Maryland flags…Black-eyed Susans… blue herons… University of Maryland Terrapin basketballs, and more!

In late March at White Marsh Elementary in Talbot County, dozens of students set off on a creative journey with screen painter and Arts for Learning Maryland teaching artist John Iampieri. In a one-week residency, students designed and painted their own screens of Maryland state symbols–bringing their learning about the state in the classroom to life through the arts!

The Star Democrat was on hand to cover the experience! Read their coverage (and see photos!) here.

In the residency, students sketched their designs and then blew paint through a straw onto their screens to make their vision a reality. The hands-on, engaging residency was a perfect example of how creativity transforms learning. But don’t take it from us–hear what White Marsh Elementary School Principal Kimberly Seidel said:

“I personally believe that arts are very, very important. I have a passion for students being involved in art and arts residencies. It gives the students an opportunity to work on persevering for tasks and not necessarily getting everything right. Art doesn’t have to look the same. So there are many ways to approach art. A student who may not be successful reading, might be able to go in there and produce the visual. They could draw the beginning, the middle, and the end of a story so they are feeling some sort of success. There is a lot you could do with history, mathematical concepts, symmetry, and multiplication. There are so many connections to art. Our fourth and fifth-grade students have really enjoyed this screen painting.”

We couldn’t have said it better! To learn more about John Iampieri’s work, click here.