Cultivating creativity! D-E Middle School students in Ms. Miller’s Creative Writing and Ms. Scrivanich’s Art & Design Explorations Discovery classes recently teamed up to visit The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York as part of an experiential program called “Narrative in Art.” Ms. Miller said her students are learning to use anchor texts from prominent poets, such as Maya Angelou, as the basis for their own emulations. The day at the museum “had students using the artwork as a springboard to create, in small groups, a piece of writing,” said Ms. Miller. “It is a different kind of analysis and interpretation.”

Similarly, Art & Design students were able to practice skills in responding to artwork by engaging in activities and discussions about select pieces with the educator at The MoMa. “In my Studio Art classes, I encourage students to let their voice inspire their art-making,” said Ms. Scrivanich. “Reflecting on the work of influential artists such as Van Gogh, Remedios Varo, and Archibald John Motley through the frame of ‘narrative in art’ allowed students to understand how artists have long practiced storytelling in their work.” Ms. Scrivanich added that viewing the artwork in person is extra special. “It was great to see the students’ genuine excitement about each piece and just being in the presence of art.”