GAIA

Create – Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work.
Respond – Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning.
Present – Interpreting and sharing artistic work.
Connect – Relating artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and external context.

Students will be able to…

• Differentiate between graffiti, street art, and public art using historical and contemporary examples.
• Analyze how artists use symbolism, composition, and visual storytelling to communicate ideas.
• Develop original concepts for public art that reflect personal, cultural, or community experiences.
• Collaborate with peers to design a site-specific public artwork for a defined audience.
• Use photography, collage, and digital media tools to create a public art proposal.
• Present and defend artistic decisions using appropriate visual arts vocabulary.
• Evaluate how location, audience, and context influence the interpretation and impact of public art.

(A.V.Cr.01-3), (A.V.P.05), (A.V.R.09), (A.V.Co.11)

Public art (first hand from a CTTS mentor participant)

• Sketchbook
• PIXLR
• Cell Phones
• Paper
• CHOICE PROJECT

• Collage
• Composition
• Layout

Students will make a collage in groups.

Day 1 and 2 Teacher will give a brief history of graffiti and public art using slideshow. Teacher will share slideshow of the “living” artist they worked with over the summer. Teacher can share a video or interview the artist made for
their class or artist can call in for a Live discussion where artist talks about themselves as well as their work. Teacher will share a slideshow of their own summer experience with CTTS. Teacher will set time aside for the guest student speaker, aka the Junior Fellow at CTTS to give a 10-minute presentation on their experience. Students will be able to identify the difference between graffiti and public art.

Day 3 Mural Tour, of all murals and time with the Teacher’s mural. Students will be able to observe, connect and respond to the local art. – Pay attention to symbolism. What symbols do you observe that tell a story? Write on your paper the piece you’re observing and what the symbol is. If there is something you connect to and love on the tour, write it down on your paper and put a star next to it.

Day 4 Assignment: write a brief summary on how you connect or do not connect to this piece. Include what you like and/or don’t like; what it means to you; using what you (sort of) know about elements of art, what do you see and how do you see it?; what part of the piece do you enjoy looking at the most and why. In regards to Gaia’s mural and using his style of collage; what do you see?; is this piece abstract and/or realistic and why?; using his style of realism, how is he telling his story?; using collage, is it effective or not and why; thinking about the elements and principles, what do you see?; do you think this piece successful? why or why not; How does environment play a role in who views this piece? Using what you know now about Public Art, who is your audience and what do you want them to know?

Day 5 individual work of brainstorming ideas and symbols you would use to visually tell your story. Students can Google search on computers and use their sketchbooks. Think about what they would use in a photoshoot.

Day 6-7 students will join groups and share their ideas. Now in a group, choose one message to share with your audience? (who is your audience?) As a group, brainstorm and find symbolism to use in a 2D collage on paper.

Day 7 walk around your space (in this case St. Mary’s) and choose the perfect space for your message. Think about your space. Would this be a space you would be able to get permission for? Is it a wall? Exterior or interior? Are you building a wall? Is this vertical or horizontal? If not, you probably won’t succeed. If maybe, then let’s see. Take a great picture of your space. You will use it to sell your idea!

Day 8 cut your 18×24 paper to the right ratio of your space, roughly. Find images and use illustrations to choose your symbolism. Write down your ideas of a photoshoot. Who is in it? What are the moments you’re capturing. Take screen shots of images on your computers. Let’s play with SCALE and figure out a composition that tells your story. Is there something you want to EMPHASIZE in your collage? Your ideas and compositions should be thumbnails and sketches in your sketchbooks. We will print out your images and collage them on the right ratio of your space. Your space can be exterior or interior. Remember who is your audience? What do you want them to know? What time of year will your artwork be up? Where is it? How would you sell this to administration?

Day 9 Create. Take photoshoots.

Day 10 Using Pixlr, start the class together and on the Viewboard go step by step using the Software.

Day 11-13 Students will work in their group to use their own images and symbols to create a final digital collage project in Pixlr. Play with scale, color, light/value, etc.

Day 14 guest admin is invited to class. Students will present their digital projects on Viewboard and sell why their piece should be chosen for a designated place in the school. In their presentation, all students will participate at least once. The design will be superimposed on their initial proposed space/wall/etc. Of all the groups, we hope for ONE of the best to be chosen and approved by admin for a public art piece exhibited on school property. Does the piece stay “realistic” or do we change it to become more illustrative using bolder lines? Is there a way we can break down this project for the younger classes to do a project and use all their projects to display using one message? Is there a symbol in your collage we can use to emphasize the message and all of the younger classes can use that symbol in their project to exhibit all of them at once? HOW do we exhibit this; as a class discussion. Teacher will determine three things 1) if this class will get delegated tasks 2) if this is project for middle school students 3) do advanced art students get this?

• Tiered Expectations – Foundations students can focus on identifying and using provided symbols/images, while advanced students generate original photography, edit in Pixlr, and lead group composition.
• Choice of Media – Students may work with printed images, hand-drawn illustrations, or digital collages, depending on strengths and comfort level.
• Flexible Group Roles – Assign roles (researcher, designer, digital editor, presenter) so each student contributes according to their skills and confidence.
• Scaffolded Supports – Provide visual guides, symbol banks, and sentence starters for students who need more structure; allow others to dive deeper into symbolic and conceptual choices.
• Multiple Assessment Options – Students can show understanding through written artist statements, verbal explanations, or a stronger emphasis on the visual collage itself.
• Flexible Pacing & Extensions – Extra time for those who need it; enrichment prompts (e.g., alternative color schemes or expanded symbolism) for early finishers.

Creativity & Originality            Student’s ideas show originality, thoughtful symbolism, and inventive use                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             of collage elements. 25

Understanding & Application           Demonstrates knowledge of graffiti vs. public art,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     of Public Art Concepts                      audience, environment, and storytelling through                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          visual symbols. 20

Collaboration & Group Work            Contributes to group planning, shares ideas, and fulfills assigned roles                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  effectively. 15

Process & Sketches            Completes brainstorming, thumbnails, and plans; shows evidence of experimentation                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   and refinement. 15

Craftsmanship & Technical Skill            Uses tools (cutting, arranging, Pixlr editing) carefully; demonstrates skill                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                in digital composition. 15

Presentation & Reflection            Presents work to class/admin clearly; can explain symbols, story, and choices;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   writes or speaks thoughtfully about connections.

1. Visual & Historical References

• Slideshows of graffiti and public art – local murals, classic and contemporary street art.
• Artist inspiration:
  • Gaia’s official website or Instagram: https://www.gaiaart.com
  • Videos/interviews of Gaia discussing his work and process.
• Guest student speaker / Junior Fellow at CTTS – first-hand experiences and reflections.
• Teacher’s own summer experience – images and stories to connect students to real-life practice.

2. Research & Symbol Exploration

• Sketchbooks – for brainstorming, thumbnails, and note-taking.

3. Photography & Props

• Smartphones – for taking photos of group members, props, or spaces.
• Props for photoshoots – objects that convey meaning or symbolism in student compositions.
• Lighting options – lamps to experiment with dramatic effect.

4. Digital Media Tools

• Pixlr (free online photo editor) – for creating digital collages.
• Computers or Chromebooks – access for editing and assembling final collages.

5. Classroom & Physical Resources

• Paper (18×24 or adjustable ratio) – for scaled collages.
• Scissors, glue, tape – for physical collage experiments or planning.
• Markers / colored pencils – for annotations, highlights, or sketches.
• Classroom space for mural observation – e.g., St. Mary’s campus walls for site-specific inspiration.

6. Presentation & Sharing

• Viewboard– for presenting final digital collages to peers and administration.
• Admin contact / permissions – for potential installation of student work.

INSPIRED BY GAIA’S MURAL – High School, Foundations.
Dadaism, collage/photomontage.