Create, Carry, Contain

G. Peter Jemison, Winter Crows (Paris), 2009. Ink, China marker, foil, prefabricated yellow bag. Clara S. Peck Fund. 2017.19.2

While the Museum is closed, we’re pleased to digitally present ‘Create, Carry, Contain,’ an exhibition featuring artwork and writing created by fourth-grade students of Corning-Painted Post Area School District William E. Severn Elementary.

See full album and writings 

As part of the fourth-grade curriculum students visited the Museum and participated in the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Art & Culture tour. As a continuation of this tour, a special after school enrichment program was created by art educator Mrs. Katherine Miller and teaching artist Ms. Gigi Alvaré in collaboration with The Rockwell Education Department. This program enabled students to further investigate how cultural ideas are embedded in works of art by making art and writing of their own.

For the first session, students visited the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) gallery at The Rockwell and learned how both traditional and contemporary Haudenosaunee artists elevate functional objects such as bowls, baskets and bags by transforming them into objects of beauty. In particular, Crows in Winter (Paris) by G. Peter Jemison (Seneca) served as inspiration for students to create their own decorated bags, each depicting a local wild animal of their choice. During library sessions at Severn Elementary and on their own, students researched their chosen animal’s characteristics and habitats. Students then worked in the Severn Art Classroom to understand the process of drawing animals with colored pencil and creating a cohesive overall design incorporating the animal’s habitat. Finally, students created stories, imagining themselves from the animal’s perspective.

The Coyote by Layla

The Coyote by Layla

What if the Coyote got up hungry
and was ready to get some prey.
He would softly sets his paws on the ground
and hide behind the bush.

His nose would lead him to a pile of leaves.
Look, it is a mouse!
Sneaking up and catching the mouse
the Coyote chomps away
while gazing at three trees
with leaf colors of orange, reds, greens,
browns and dark greens.

All of this under the bright blue sky.

A Fox's Point of View by Nathan

A Fox's Point of View by Nathan

I wake up low on the ground.
I hear a bird sound
Lying in my dark den.
My hungry kits are already awake.
Hunting is hard.
I need to be careful
I have found a rabbit
And as I’m about to grab it
I begin running with all my might.
This is a very scary sight!
Now it is time to feed my young.
Now it is time to sleep.

Clover the Bat by Ava

Clover the Bat by Ava

There once was a brown bat that lived in a cave. Her name was Clover the bat. Clover was loved so much by her mom and dad bat family. When Clover’s Mom got sick, she had to go to the bat hospital to get better. This made Clover so sad, as it seemed a long time for her Mom to get better. She felt better when she could fly to visit her Mom.

“I love you, Clover," said her Mom.
“I love you, too," said Clover.

Her Dad asked her if she was okay. Clover said “Yes, I just miss my Mom.” By the time Clover’s Mom got better, Clover had grown up, went to “bat college” and had even started her own family of little bats. When she saw her Mom, all strong and better, Clover cried and hugged her Mom because she had really missed her Mom.

Through this project, students learned about the different animals that live in our surrounding environment. The experience of researching, drawing, and writing, helped students learn how animals can help humans understand and respect the balance and importance of nature, beauty, and the imagination. The students featured in this exhibition elevate our world by creating, carrying and containing their thoughts, understanding and reflections in their writing and works of art.

See full album and writings