Duration: 3 Classes

City as Canvas: Artist Spotlight

This guide is intended to be used as a resource for teachers either preparing to visit the Museum of the City of New York’s City as Canvas: Graffiti Art from the Martin Wong Collection or to use in the classroom following a class visit.

During the gallery tour of the City As Canvas exhibition, students will view highlights from the Museum's rich collection of 1970s and '80s graffiti art in New York. By analyzing the drawings, paintings, photographs and blackbooks collected by Martin Wong, students will learn about New York City artists known as “writers”, like Keith Haring, Lady Pink, Lee Quiñones, and Daze, and the historical context in which their work was created. Students will be able to elaborate on the multiple perspectives surrounding street art, discuss the various styles represented, and will respond creatively to the pieces by drafting their own sketches.

The information and activities in this guide correlate to the guided tour, but may also be taught as stand-alone lessons utilizing the text, images, and suggested activities. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the information to the grade level and ability of their students. For further information or to schedule a visit to the Museum of the City of New York, please email the Frederick A.O. Schwarz Children’s Center at schoolprograms@mcny.org

Haring Inspired Mural

"Action Painting" day camp participants (kids between 11-14 yrs) painted a Haring inspired mural on the wall of the village's railway station underpass, transforming an ugly gray concrete wall into a colourful piece of energetic art. The 3-day day camp ran for 5 hours per day, with 4 dedicated to art.

Dance Party

5th grade students create a poster based on Keith Haring´s "Dance" series.

Teaching to Standards

A joint effort between the University of Arizona's Education division and a local public school summer program, this lesson explores how some Apache students responded to Keith Haring's art using their computers as art-making tools.

Across Curriculum

A wonderful lesson sent in by a school in England that helps students examine and discuss art while developing their own fun and silly essays.

Hip Hop Dance Cut-Outs

Emphasizing collaboration, this teacher brought in music that Keith Haring worked to when he was making art and helped her students create a mural using it as inspiration.

Virtual Figure Sculptures

A fun and informative introduction to the art of Keith Haring, and an opportunity for students to design and build their own paper figure sculptures and envision them anywhere they want!

Stop the Violence

Groups of students were given the task of creating a Haring-style painting that communicated a message about an important social issue.

Keith Haring Tables

Using the theme of "pressure", this class explored ways in which they experience and deal with social pressures in their everyday life and painting these images on to a large-scale table.

The 1980s Series – Graffiti

During the 1980s, music, dance, fashion, and art experienced a boom of energy and innovation. It was also during the 80s that Haring came into prominence and produced most of his signature work. This series of lessons seeks to explore the cultural and creative phenomenons of the 1980s for the youth of today. The Graffiti project seeks to create an open & constructive forum for students to communicate their thoughts and feelings by creating a "graffiti wall" within the classroom.

Paper Sculpture Habitats

THIS LESSON USES THE NYC BLUEPRINT LEARNING STANDARDS.
Elementary students design their own mix and matched animals, using a lesson framework that emphasizes transformation, then they create an entire ecosystem for them using 3-dimensional collage materials.

This lesson accompanies the following additional lessons:
"Clay for Fun"
"Cranimals in 3D"
"Creating a Cranimal"

Making Self-Portraits

A psychologically investigative examination and corresponding lesson dissect the purpose and meaning of self-portraiture.