Classroom Educational Component Tiny Art Collection Craft Kit #13 Classroom Educational Component

LANGUAGE OF VISUAL ART collection n. ~ 1. A group of materials with some unifying characteristic. 2. Materials assembled by a person, organization, or repository from a variety of sources; an artificial collection. collector n. ~ An individual, or group of individuals, responsible for acquiring materials. STANDARD 1

HISTORY OF COLLECTING   The European age of exploration (mid-15th century – 17th century) marks a time when the horizons of Europe were expanding beyond the boundaries of the European continent itself. Objects collected from far and wide were symbols of their owners’ worldliness and prestige. These collections were housed in what were known in German as wunderkammern or kunstkammern, or chambers of marvels or works of art. One measure of a collection’s value was its representation of universality, or encyclopedic breadth. In other words, the more places represented by the objects collected, the more complete or universal, a collection was deemed to be. The contents of these chambers, or rooms, included artifacts collected from nature such as the bones and skeletons of animals, interesting rocks and shells, scientific instruments, works of art and crafts made by people from different cultures. Content - message or theme the artist is trying to communicate in a particular work of art (OK Academic Standards for the Visual Arts). By applying the idea of content to embrace a whole collection of objects, we can infer what messages or themes a collector is trying to communicate in a collection of art. Other resources for learning about the kunstkammer http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/kuns/hd_kuns.htm

TYPES OF COLLECTIONS Works on paper Living Oklahoma artists Collectors, either curators from museums or individuals, choose a theme or type of collection that guides how they collect. In the time of wunderkammern, the collections were encyclopedic, which means collecting from everywhere, but they can also be very specific by geographical area, time period, materials, or others. Here are a few examples: Works on paper Living Oklahoma artists Contemporary fiber work Teapots from around the world Paintings of cats 18th century Flemish floral paintings

TINY ART COLLECTION Craft Kit Contents: Other items you will need: Gallery template Pedestal & picture frames Pipe cleaners Crayons Other items you will need: Scissors Tape/glue Imagination

Step 1: Cut out the gallery template cutting only along the SOLID lines.

Step 2: Fold along the DASHED lines to create a box.

Step 3: Construct the Gallery Tape or glue Tab A & Tab B to Flap I Tape or glue Tab C & Tab D to Flap II Now your gallery for your artwork is complete!

Step 4: Construct Pedestals Cut out the pedestal patterns by cutting only on the SOLID lines. Fold the tabs along the DASHED lines to create a box. Tape or glue Tab A to Flap I Tape or glue Tab B to Flap II Tape or glue Tab C to Flap III Tape or glue Tab D to Flap IV

Step 5: Create Artwork Cut out the frames. Use the crayons provided or your own art supplies to create your own works of art to hang in your art gallery.

Step 6: Create Sculptures Make sculptures with the pipe cleaners to exhibit on your pedestals. You can even make a larger one to go directly on the “floor” of your gallery. sculpture – a three-dimensional work of art, which may be carved, modeled, constructed, or cast (OK Department of Education Academic Standards for the Visual Art)

Step 6: Hang and Place Your Artwork Use tape/glue to hang your art collection in your gallery and place your sculptures on the pedestals.

Step 7: Share Your Artwork Invite friends & family to the opening of your gallery to view your tiny art collection! If you share your work on social media, use this hashtag so others can see your art collection too! #108TinyCollection

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT What types of things do you collect? What types of collections do your family Does your family showcase your drawings, paintings, and collages on the refrigerator? Have you been to a museum or art gallery before to see an art collection? If you owned a museum what would you collect to share with the public?