[LM_NET] HIT:MS Islamic & Africa art ideas

[M L <rylor4@GMAIL.COM>]

Thank you to everyone who shared their ideas and suggestions. You all are a
great resource; my colleagues are so impressed by all of your fabulous
wisdom! Thank you again! 

 

Original post

Our art teacher came in looking for books and art ideas on Islamic and
African art. I have nothing on art with a couple of books on Islamic
(religion). She would like to do an art project with our middle schoolers
(6-8). She was thinking along the lines of mosaics, Persian rugs and/or
African masks; but all ideas are welcome. Thank you in advance! I will post
a hit.

 

Responses

These are on Islamic art is that is helpful to you:
Islamic empires / Nicola Barber
Islamic art: recognizing geometric ideas in art / Janey Levy
The story of Moslem art. Illustrated with photos and with drawings by the
author
African art:
African art & culture / Jane Bingham
The art of Africa. Designed by Gerard Nook. Special photography by Alfred H.
Tamarin
Africa's living arts, by Anthony D. Marshall

 

Saudi Aramco World is a free magazine that is written for adults but that is
appropriate to middle school students.  I've been reading it for 30 years
and never seen anything objectionable.  While it does have a pro-Islamic
stance it is not overly didactic.  It focuses on the Islamic world with a
great deal of emphasis on the art and culture.  It's a fantastic resource
for this sort of project.  Check out their website and subscribe.
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200901/

 

James Rumford's *Traveling Man* and *Silent Music*, while not directly
about Islamic art, are both illustrated using Islamic forms.  *Silent
Music* is about the power of calligraphy, which is an art form among
Muslims.  Mohieddin Ellabbad's *The Illustrator's Notebook* is by an
Egyptian children's book illustrator and has numerous examples of Islamic
and Western illustration.

The Art of African Masks: Exploring Cultural Traditions, by Carol
Finley. 0-8225-2078-8.  c1999.

Africa South of the Cahara: Understanding Geography & History Through
Art, by Susan Rich, Margot Volem, and Cynthia A. Black.  Part of the
Artiasans Around the World Series by Raintree Steck-Vaughn. c.1999.

Islamic Culture, by Atif Toor.  From the Discovering the Arts series by
Rourke. c2006.

The Illustrator's Notebook, by Mohieddin Ellabad.  This one was
purchased at the Arab-American Museum in Dearborn, pages from right to
left, and shows beautiful Arabic calligraphy on the artwork, with
captions and text in English.  Not "Islamic" per say, but an interesting
presentation of Arabic visual language arts.  978-0-88899-700-5.
Groundwood Press is in Toronto, but the US distributor is Publishers
Group West.  Or try www.groundwoodbooks.com  c2006.

 

Arab American Museum in Dearborn
http://arabamericanmuseum.org/



Charles Wright African American Museum in Detroit
http://www.maah-detroit.org/

 

Try looking at Spanish art because the Moors were present in Spain for
so long.


Try, The majesty of Mughal decoration : the art and architecture of Islamic
India / Michell, George. George Michell ; research by Mumtaz Currim.



You might try ArtCyclopedia http://www.artcyclopedia.com/museums.html
they have a link to museums worldwide.

 

The Camio database through MEL has a lot of Islamic art. I'm not sure if
that leads into projects, but if they need more visuals it is a good
resource.
http://0-camio.oclc.org.elibrary.mel.org/

 

Detroit Institute of Art has a lot of lesson plans online
http://www.dia.org/ 

 

http://www.artjunction.org/

Art Junction

 

We have a wonderful book:  The Art of African Masks, Exploring Cultural
Traditions, by Carol Finley ISBN 0-8225-2078-8.  Our art teacher finds it
helpful for mask making in gr.7/8.

 

There is a paperback that we use for third world crafts and a search on
Amazon turned up a newer version.
The
<http://www.amazon.com/Kids-Multicultural-Art-Book-Experiences/dp/0913589721
/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238519691&sr=1-2>  Kids' Multicultural Art
Book: Art & Craft Experiences from Around the World (Williamson Kids Can!
Series) by Alexandra M. Terzian (Paperback - April 1993)
The
<http://www.amazon.com/Kids-Multicultural-Art-Book-Experiences/dp/0824968077
/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238519691&sr=1-1>  Kids Multicultural Art
Book: Art & Craft Experiences from Around the World (Kids Can!) by Alexandra
Michaels (Hardcover - Oct 2007)

 

If you tell her to go to http://artinhistory.com, she will see a wonderful
project on African masks. It is a complete interdisciplinary lesson plan and
ceramic to design and decorate with historically correct designs. The middle
school my granddaughter attends did this project and there were so many
wonderful and creative pieces taken home to remember their journey into that
time period. 

If she would like a sample, let me know


I just did a very successful Islamic art assignment with my 8th graders. It
was a slab tile in the form of the eight point Islamic star (two overlapped
squares). It would be good to compare the Star of David with two overlapped
triangles. In the samples I have attached you will see the symbol of Islam,
the crescent moon with star. I would avoid that exact configuration as it is
a religious symbol, but the moon or sum or stars would be appropriate. 

After looking at the elements of Islamic art (geometric design, plant forms
and calligraphy) students made a pencil plan that include at least two of
those elements. We rolled 3/8" slabs and cut out tiles using patterns I made
by overlapping two 6" squares.  Students then used tool to incise designs or
scrap pieces to add elements. Some even cut all the way through in limited
areas. After firing we glazed used a limited palette of blues, greens,
whites, purples and a touch of salmon. After glazing I gave them some gold
acrylic to add some minimal highlights. They got great feedback from staff
and parents. 

In addition I highly recommend the book: 
Silent Music by James Rumford 
This beautifully illustrated book set in Iraq tells a story of the
transcendence of art in a world of war and Saudi Aramco World magazine is a
great resource. Scholastic Art also did an issue on Islamic art that is
excellent. 

How about designing mosques?
It's always interesting to see mosques reflecting different architectural
styles not just the usual Moorish.
In Malaysia we have one mosque that look more like Chinese temples because
it was built by Chinese Muslims.

 

Your art teacher might be interested in my book, Art in Story (Libraries
Unlimited/Teacher Ideas Press, 2007).  The book contains background
information for the teacher for each art period or kind of art, a story to
tell students, suggestions for viewing the art, writing/drama/art
activities, and connections to all the areas of the curriculum.  There is an
entire section on the Middle East and a section on African art.  I think
these sections will have a good deal of information the teacher can use.

 

Africa for Kids: Exploring a Vibrant Continent by Harvey Croze contains 19
activities. I've adapted several of these activities in my middle & high
school classes. Some of the art projects include making a Zuna wind chime,
learning to fashion clothing from a kanga cloth, making a Maasai bivouac
shelter, and making a ritual elephant mask. I bought my copy at the Clinton
Presidential Library, so it should be readily available in most stores. 

 

 

*********************

Michelle Levy

School Library Media Specialist

Eton Academy

Birmingham, MI

rylor4@gmail.com <mailto:rylor4@comcast.net>  (home)

mlevy@etonacademy.org (work)

 

Currently reading - Huge by Sasha Paley

Currently listening to - Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa
Abdel-Fattah, read by Rebecca Macauley

 


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