Talking Walls - Educational Project about Family Art - Song by Richie Ha...

The Stories of Identity Within Saved Family Artwork

(First Grade Artwork by ME!) 

I Am the Gallery of Life.

I house the very special and unique collection of artwork saved by families. (Just like yours) Each piece in the gallery is a masterpiece and has an embedded and sacred story of family identity. 

You can't get artwork with more passion, 

excitement, drama and adventure!

The Gallery of Life is filled with love, guilt, pride, 

sorrow, greed and so much more.... 

YOU CAN'T SEE ALL THESE STORIES AT A GLANCE... 

But I can assure you...they are there!

Saved family artwork holds simple stories if who we are.... As individuals, partners, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters......great granddaughters... who we are as a person....

Here are a few....

The Burning House and the Lost Artwork

During open house at an elementary school in the city of Poughkeepsie, NY, a conversation took place between the art teacher and a parent. This conversation started my on 

saved family artwork. The dialogue is as follows:

 "Please Miss Teed. Please make a new painting with my daughter. You see our house burned to the ground and we lost everything. I can replace and purchase the contents of our home by going to the store, but I cannot replace my daughter's artwork.  Its the project she made on Mother's day... last year in kindergarten...the one with the flowers and her hand print. Please Miss Teed! I would do anything to have another painting made by Nevaeh." 

(Heaven - backwards) 

The art teacher was moved by the passion of the mother and worked with the young student, (now in 1st grade) to 

replace the art project. 

The Hidden Box of Art Under the Bed 

John Toth is an accomplished visual artist and professor. While speaking to him about the embedded stories of family art, he shared his story with me about something that had just happened to him. He shared that his mother had just past away and he had the daunting task of going through her belongings  and figuring out what to do with all of it. To his amazement, he found a box of his own artwork that his mother had saved under the bed. He did not know of this collection's existence. As he went through the work, he was it was like "looking at a timeline of my becoming and artist".  As he handled the work, it was clear that this box held the contents of his artist identity. 

THE BUTTERFLY LADY AND THE 2TH GRADE ART PROJECT

Carol D is an elementary art teacher. One day she decided after many years to change the traditional 2nd grade butterfly art project to something new. This year the children would not create artwork with the infamous Monarch Butterflies which Carol brought to the art room for study and artmaking. Upon hearing the change in projects, a very concerned and upset parent approached Carol. The parent made her plea for Carol to return the project. You see, in the family living room is a place reserved for the last of three child to move through Carol's art room. Carol MUST keep the project because the parent is counting on the third child's butterfly artwork to hang on the wall with her siblings. Carol returned the project. Once again, the butterfly art went home to all the family homes to be cherished and displayed.

.

The Horrible Art Teacher and 

the Painting for Sale.....

Michelle's son Anthony was in a small rural school district. When he was in elementary school, Michelle long for him to bring home some artwork so she could hand it proudly in the family home. Everything he brought home was unfinished and poorly put together. After waiting and waiting for work to come home that she could display and that her son was proud of, Tired of the "bad" art teacher, Michelle approached the principal and asked what could be done to correct the situation. To her disappointment, the remaining years yielded very little artwork to display. Then, Anthony hit middle school, Michelle was so excited that there was a chance for her son to make some meaningful work. Then....Anthony made a portrait of a horse. Michelle could not wait for him to bring it home. She had waited so many years. To her disappointment, the teacher planned a student art exhibition where the students could sell their artwork. Anthony sold the work for $30 dollars. Michelle knew she couldn't buy it for herself. It was more important for her son to learn the value of his artwork through the eyes of a stranger.

The Two Weeping Sisters
During a visit to my father's podiatrist, the subject of art came up. Dr, Grippo told me an endearing story about the passing of his uncle and his wife's inheritance. 
Here is the story: 
Maria, wife of Dr. Grippo was left a beautiful painting made by a great uncle who had past away the year before. The painting was left to Maria because the Uncle knew she would care for it and value it. She ended up taking it to a profession to have it cleaned and restored. After hundreds of dollars unexpectedly invested, the painting came home and was hung in Dr, Grippo's home. The uncle's two surviving sisters came over to see the painting. Standing in front of the artwork, garbed in traditional, mourning black attire, they openly wept. Clutching each other and their black handbags, the artwork became "the brother", the loss and the love they shared for him.

The Ugly Foot of Guilt

While I was teaching at SUNY New Paltz, a discussion arose about giving artwork as a gift. 
This is one college student's story about giving art and the constant reminder of his lack of thoughtfulness for his mother's present on Mother's Day.
We will call him Eric.... He was an undergraduate student pursuing a teaching degree in Elementary Education. He began to tell us about a special (or not so special) gift he gave his mother. Having a hatred or shopping or any regimented holiday present giving obligation... he decided to give his ceramic project of a foot to his mother as a gift. He hated it and knew it was poorly made. As he stated, "It was really ugly!" Well, it was a guaranteed that mom would naturally love it because, let's face it... Mom's love our artwork, even if it is a heavy ceramic foot. Well... to this day... many years later... the foot remains on the coffee table in the middle of the living room as a centerpiece of guilt for everyone to view. Eric stated that it is so horrible to see the love his mom has for his gift. Especially because he put exactly zero effort into the giving. Will the Ugly Foot of Guilt ever disappear???

WENDY'S PINCH POT


"I have a pinch pot that I made in 1978 that sits on my dresser. My mom had it and now I keep small keepsakes in it. I was really proud of it when I made it. I loved how the glaze made it look so "cool". I am glad to have it. It reminds me of when I knew that I wanted to "do art" in whatever capacity as a "grown-up". 

BRENNAN W'S MONKEY

Here is Brennan's Story:

"I recently found a piece of art created by me as a child. It is a monkey hanging upside down from a tree carved into a scrap piece of wood. I remember that I made it for my grandma, and monkeys were my favorite animal growing up. My grandpa gave me a hammer and a flathead screwdriver and showed me that you can draw with them. Now when I look at the piece I am surprised that I made it. I must have been really focusing or really familiar with monkeys at this point because the body parts are all there no missing limbs or parts. I feel the piece is important to me because without my knowing I started to develop a hands on 3-d style when I was young. Now my preferred working 

method is 3-D..  I wonder why?" 

THE BOX: A SACRED FAMILY ARTIFACT

This year my friend Rebecca lost her Mother and Father. It was a difficult thing for her. A few weeks ago she told me a story about a jewelry box her father carved for her mother as an engagement present. He did not have the money for a ring so he hand carved the box with with great detail and love. He scribed her name on the top. A Rebecca told this story of her parents love and simple beginnings, her emotions were very endearing. The box is still in Canada with her sister for safe keeping. It was apparent how this simple box is a true family artifact and reflects a deep narrative of her

parents love for each other.