It was Thursday, March first, when my year 7 Indigo expressive Arts students and myself welcomed Profs. Lisa Iglesias in Art room 3, for an unforgettable Art lesson. She was invited by Ms. Angela Camilleri, and accompanied by Ms. Stephanie Bonnici from ‘Spazju Kreattiv’.Profs. Iglesias brought some books to draw on and some markers to use for the lesson which at the end were donated to the Art room. Ms. Bonnici brought along a box full of crayons for us to use.Lisa is a professor and director of Graduate Studies in the School of Art and Art History at the University of Florida in Gainesville Florida, United States, and while in Gozo, she went out of her way to visit our school.
Once arriving into my Art room, the students remained quiet and curious who this visitor was. Upon introduction, the students immediately showed interest in what Lisa had to say. Keeping it simple and affective, Profs. Iglesias showed the students that whatever they express on paper, it is GOOD and it is ART! Drawing with a fat red crayon on a black scribbled paper, the students interpreted what comes to mind as soon as the teacher gives a keywordslinking to the theme of ‘identity’. Page after page, filled with enthusiasm, the students drew on a small handmade book depicting quick illustrations about what they like and who they are.
The second task was much more exciting and fun, which even I, Angela, and Stephanie couldn’t resist not taking part! Pulling the desks together and creating space to go around the new desk arrangement, we all aligned beside each other very excited with a black permanent marker in our hand. The rules where simple, draw whatever comes to mind when Profs. Iglesias shouts a word. After 20 seconds, all of us had to move to the right, and draw on our neighbour’s paper. Looking for drawing spaces on the A3 paper with a big smile on our face, everyone was rushing through the sketch and wondering what word was next. The best part was when the teacher called out a name and that person had to shout out a word as a theme for all of us to draw.During those few seconds of sketching, Art room 3 never had so much marker squeaking in its existence! Laughing, drawing, and rotating to the next paper, we drew to words like football, heroes, flags, and even lamas!!!
There was no room left to draw on the paper, and that indicated the end of the lesson. Lisa thought us how fun and important collaborating with each other is. Our drawings were evidence of how close we are as a community and how different we are as human beings, yet all of us are accepted as one whole nation. Throughout the lesson, photos were taken by a Valletta 18 representant. Both the students and I dearly thank Profs. Lisa Iglesias for visiting and donating Art supplies, Ms. Angela Camilleri for arranging the visit, and Ms. Stephanie Bonnici for bringing the crayonsfrom ‘Spazju Kreattiv’ for this awesome lesson.
Art Teacher (GC Middle school)
Mr Louis Spiteri