Los Angeles Music and Art School: Camp MusArt 2019

Touch and blind contour drawings of shoes; an exercise in observation drawing and close looking.

Drawings with rules; students created artworks using only triangles.

Shaded paper and kneaded eraser drawings; to explore representation of shadow and light.

Drawings with rules; students created artworks using only triangles.

Shaded paper and kneaded eraser drawings; to explore representation of shadow and light.

Drawings with rules; students created artworks using only triangles.

Chalk and charcoal drawings on mid-tone paper.

Self-portraiture; continuous line drawings using mirrors.

Drawings with rules; students created artworks using only wavy lines.

Self-portraiture; continuous line drawings on transparent film.

Self-portraiture; drawings in space using wire, inspired by Alexander Calder.

Self-portraiture; drawings in space using wire, inspired by Alexander Calder.

Portraits without faces; students created abstract collages to represent themselves.

Portraits without faces combined with self-portraits on transparent film.

Figure drawing class; students took turns posing for and drawing.

Figure drawing class; students captured the figure using circles and ovals.

Layered abstract paintings on canvas.

Layered abstract paintings on canvas.

Layered abstract paintings on canvas.

Layered abstract paintings on canvas.

Wax resist drawings inspired by Alfonzo Ossorio using oil pastel and watercolor.

Wax resist drawings inspired by Alfonzo Ossorio using oil pastel and watercolor.

Inspired by artist Edgar Heap of Birds, students created artworks representing words. “Broken”

Inspired by artist Edgar Heap of Birds, students created artworks representing words. “Crazy”

Inspired by artist Edgar Heap of Birds, students created artworks representing words. “Powerful”

Mono printing

Foam plate printmaking.

Foam plate printmaking.

Foam plate printmaking.

This summer I started as Art Instructor for the Los Angeles Music and Art School (LAMusArt) , in East Los Angeles. The school was founded by educator Pearle Irene Odell in 1945. Odell was a visionary who recognized the tremendous need to offer after-school arts programs to the underserved youth of East LA and surrounding communities. This founding mission is something that is still true today and the school continues to offers their K-12 population equitable and affordable access to multidisciplinary arts education programs.

I was hired to teach the visual art component of Camp MusArt, LAMusArt’s five-week summer intensive musical theatre program that offers students ages 7 to 15, a safe, unique, and immersive experience through daily lessons in music, art, dance and drama. During the five-week period, students work together with teaching artists to explore their creativity and stage and produce a full-length musical performance.

The images here document a selection of student works from the five-week curriculum which I developed to explore practices including drawing, painting, self-portraiture, and printmaking. I will be continuing on as an Art Instructor for the school throughout the year.