M.K.Amos: February 2013

Eisenhower Elementary Legacy Project, January 2013

In the fall of 2012 I met with the Art Teacher at Eisenhower Elementary and a representative from The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, the organization overseeing the project, to plan a residency at the school for their four 4th grade classes. The teacher requested we do something related to Appalachian Arts and she wanted the students to have both an individual project to take home, and work on a collaborative legacy project for the school.

For the individual project the students did small Appalachian inspired baskets made from raffia, reed, and found stick handles. For the collaborative legacy project I constructed an adapted loom for the students to weave into with various materials I brought from my studio and the education department at The Kentucky Museum of Ar and Craft.

Detail of Legacy Weaving

Legacy Weaving Project

Working with a Student

Student basket

Student Basket

Students working on baskets

Legacy Project for Kerrick Elementary, Fall 2012

I was asked to collaborate with the Art Teacher, and her four 4th Grade classes, at Kerrick Elementary in Louisville, Ky. The teacher was interested in my proposal to construct four quilts in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the aquisition of thier wooded area next to the school. Each quilt was to represent a season. I first met with the teacher and a representative from The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, acting adminstrators of the project, in late summer of 2012.

In fall of 2012 I conducted a series of four classes. On my initial visit we looked at a picture book together, The Leaf Man, where in the book various leaves are used to create woodland creatures. We then went out into the wooded area and collected leaves for relief printing on fabric, to create our own leaf creatures. In conjunction with this project the school held a Family Literacy night, where parents also previewed the book, The Leaf Man, collected their own leaves and relief printed them on fabric with their children. The last two sessions during my stay at the school included teaching the students how to embroidery on their printed quilt squares.

At the conclusion of my stay at the school, I took all of the quilt squares home, both the students and their parents, and used them to create four legacy quilts for the school. The following pictures are the result of this project.

Working with a student.

Detail of Winter Quilt

Winter Quilt

Detail of Spring Quilt

Spring Quilt

Detail of Summer Quilt

Summer Quilt

Detail of Fall Quilt

Fall Quilt

Community Garden Art in Newburg, Summer 2012

For this project, I worked with the members of the Newburg Community in Louisville, KY to design and construct four art pieces for their community gardens.