Photos from Cut-And-Paste Poetry Lesson

The painting they all observed together, and discussed (but the original hanging out our galleries instead, of course!)

Puzzling through their words to create a cohesive poem; considering line composition and message, among other things...

Finally ready to glue all the words down for poetry sharing!

After poetry sharing, completing the evaluation forms...

One poem...

Two poems...

Three BEAUTIFUL poems! We talked about the differences and similarities between them, and to the original Rockwell painting that started it all.

Self Assessment of Cut-And-Paste Poetry Lesson

 Overall:

            The girls each made colorful, creative word banks that reflected and exercised their own views of the painting (Aunt Ella story illustration), as well as their knowledge of basic parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs mainly, but also some conjunctions, prepositions, and articles). They worked successfully in groups (of 4 or 5) to create aesthetic, creative, flowing cut-and-paste poems, and they all read, outloud, lines from their poems during share time. They all participated in discussions and provided thoughtful answers on their evaluation sheets.

(Specifically) What worked:

·         All of the girls enjoyed learning about Rockwell first; the preliminary presentation (by Melinda Georgeson, at NRM) also served to put the rest of the work in a nice context of illustrative, visual language. (i.e. Evaluation responses mentioned: “Every picture that Rockwell made had a whole story behind it,” “…Norman Rockwell worked really hard,” “…some artists, like Norman Rockwell, use illustration to tell a story,” “…he focused on color transparency and complementary (colors) in most of his work…”)

·         Discussing poetry/writing and illustration terms before the activity also helped to set the context and get the girls thinking about their work as well as connections between (cut-and-paste) poetry and (Rockwell’s) illustration. (i.e. A lot of the girls reflected they learned that “Poetry doesn’t have to rhyme,” or “doesn’t have to be made with complete sentences;” this was one of the things we discovered/covered during our preliminary discussions.)

·         Allowing single work to make the word banks, before combining into groups allowed even some of the more timid girls to participate. It also encouraged individual voices to be heard in the poems’ words’ choices and illustrations. This helped each participant to see how her own work influenced or took part in the whole. (i.e. Chaperones’ responses stated, “Even the more hesitant could and did participate,” “Everyone has something to contribute and makes it unique to all…”)

·         Group work encouraged collaboration, and it made the daunting task of “writing a poem” easy to divide and conquer. (i.e. Evaluations responses mentioned things like : “Working in a group makes work easier,” “If you work together then you can get work done,” “It is fun, everyone participates,” “Sometimes it is easier to work with people and other times it’s not,” “Everyone can put great thoughts together that can create brilliant pieces…”

·         Having each group use the same painting offered just enough guidance to keep them on track and focused, while allowing them to write whatever they saw or felt in that painting encouraged variety within the sameness of the work. (i.e. Participants reflected their favorite parts: “Cutting things because I can pick the shape,” “Being able to do whatever I wanted with the words because it made it fun,” “Working in a group because we get to see everybody’s ideas,” “I liked learning about the paintings because I like learning new things,” “…when we wrote the words down and decorated them…(“because I like to color and draw”)”)

·         The chosen supplies were simple enough that each group and participant had relatively instant satisfaction with their work, while also allowing for a wide variety of interpretations.

·         Completing this poetry exercise in the context of Norman Rockwell Museum allowed deep connections to be made that might otherwise not have been seen (ex. in a “strictly” Creative Writing class, or in a “strictly” Visual Art class). (i.e. Participants responded that “(both the painting and the poems were) flowing,” “Our cut-and-paste poems describe and make a story, just like Rockwell’s paintings do,” “(both the painting and the poems were) original(s),” “The similarities are the same feeling,” “The setting (of the painting) made sense with the words (of the poem) and facial expressions (of the painting)…” A chaperone responded that she liked how “our words came from the painting, which came from a story (of words)…circular! Both “paint a story.”)

(Specifically) What I would change:

·         I felt like the Girl Scouts were getting a little tired of the tour time as we began to share the poems; if I could run this again, I would have shortened or lessened the number of paintings they discussed so that they could get into the activity a little quicker. Versus being a “gallery tour and then a gallery activity session,” I would have made it a more cohesive lesson of the language of art really coming together with the language of poetry. (Likely it felt a little more disjointed for me, personally, because I did not lead the “gallery tour” segment of the day.)

·         I might try to introduce a variety of paintings for the participants to choose from to create their word banks. While having them all focus on one painting produced effective results, it might be neat to see what differences might happen in content and color if I split the girls up into groups first, designated a different painting to each group, and then had them create their word banks and cut out/combine their words for their poem. I would assume their poems would read and look differently, depending on the paintings they were reflecting. That could lead to interesting discussion, as well. (This new lesson plan format might be best for older-aged groups, so that the dialogue could reach even deeper, into what dynamics happened between the paintings, word banks, and final poems.)

·         In future replications of this lesson, I  will remember to stress the importance that the participants SHOULD NOT WRITE MORE WORDS AFTER THEY FORMED GROUPS. While it did not seem to happen during my activity today, I overheard some of the groups saying they could “add other words to make it make more sense as they went along.” At this point, I gently reminded the groups (as a whole class) that they should work only with what they currently had, keeping in mind that a poem does not have to be made from complete sentences, or to “make perfect sense.”

Cut-And-Paste Poetry at NRM: Lesson Plan

This past April at the Norman Rockwell Museum, I designed and lead a poetry activity called "Cut-And-Paste Poetry," in which visiting students examined a Rockwell painting, created individual, visual word banks of what they saw, cut out the word banks, formed small groups to combine their words, and then created a poem out of their combined word banks. What resulted were very visual poems, somewhat abstract, but very powerful as they took on their own lives.


Here is my lesson plan as an outline of my intentions; an activity evaluation will follow!

Composition

In Painting and Poetry

Alicia Soos

Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge

4/2012

 Project Theme:

            What does the term “Composition” mean in (Norman Rockwell) Illustration and Poetry?

Grade Level:  Middle School (variety of ages) - Girl Scouts (15 of them) on 4/9/12

           

Setting/ Program Community: Norman Rockwell Museum School-Age Group Tour

                       

Project Objectives: (“Students will…”)

·         Create a “cut and paste” poem from self-generated word banks based off of a Norman Rockwell painting

·         Understand Creative Writing concepts such as Poetry, Parts of Speech, Line Composition

·         Increase sensitivity and awareness of Illustration concepts such as composition, shape, form, color, mood, narrative, and detail

Standards Met (NRM Mission):

“Norman Rockwell Museum is dedicated to education and art appreciation inspired by the legacy of Norman Rockwell. The museum preserves, studies and communicates with a worldwide audience the life, art and spirit of Norman Rockwell in the field of illustration.

The museum is a gathering place for reflection, involvement, and discovery through the enjoyment of the artist’s work. Norman Rockwell’s unique contributions to art and society, popular culture and social commentary influence the museum’s programs and interpretations.” (Norman Rockwell Museum)

·         This lesson communicates the art and spirit of Norman Rockwell’s illustration by using his work as inspiration for poetry (and word bank creation)

·         Students will reflect and discover, through this interdisciplinary involvement with Rockwell’s work and poetry, their own personal connections with his work (influenced by their individual roles in popular culture and current society). Connections will be made during word bank creation, cut-and-paste poetry formation, and during read-aloud sharing and interpretation of their poetry

How Lesson Plan Addresses Diverse Needs (Accessibility):

This lesson is a free exploration (with subtle guidance) of a form of poetry than is very much like illustration. There are no “right” or “wrong” word banks, “answers,” or poems to be formed; all stages of this activity are completed through personal interpretation. Participation and thoughtful decisions are the only core requirements. Poetry and Illustration knowledge may benefit and inspire, but they are not necessary (though will be touched on in the lesson, to facilitate ideation and deeper understanding).

           

Materials Required/Preliminary Knowledge:

·         Paper: large sheets to paste words onto, smaller sheets/scraps to create word banks on

·         Markers, crayons, colored pencils to write and decorate words in word banks

·         Scissors and glue for cut and paste

·         Discussion Topics (prior to work time): What is Poetry? What are the Parts of Speech, with examples? What is Line Composition (in Poetry)? What are the Parts of a Painting/Illustration (i.e. Composition, Shape, Form, Color, Mood, Narrative, Detail…)?

Procedure:

1.      Preliminary Discussion about Poetry and Painting

·         Sample Discussion Questions for Children/ Prompts for Work and Discussion:

Ø  What is Poetry?(Compared to, say, a novel?)

Ø  What are the Parts of Speech? (i.e. noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, article, pluralizer) Give some examples of each.

Ø  What do Lines do in a Poem? Define “Composition.”

Ø  Look at a (Norman Rockwell) Painting: talk about how he (and other illustrators) may use Parts of a Painting: composition, shape, form, color, mood, narrative, detail.

Ø  What are some similarities between a Poem and a Painting?

Ø  Show example(s) of other cut and paste poems, if desired.

2.      Based on the painting (“Aunt Ella”), (each student will) create a word bank. Consider the Parts of Speech discussed, as well as Parts of a Painting. Also include feelings you may get from the painting: anything! There are no wrong answers here: free associate. Instead of just writing each word out in a list, use the markers to decorate each word. Consider size, shape, style, and color in each word you write. Think of each word as its own “painting.”

3.      Cut each word out, and form small working groups for the next step.

4.      Combine your words with your partners’ words. Using your new, enlarged word bank, create a poem together and paste it onto the large sheet of paper. Don’t worry about it “making sense” or about making “complete sentences;” consider how lines work in a poem instead. Also consider that often, poetry does not “follow the rules.” Compromise and HAVE FUN while assembling! Give a time limit here, versus a poem length limit.

5.      Share poems with class: each read aloud (as a group or choose a spokesperson). After each group reads, the class gives feedback about what they like AND WHY.

6.      Final Discussion: in the form of an Evaluation Sheet, then answers shared.

·         What did you learn about Poetry today?

·         - About Parts of Speech?

·         - About group work?

·         - About illustration and Norman Rockwell?

·         What connections and similarities do you see between your cut-and-paste poems and Rockwell’s painting? What differences?

·         What was your favorite part of the activity, AND WHY?

Student Evaluation of Understanding:

·         Each group will have a poem they have created together, from their individual word banks (associations with Rockwell’s illustration)

·         Students’ deepened understanding of Poetry, Parts of Speech, and Line will be exemplified in finished poetry, as well as in the final discussion responses (evaluation sheet)

·         Students’ deepened understanding of Illustration concepts (i.e. composition, shape, form, color, mood, narrative, detail) will be exemplified in final discussion responses (evaluation sheet)

:)

What did you learn about Poetry today? What about Parts of Speech?

What did you learn about group work?

What did you learn about Illustration and Norman Rockwell?

What connections and similarities do you see between your cut-and-paste poems and Rockwell’s painting? What differences?

What was your favorite part of the activity, and WHY?

References:

D. Georges, Cut-And-Paste Poetry class exercise, March 25, 2012.

Norman Rockwell Museum. Our mission. Retrieved from

http://www.nrm.org/about/our-mission/.

           

Final Reflections on Photovoice Project

Here is the final paper I wrote for this project; hopefully it can express 
some of my final reflections for any who may be interested!

 

Norman Rockwell PhotoVoice

Community Arts Experiment

 

Literacy & The Arts: 2011

Alicia Soos

Photovoice unlocks the power and potential of revelation. It enables its least-suspected and least-suspecting participants to speak and to discover. It awakens curiosity in its viewers, and it calls to the forefront the current issues and happenings of today. It can be a powerful public action instiller, or it can simply bring attention to something overlooked. According to W. Luttrell (2010), Photovoice focuses on “‘voice’… call(ing) for new research methods that might minimize adults’ ‘voicing over’ children’s perspectives and experiences… adults to work with rather than working on, about or for children” (pg. 1). In addition, these valuable features of Photovoice – of, according to C. Wang (2006), “enabl(ing) youth (and other community memebers)… record(ing) and vivify(ing) their community’s strengths… promot(ing) critical dialogue and knowledge about community issues through group discussion of photographs” (pg. 147) – are all present in the Norman Rockwell Photovoice project. Project participants experienced a two-dimensional painting turning three-dimensional with modeling, and then returning to two-dimensional in photography; participants also conquered a phenomenal feat of stage fright, in the name of producing community art.

            I preface the project with this information included in the participants’ photorelease (this was part of the participant sign-up sheet and participant take-away information, as well):

“It is called a “PhotoVoice” project: a message communicated through photographs. I will be the photographer and you and other visitors will be the subjects, creating a tableau (posing as) one of scenes in Norman Rockwell’s paintings, which will then be altered to resemble a Saturday Evening Post cover. This project will transfer a two dimensional painting into a three dimensional space, and then back to a two dimensional photograph.

After gathering photographs today, I will upload them to this project’s blog which you can access here, in January: http://nrphotovoice.blogspot.com/. (All photos taken today will either be uploaded to the blog or discarded. All photos uploaded will not be altered – other than the Post mast-head – or misused in anyway, and no names will be connected to the photos.) If you do participate, please also email me with any comments you would like to make about this project experience!”

            Each participant of the Norman Rockwell Photovoice project at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, picked a painting reference from a Rockwell book or from the museum’s galleries, and then modeled his or herself after one of the painting’s characters. I neither instructed nor guided the models regarding their painting or modeling choices; the resulting photographs I took were purely the participants’ dramatic, on-the-spot art-making that reflected their own visions. I only asked that each participant read and sign the photo release for the published project blog, take their own information with them, and stand in front of a white backdrop while they posed. (C. Wang (2006) advises: “Obtain informed consent… Facilitators should explain the written informed consent form, which ought to include a statement of project activities and significance… risks and benefits, the voluntary nature of participation… the understanding that no photographs identifying specific individuals will be release without separate written consent… (Additionally) plan with participants a format to share photographs…” (pgs. 150, 152).)

            I feel strongly about the values of this Norman Rockwell Photovoice project. In carrying out this project, I hoped for the following for both the participants and myself: an artistic experience in converting a two-dimensional painting to a three-dimensional drama/space to a two-dimensional photo; community-driven/fueled art making and interaction; an increased appreciation of Rockwell’s paintings and his own reference photography; pride in final “products” (photos and photo-collage works) created from the photography session at the museum; and of course creativity and fun.

According to W. Luttrell (2010), “…photography is a technology with tremendous power in directing the gaze… redirect, contest, and unlock the gaze… can harbor a potential for alternative narratives or ‘hidden transcripts (pg.1).’” Participants in this project created their own narratives by “re-modeling” Rockwell’s paintings; they added their own – subtle and not – character changes and nuances not already present in the original paintings that made their photographs their own, Rockwell-inspired art. All of this was done while having apparent fun, as the photographs on the project blog show!

C. Wang (2006) says, “…participation ‘expresses the view… as competent citizens and active participants in the institutions and decisions that affect their lives. Photovoice offers an ideal way for… people to harness the power of these roles to enhance their community’s well-being… People ought to participate in creating and defining images that shape healthful public policy (pgs. 1-2).” The quality of art that resulted from this Photovoice project will certainly enhance the museum community’s well being; pride in and affection for Stockbridge’s own surrounding community will likely rise. Visitors to the blog will also appreciate the Norman Rockwell Museum’s mission to engage the public in an artistic, storytelling, and historic museum experience. Participants who visit the completed blog will also find pride in the art they created with their tableus. It is my hope that all of this will increase the greater public’s desire to support community art-making and all of its benefits, based on the Norman Rockwell Photovoice project’s (with the help of the Norman Rockwell museum’s mission’s) success.

As the project “director” and participating photographer, I gained many benefits as well as questions from this Photovoice experience. Of course I earned raw photos to edit and experiment with; but also, I was entertained and intrigued while watching the art-making models, and I appreciated Rockwell’s photo references and photo gathering processes along with the project participants.

In addition, I gained a few other experiences: some unique and some shared with the models. For one, I was able to meet and talk with one of Rockwell’s live models: Julie. She was visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum the day of my project, and she sat down to tell me about her experience modeling for Rockwell’s Florida Gas Co. advertisement. When she modeled for the project and approved my telling of her story on the project blog, her support for my work was a pleasant surprise. Perhaps she also recognized the values of the project’s missions. (I also received a lot of praise and inquiry from the participants and museum visitors about my degree and my work’s intentions. It was wonderful to share dialogue about community art and its benefits, and to watch my project instill support of community arts or to attract current community art supporters.)

Perhaps some of the best discoveries I made while photographing were the social observances and psychological theories I gleaned from them. Many models asked me questions like: “Am I doing this right?”; “Do I have to play a girl/boy, or look just like her/him?”; “Can I be more than one person?,” etc. They asked for direction, and were often a little contemplative or nervous at first; however, every one of them eventually grew comfortable in front of the camera and really took on their characters’ personas. Excitement and their own discoveries came out of their diving in: “I can use a real phone in this one!”: “Wait, I need to do it again and get my hand/face just right…”; “Let me go and get my mom and brother so they can model, too!”; “I’m going to use my own scarf, like the woman there…Yeah, I’ll even tie it around my head”; “I modeled for Rockwell when I was much younger… Do I need to fix my hair? Clothes? This is really something, dear…”; “I just don’t want to model her because I don’t want to replace her… Rockwell just painted her so good… He got her face so good!”

 The models really explored the paintings’ characters and Rockwell’s messages and stories within themselves, so that they could express their own messages and stories to the camera. According to W. Luttrell (2010), “(Photovoice) is teasing out the (people’s) engagement in and struggle with the swirls and tugs of others’ words, ideas, dreams, and disappointments… (What) Bakhtin calls ventriloquation… that we speak with the words and intentions of others in an effort to make our own meaning” (pg. 225). The models for this project were choosy about the characters and poses they selected, so they might perfect the artist-viewer dialogues they planned to illustrate in their photos.

The models also enhanced their understanding of Rockwell’s visual, painted messages, through artistic movement and impersonation or dramatization. K. Gallas (1991) states, “…children (and others)…relate and expand their knowledge through movement and dramatization… the action and focus of the movement experience (can) demonstrate how carefully… (he/she) observe(s) and examine(s)… the ability to translate his (her) ideas into a kinetic modality with great clarity” (pgs. 137-138).

Looking at my project’s larger picture, I have to wonder how these people – who were complete strangers to me, and some who had never even been to the museum before – conjured up the courage to model live and to be photographed for an internet blog? Surely, someone should have gotten stage fright and needed to stop? Or decide to withdraw? Or asked for direction every step of the way? This did not happen with any of the models, young or elderly.  Occasionally, I might have prompted a model with a question about the painting or herself, to make her comfortable or to help ideation: (according to Project Muse) “Do you like this painting? Why or Why not?”; “What is your favorite part/character? Why? And will you model it? How?”; “Is there anything you see that reminds you of your own life? What is it, and can you model it? (Ex. specifically from N.R. Photovoice project: “Do you play baseball, too?)”; “Is this true to life/ Do you think this could really happen? Can you show how you might react in that situation?” (pgs. 83-88). However, I never felt like it much mattered if I prompted the models or not; they all seemed to decide quickly what they wanted to do, and I felt more like a bystander with a camera than an art project leader.

I am curious about the psychology of the models’ successes: specifically related to the concept of “stage fright.” According to Dr. G. Wilson (2009), stage fright does not correlate with talent or ability, but it is instead caused by: “expectations” (of the performer and audience), “adrenaline and the ‘fight or flight’ emergency body system” (that can create panic), and the “fear of socialization/ isolation” (being alienated, scrutinized, or singled out; likened to be picked for eating by a predator, the audience playing the “predator”) (video).

The assumptions I can draw from this information is that the environment (the corner of a quiet, almost empty, cut-off lower-level classroom in the museum) and the audience of the project leader/”predator”/me and other friends and family around may have created a feeling of safety for the “performers”/models, thus combatting any stage fright. Expectations (performers’ and audience’s) might have felt low to start; it was a non-consequential project directed by me: a small, unassuming, accommodating person encouraging the experimental project without competition. Additionally, adrenaline would likely have been low; or, perhaps, there was just enough remaining to cause the performances to be so good? “Positive stress” could be another explanation for the artistic modeling’s quality, according to Dr. G. Wilson (2009): “Stage fright is not always destructive… actors (are) more likely to report that stage fright facilitated their performances rather than interfered… Though there is obviously a limit to how much anxiety will be beneficial” (video). All of this likely resulted in none of the volunteer models feeling like they might be scrutinized or alienated if they made mistakes. (Not to mention, a digital camera with an “erase” feature also allowed models to try more than once to get the right shot.)

Todd Strong (2006), a juggler, also seems to agree with this logic: “Stage fright (performance anxiety) occurs when someone feels threatened by concerns of performing poorly in front of an audience, and receiving negative feedback and consequences from the audience” (website, paragraph 13). I can only assume that the models in the Norman Rockwell Photovoice project did not feel threatened or like they would receive poor or negative feedback or consequences from their audience (me, or the project blog). This has taught me one effective way of leading (volunteer) community art in the future!

All of this aside, I do retain some concerns and challenging opinions about this project’s results thus far. While I may not truly be able to evaluate the success of this project until I receive more feedback from viewers and participants on the project’s final art (blog), I do have my own personal questions and opinions about the need for and the art created from this project.

Firstly, I do not see the Norman Rockwell Photovoice project advocating for social change, as according to C. Wang (2006): “…‘photovoice’ (is used) to contribute to… community’s health and well-being… a strategy for engaging (youth) in policy advocacy and community change.” Thus, I wonder if this project is still considered “Photovoice,” and if it is really very “necessary” for society?

Secondly, I am not yet convinced that my own photo collage and insert pieces are really very “artistic” and should be called “art.” They are certainly fun in a souvenir type of way, but they are almost more like thank-you notes to my participants. In addition, they are a somewhat mainstream, marketable, and appealing aspect of the project for the participants and for the museum. Overall, I feel my own artwork contribution from this project is slightly kitsch.

That said, I am certainly not despairing on this project! The more I think about it, I do believe that this project can still be considered a “Photovoice” project, in its own way. It may not be calling for dramatic social change or justice, but it still advocates for the continuation of community art, art in classrooms, (socially) interactive art and creativity, collaboration, illustration, photography, and mixed media art: especially in an educational and thought-provoking atmosphere like a(n) (art) museum.

While I may still need time to warm up to my photo work being considered “art” (“liking” them is not enough), I am most proud of the raw photos I was lucky enough to capture. The participants’ work was the true art of this project: raw emotion, interaction, sociology, psychology, two-dimensional paintings to three-dimensional dramatizations to two-dimensional photos, experimentation: all on-the-spot! I have some really wonderful representations of successful performance art, done in a community setting, resulting from this project.

The Norman Rockwell Photovoice project addressed the topic of community arts within an art museum classroom setting. It put the power of the image into the hands of “average” museum goers to reveal the magic and values of making community art together. It enlivened participants’ appreciate for Rockwell and his processes, while also calling attention to the influential and noble mission of Rockwell’s art and museum (in case it is being overlooked by anyone): discovering the art within the everyday person. Adults worked with children to draw out their inner messages instead of speaking for them. As is Photovoice’s intention, with this Norman Rockwell Photovoice project, multiple generations were enabled – not challenged, influenced, or forced – to “speak” through photographs about their connections to and experiences (with Rockwell and community art): an ability that, if properly utilized, has the power to influence (social) change and awareness worldwide.

Resources

Gallas, K. (1991).“Arts as epistemology: enabling children to know what they know.” Harvard Educational Review, vol. 61(1), 130-146.

Luttrell, W. (2010). “‘A camera is a big responsibility’: a lens for analyzing children’s visual voices.” Visual Studies, vol.25(3), 224-237.

Project MUSE (Museums Uniting with Schools in Education). “The generic game.”

83-88.

Strong, T. (2006). “Stage fright.” JUGGLE Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.toddstrong.com/personalthoughts/stage_fright.php.

Wang, C. C. (2006). “Youth Participation in photovoice as a strategy for community change.” Journal of Community Practice, vol. 14 (1/2), 147-161.

Wilson, Dr. G. (2009). “The psychology of performing arts: stage fright and optimal performance.” Video retrieved from http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/the-psychology-of-performing-arts-stage-fright-and-optimal-performance.

Saturday Evening Posts: Photo Inserts

Here are the final products of the Norman Rockwell PhotoVoice project: Saturday Evening Post imitation covers, with the project's models inserted into their chosen paintings!

Saturday Evening Posts: Of My Own Design

These are some "Saturday Evening Post-like" covers I created with the original photos and The Saturday Evening Post mast-head. Some of them look like they could really exist in print someday! (Regardless of the price that is no longer realistically accurate per issue!)