dish and leave the lino there only for aminute or so.3. Pass out lino pieces (one per student) and pencils and have students transfer their image totheir plates.4. Have students cut into their plates with linocutters to create their image. Demonstrate differentmark making methods to create tone and volume such as cross-hatching, thin and thick lines,etc.5. Roll out ink evenly on the Plexiglas and show students how not to over ink the plates. If thishappens, ink will get in the grooves and the lines will not show. Explain how, in their print, whatthey have cut (the lines) will remain white.*relate this back to Snow Geese by Illingworth Kerr.6. Lay newsprint paper over the inked plate and, using a spoon (or other implement), evenlypress the paper on the plate to create a proof of the image.*a proof is a “rough” print of the image and allows students to see if andwhere more cutting is needed to refine the composition. *Make sure the paper is at leasttwo inches larger than the lino plate.7. Remove the newsprint paper to reveal the transferred, printed image.8. If necessary, clean the lino plate with water and refine the image by further ‘cutting’.9. Re-ink the plate to create a second proof and agin refine if necessary.10. Once final image is achieved, ink the plate and print on clean construction or cartridge paper.11. Have students create a title and sign it with their name IN PENCIL at the bottom of theirprint.Printing more than one print: A student may print more than one print but he/she hasto wash the plate off and dry it first with paper towel.*For an alternative, have students cut a linoleum print as usual. However, insteadof printing onto a single white sheet of paper, have students prepare the paper beforehand withfree-form pieces of coloured tissue paper. Have tissue papers cut or torn and glued in appropriatelocations on the printing paper. After the coloured tissues are scurely glued, the black-inkedcut linoluem is positioned over it and pressed heavily onto the paper. Then the ink block isremoved. The result is a colourfully constructed linoluem block print.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramOrigami Crane Activity“Origami” is a Japanese word: “ori”, meaning fold, and “gami”, meaning paper. One of the most famousorigami designs is the Japanese crane. Legend says that anyone who folds one thousand paper craneswill have their heart’s desire come true. The origami crane has become a symbol of peace because of thislegend and because of the true story of a young girl named Sadako Sasaki who lived in Hiroshima, Japantoward the end of World War II.Her tale is told in the book, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.1. Start with a perfectly squaresheet of paper. Most origamipaper is coloured on one side.4. Fold it diagonally with thewhite side out. (In this case,pink). Line it upcorner to corner.to get this...2. Begin by folding one edgeto meet the other with thecoloured side outward. In thiscase, the orange side.5. Open up the paper, repeatStep 4 in the other directionand open up the paper again.7. With the open side pointingtowards the left, fold one corner ofthe square so the edge is lined upwith the centre line.3. Open up the paperand lay it flat. Now repeatstep 2 it in the other directionand open it up again.6. Lay the paper with thepink side up. Bring in the sidecorners while bringing the topcorner down.8. Repeat step#7 with theother flap.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramOrigami Crane Activity continued9. Flip the paper over andrepeat step #7 for the othertwo flaps.And lay flat to get this...16. Flip the paper over and repeatsteps # 14 & #15 for the flaps on theother side.10. Fold the top flap downand crease hard. Nowfold it the same way inthe opposite direction.13. Flip paper over and repeatsteps #11&#12 for the otherside.17. Fold over one side like this...11. Open up one side and layit flat.14. With the open end towardsthe left in the picture, fold in oneflap so the edge lines up with thecentre line.18. Fold up the top flap on theopen end so that the tip of thelower flap reaches the tip of theupper flap.12. Lift the top flap on theopen end and fold it upwards,bringing in the sides.15. Repeat step #14 for theother flap.Like this...AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramOrigami Crane Activity continued19. Fold two of the flaps overand repeat Step #18 for thelower flap....to get this.24. Pull back the other tip likethis...20. Fold one flap over and layflat.22. Flip paper over and repeatStep #21 for the other side....to form the tail....to get this...23. Invert fold one of the uppertips like this...25. Gently pull the wings apartto form the body.21. Fold the top flap down. ...to form the head. And now it is complete!AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramPrinted BirdsAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramPrinted Birds continuedAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramHidden BirdsFOR THE TEACHER John James Audubon (1785-1851)is one of many illustrators who drew birds and animals.Audubon (for whom the Audubon Society is named) madeit his life’s quest to record every bird in North America. Hedid large, detailed paintings, frequestly traveling for monthsat a time. His paintings were reproduced in Audubon’s Birdsof America, The Elephant Folio. In it, birds were depicted intheir natural habitat of swamp, tree, reeds, grasses, nests,water, or the seashore.Vocabulary:sgraffito: An Italian word for ‘little scratch’ and used to describe adecorative technique where the surface is scratched away with asharp tool, often revealing a contrasting underlying colour.Arctic Tern, 1835, John JamesAudubon, St. Louis MercantileLibrary at the University of Missouri,St. Louis.Preparation: Audubon’s Birds of America paintings are the inspiration for this project.Depicting birds accurately and with sufficient detail is important, so unless you cantake students to a zoo, you may have to rely on small black and white photocopies. Aminiature of The Audubon Society Baby Elephant Folio of Audubon’s Birds of America isinexpensively available in most museum shops. (Colour is unimportant in this project.) Tryto have a variety of photos so that no two drawings are the same. Encourage the studentsto draw the birds accurately , then encourage them to use wildly unrealistic colours in theirdrawings.Interdisciplinary Connections:Science: Species in Danger. This Project is a natural for students to investigate what hasbeen done to rescue bird species in danger of extinction (such as the Whooping Crane)or to analyze flight. Students might even be able to participate in the Audubon Society’sannual backyard bird count.Social Studies: Artists and Pioneers. Students could investigate the opening of the West,and the part that explorers, surveyors and naturalists (such as Audubon) played in luringadventurous people to move Westward. Or students could do biographies of some of thesefamous explorers and pioneers.These bird drawings bystudents were brightlycoloured with crayon.They were then coatedwith India ink mixedwith a small amountof liquid detergent.When dry, the ink wasscratched using a rulerand nail.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramHidden Birds continuedSTUDENT PAGEMaterials:9x12 inch paperphotocopies of various birdscrayonsIndia ink mixed with liquid detergentrulers2 inch finishing nailsDirections: John James Audubon was a famous illustrator who made a painted record ofall the birds and animals of North America. Your job is to illustrate an actual bird.1. Work from a photocopy or photo of a bird. Draw the size as accurately as possible, andbe careful with details such as the legs, wings, beak. Place the bird in an environmentsuch as a jungle, water, seashore, or forest.2. Now that the bird has been accurately drawn, use your imagination to colour it brightly.The bird can be in very bright colours. Background items such as trees and leaves can bedone in blues, yellows, turquoise, light green, and dark green. Put paper underneath theedges as you colour to protect the table. Colour intensely, not allowing the paper to showthrough.3. Before doing this step, make sure your name is on the back of the paper. Brush Indiaink mixed with detergent (to keep it from “crawling”) on top of the entire composition. Allowthis to dry overnight.4. Use a ruler and a nail to scratch straight vertical lines through the ink from the top to thebottom of the paper. These lines shoudl be approximately 1/16 inch apart. The more carefullythis is done, the better the result will be. The brightly coloured bird will shine throughthe black “cage”. These lines may be done diagonally, but the use of the ruler is importantbecause the straight lines contrast nicely with the curves of the bird.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramThunderbirdsNature has always been a part of the life of Native Americans and so, in Native storiesand artistic expressions, Native artisans have used symbols to represent animals todecorate pots, create pictographs (drawings) or petroglyphs (etchings on rock). Thisproject is based on a painting of a fantasy bird found on bluffs above the MississippiRiver near Alton, Illinois. (This project is adapted from A Survival Kit for the Elementary/Middle School Art Teacher by Helen D. Hume)Preparation: Discuss the fact that the designs that outsiders see on Native American artwork aspurely decorative are meaningful symbols to Native American artists and viewers. Some of thesewould be mountains, warriors, sun, rain, serpents and feathers. Talk about mythical or extinctbirds such as the Thunderbird, as well as existing birds such as the Eagle or Parrot. Designsused on Native American pottery can be used as inspiration for designs.Vocabulary:patternanalogous/complementary coloursrepetitionabstractstylizationMaterials:12 X 18 inch drawing paperpencilmarkers (or coloured pencils)Line drawing ofpiasa bird figuresDirections: On a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, there was formany years a Native American painting of a mythical bird, the Piasa (pronounced “pie-a-saw”).Although the original painting has disappeared, a reproduction is currently seen in the sameplace. Elsewhere one sees drawings of Thunderbirds, that were also mythical birds in theNative American culture. What do you think would be the characteristics of a powerful mythicalbird? Since no one has seen one, it might have a very long tail, be brightly coloured, and havepowerful claws.1. Make thumbnail sketches of the outlines of birds on your paper. These outlines can representreal or imaginary birds. When you have selected a design, draw a large outline on the piece ofdrawing paper. Use straight or curved lines to make divisions within the body of the bird (wings,a line at the neck or legs). These lines will be helpful when you are making designs within thebody of the bird.2. Draw designs within the body in pencil before colouring with the crayons or markers. Use onlya few colours and repeat them to create a pattern. Colours typically used in Native designs aretones of dark red, reddish brown, black, turquoise, and yellow.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramThunderbirds continuedAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramThunderbirds continued3. Now let your imagination go. These birds are stylized. They may have more than the usualnumber of feathers on their tails. Some areas can be plain or coloured, while others have designsor patterns, or simply areas left uncoloured to allow the paper to show through. Designscould be checkerboard, stair step, zigzag etc.4. Although the background is plain, if you feel there is too much space, then make a border allthe way around the outside of the picture by repeating some of the patterns.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramTessellating BirdsAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramGeorge LittlechildUntitled, Illustration from “A Man Called Raven”, 1996Collection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsGlossaryAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramGlossaryAnalogous colour: Colours that are beside each other on the colour wheel, e.g. red and orange.Complementary colour: Those colours that are opposite to one another on the colour wheel andproviding the greatest chromatic contrast to it. For example, blue is the complement of orange.Cool colours: Colours including blues, greens, violets that can suggest sky, ice, snow that might beused to represent a quiet or calm mood.Critique: A discussion and critical analysis of works of art.Etching: see 1/Intaglio techniques under Art Media- Print makingGeometric shape: Any shape or form having more mathematic than organic design. Examples ofgeometric forms include: spheres, cones, cylinders, pyramids, cubes.Linocut: see 2/ Relief processes under Art Media- PrintmakingLithography: see 3/Planographic techniques under Art Media- PrintmakingMedium: The material or technique used by an artist to produce a work of art.Mythology: the body of stories associated with a culture or person.Organic shape: An irregular shape; refers to shapes or forms having irregular edges or objectsresembling things existing in nature.Relief print: A print from the ink on raised portions of a wood block or some other form of relief block(e.g., linoleum). The portions not to be inked and printed are cut away so what remains is relief.Serigraphy: see 3/Planographic techniques under Art Media- PrintmakingStylization: see Art Styles- AbstractionSymbolism: The practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolicmeanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships.Tesselation: A tessellation or tiling is a collection of figures that fills the plane with no overlaps or gapsto form repeated patterns. Tessellations frequently appeared in the art of M. C. Escher and are seenthroughout art history, from ancient architecture to modern art.Warm colours: Colours such as red, oranges, yellows that suggest warmth and seem to advance orcome forward off the picture plane.Woodcuts: see 2/ Relief processes under Art Media- PrintmakingAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramCreditsSPECIAL THANKS TO:The Alberta Foundation for the ArtsArt Gallery of AlbertaParticipating artistsSOURCE MATERIALS:Shaw Creek Bird Supply – Birds in Mythology - www.shawcreekbirdsupply.com/mythology.htmBirds in Mythology – www.mythencyclopedia.com/Be-Ca/Birds-in-Mythology.htmlExpressionism – The Oxford Companion to ArtOxford University Press, 1970Expressionism – http.//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExpressionismExpressionistic Movements – www.hunfor.com/arthistory/C20th/expressionism.htmPrintmaking Techniques – Art Gallery of Alberta PublicationLithography – The Oxford Companion to ArtOxford University Press, 1970Serigraphy – The Oxford Companion to ArtOxford University Press, 1970The Usborne Book of Art Skills by Fiona Watt, Usborne Publishing Ltd., Saffron Hill, London, 2002A Survival Kit for the Elementary/Middle School Art Teacher, by Helen D. Hume, published by Jossey-Bass, 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, 2000John James Audubon – www.audubon.org/nas/jja.htmlAlexander Wilson – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_WilsonThis exhibition was developed and managed by the Art Gallery of Albertafor The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramFunding provided by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.Shane Golby – Program Manager/CuratorAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Region 2Gabriela Rosende –TREX TechnicianAlix Walsh – TREX Administrative AssistantFRONT COVER IMAGES:Top Left: Dorothy Henzell Willis, Acceptance, n.d. Collection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsTop Right: John Will, Two of a Feather, 1963, Collection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsBottom Left: George Littlechild, Untitled: Illustration from “A Man Called Raven”, 1996, Collection of the AlbertaFoundation for the ArtsBottom: Middle: Illingworth Kerr, Snow Geese, 1983, Collection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsBottom Right: Dale Auger, Caller of the Morning Prayer, 1999, Collection of the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsAFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca