D79 Arts Showcase
For the 3rd year in a row, LYFE participated in the District 79 Arts Showcase at the Queens Museum. The showcase was a unique opportunity for all D79 programs to share their artistic talents and for all families and staff from each program to come together under one roof. Highlights from LYFE’s exhibit can be found below.
Week of the Young Child – Artsy Thursday
LYFE sites program-wide participated in the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Week of the Young Child (WOYC). WOYC was created to celebrate early learning, young children, their teachers and families. Featured in this exhibit is artwork from LYFE students at Hillcrest High School, Dewitt Clinton High School, and Prospect Heights Educational Campus created on Artsy Thursday. The goal of Artsy Thursday was to create open-ended art projects that allow children to use their imaginations, create with their hands, and develop creativity, social skills and fine motor skills.
LYFE at Hillcrest High School
To build community and foster creativity, LYFE students were given various materials to choose from. Starting with a large piece of paper on the ground, the children used their hands and car rollers with tracks to add color to the surface. To complete the activity, the children used glue, string, and foam to add texture to the artwork. Through this activity, children enhanced their social learning skills and had fun exploring art.
LYFE at Dewitt Clinton High School
To create a three-dimensional painting, LYFE students mixed two paint colors in cups to create new colors. The children added the newly created colors to cardboard blocks using their hands and brushes. The children then attached the tissue paper with diluted glue to add a second layer. Once the artwork dried, the children placed the third and final layer to the artwork by adding sponge prints with metallic paint and lines with markers. Through this art activity, the children strengthened hand-eye coordination and learned how different objects interact and work to create something new.
LYFE at Prospect Heights Educational Campus
To support fine motor skills needed for writing, LYFE students explored art textures using paint and collage materials. As children squeezed tubes of paint and glue, used paint brushes, crayons, or ripped paper for collages, they improved control of the muscles in their hands.
