Rachel Perry Welty

1. “Goghing” Green Rachel Perry Welty ART day 2009 Self Administered Art Project For Grades K and 1 Howser, Schreiner, Simpson Funding for Art Day is provided by the PTA, Sope Creek Elementary School Foundation, Inc, and Cobb County Performing Art Fund

2. Outline • Children will hear about the artist Rachel Perry Welty. They will: • Learn about her special style of art • See some of her sculptures • Together with their class, make their own Rachel Perry Welty sculptures using the materials supplied. • SUPPLIES: • Masking tape • Box of precut aluminum foil • Information about Rachel Perry Welty • Pictures of Rachel Perry Welty’s art for viewing

3. About Rachel Perry Welty Rachel Perry Welty is an artist that was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1962 and now lives in Boston, Massachusetts. She is known for using product packaging and leftover junk you would find in your house as items in her artworks – often in very unusual ways. Sometimes she uses boxes from things you might buy in a supermarket. Sometimes she will collect bits of packaging such as twist ties or labels off of apples or pears that otherwise would be thrown away. Rachel’s most recent work is made of aluminum foil. Each wall sculpture is crushed and formed by hand into the shape of letters and words. The words she uses are found through website advertising, email, books or spoken by strangers during daily conversation. She believes the words when taken out of context become something hopeful and beautiful – just like poetry. (Read Aloud)

4. Getting Started • DISCUSSION OF RACHEL PERRY WELTY SCULPTURES: • Have the students look at the photographs in the back of your packet. Hold up and then pass the pictures around the class room. For each picture ask the questions (there are no right or wrong answers): • These are made out of things people would normally throw away. Do they look that way to you? • Next, compare some of the photographs, side by side. Ask questions like: • What is the same about them? What is different? How can you tell they are made by the same person?

5. Time to make Rachel Perry Welty sculptures! • The children are going to making foil sculptures in the style of Rachel Perry Welty (pictures on page 8). • First, you and the children will need to pick the phrase(s) you want to sculpt. There is a list of options on the next page. Or, you’d like, you can choose saying or phrase that is special and meaningful to your class (see next page for choices). • There are 500 pre-cut sheet of foil that can easily be shaped into letters. (In fact, it is so fun I had a hard time stopping during the test run.) It is your choice if you want to do all caps or upper and lowercase. It’s perfectly fine to do what is best for your class. For those children who might not be ready to sculpt letters, shapes can tell a story too. Sometimes you might need more than one sheet to create a letter and that is okay too. Do not worry about writing in cursive. You know your classes’ ability best and this is art so there is no right or wrong way! • There are approximately 25 sheets per child so each child can do at least one or two words. If you should have an issue with your supply, we have extra in the media center. • Have the children line up their words and or letters on the floor so everybody knows what it says. Then, it can be taped up in the hall (under the beautiful art drawings) using loops of the included masking tape.

6. Options of phrases for your sculptures In honor of Dr. Seuss’ 105th birthday, think about using the following quotes: • you are you, that is truer than true • reality is better than your dreams • be who you are • today is your day • steer yourself in any direction • your mountain is waiting • things are fun and fun is good • you'll be sort of surprised • funny things are everywhere • all the turtles are free • Those who matter don’t mind • The answers are simple • The trees have no tongues • Don’t cry because it is over • Smile because it happened • When they played they really played • The things you can think up

7. After the sculpture is done • Have the children look at the sculpture. Is it what they expected? How is it different? In what way is it like something Rachel Perry Welty would make? In what way are they different? • You can take time during lunch to finish the sculpture if it is not completed in time. • You can hang the mural up for a week or longer if you like. Please recycle the aluminum as it is clean.

8. Rachel Perry Welty You may already be a winner Take a look at your future

9. Rachel Perry Welty Silver Twist Ties Twist Ties from Bread

10. Rachel Perry Welty Discarded Boxes

11. Rachel Perry Welty Rachel Perry Welty at her home in Boston. Notice anything unusual about her books? They are all wrapped in aluminum foil!