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During the spring of 1997, Gina led a group of 5th and 6th grade students of Hogg Elementary School
in Dallas, Texas, in making Olmec Colossal Masks. The student composition of Hogg Elementary is primarily
Hispanic, and this project was intended to expose the students to the natural art of their Hispanic heritage.
The first week of the project was devoted to a historically based discussion of positive and negative stereotypes, the often uncomfortable feelings that accompany these stereotypes, and examples of what the students felt were appropriate responses. We then explored the idea of paper mache art as a creative and positive expression to counter negative feelings. When explaining the concept of symbolic art, most of the students communicated an understanding that, similar to the process of changing stereotypes, paper mache art is easier and more effective when many people work together to accomplish the task. Frames were formed from "chicken wire" and then covered with "cellu-clay" paper mache. A book of photographs of real Olmec Colossal Heads was used as reference, and each group of students were free to create the mask based on their interpretations of the photographs and descriptions in the book. After the paper mache had dried, the masks were painted to seal the paper mache. The completed masks and other related materials from this project were displayed at the North Oak Cliff Library during the month of May. The students and their families were invited to a reception at the library to showcase the student's work. After the library display the masks were displayed in local businesses in the North Oak Cliff neighborhood. |