Last Tuesday we had quite a unique learning experience off-campus. We were fortunate to visit the studio of acclaimed artist Donald Gerola. Here’s a link to his webite, for those curious: http://www.donaldgerola.com/
Providence locals have certainly seen his sculptures around town.
It was our interdisciplinary Teva project that led us here. As the students worked on planning how to create an aesthetically pleasing structure to reuse rainwater in our garden, the class had to plan out what they think they will need to know and how they might learn it. Learning from a sculptor was on their list! Our Head of School, Adam Tilove, had recently met Gerola and helped us make contact.
As a classroom teacher, I can honestly say this was one of the most incredible field trips I have been on. Meeting a master artist, hearing his story, and walking through a studio filled with hundreds of creative masterpieces left me speechless. His response to my thank you email was simply beautiful. He wrote me that this was the only group of children to touch his soul and that we left magic behind in his studio. He also welcomed us to return in the spring.
As a result of our visit, students have new inspirations and ideas for moving forward with their project. They look forward to updating Gerola of their progress.
