Jessica Riggs' Classroom Blog

It’s the beginning of a new year at Pine Tree Junior High. Students will return August 23rd. All 8th grade Art students will receive a supply list on the first day of class. The list only consists of 4 items: a package of pencils, Sta-Flo liquid clothing starch (in the blue bottle), 1 box of Kleenex or 1 bottle of hand sanitizer, and 1 roll of 2″ heavy duty masking tape (I prefer scotch brand). I ask that all supplies be turned in by August 30th.

I’m looking forward to meeting all my new students! I know this will be an excellent year.

PTJH is proud to have two 8th grade winners of ETCADA’s tobacco free bumpersticker design contest! Andrew Suits and Shelby Knoll, both Art I students, were chosen to have their bumpersticker design displayed on billboards around our area including a digital billboard in Tyler, Texas. We are so proud of their accomplishment!

In honor of Black History Month, Art I students will be discussing the influential African-American artist Jacob Lawrence. Jacob Lawrence is most famous for his Great Migration series which chronicles the migration of African Americans northward during the early years of World War I. His artistic style is defined by the use of pure primary pigments and flat, non-detailed figures. Art I students will be recreating panels from Lawrence’s Migration Series using the grid drawing technique.

Kilgore College held it’s annual Art Symposium today – Pine Tree High School had student portfolios place 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th! 2 PTHS students also received Honorable Mentions! There was stiff competition from area high schools including Henderson, Longview, White Oak, John Tyler and Robert E. Lee, but Pine Tree managed to dominate. Way to go!!

All Art I and Semester classes will be participating in the East Texas Council of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Bumpersticker design contest. Students will be asked to create an original bumpersticker that exhibits a positive tobacco free message and original artwork. Students from all over East Texas are eligible to compete and the winning bumpersticker design will be feature on both real bumperstickers and on a digital billboard in Tyler, Texas. We will begin working on our designs tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 5th) in class. Deadline for entries is February 23rd.

Here’s an interesting article regarding the 1904-5 Picasso painting that was accidentally torn when a woman tripped and fell into it at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday, January 22, 2010.  The article states that the painting was easily worth $100 million before the accident occurred.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/arts/design/26picasso.html

3 Weeks Grading period ends this Monday (January 25th, 2010). Progress Reports to follow.

This blog will be updated occasionally with announcements and information relating to the activities of my Art I and 8th Grade Semester Classes.  To receive these announcements in your email inbox please subscribe to my blog.

Thanks!

Jessica Riggs