The 5th and 6th graders in Studio in a School Artist Instructor James Reynolds’ art class at PS 123 in Manhattan were bursting with questions for their famous visiting artist, Glenn Ligon. The students had seen images of some of Ligon’s work that have been celebrated around the world, and when he arrived they were eager to know everything.
During the visit Ligon shared his America neons, discussed his use of text as imagery, his artistic process, and his choices. Students delved deep into his exploration of the word America.
Mr. Ligon then demonstrated using stencils and students created text of their own words, considering word choice, scale, placement, and orientation. Through this rich lesson, students understood that art is an exploration of ideas and process and that it can often be challenging but that challenges also often provide opportunities. Below are some images from this inspiring event.
