TEACHER RESPONSE

LEARNING TO SEE:
ME MYSELF + EYE
TRIPTYCH PHOTO PROJECT

BY ELEANOR CROTEAU-LABRANCHE
Art Teach
Newmarket Elementary School, NH

     As our project came to a close I felt a sense of intense, heart warming success for not only these fourth grade students, but for myself as their facilitator, and for Nancy Grace Horton our "zen-master", with her strong photography foundation, and cheerleader to "Make the picture, not take the picture!".

     I also felt an overwhelming sense of support and gratefulness to our little school and their aid in ensuring that everything could come together in a seamless way. From finding creative ways of making our 3 day workshop schedule feasible for 94 students, their teachers, and the rest of our school, - to helping gather funds, equipment, and supplies. Preparing to host my very first artist residency was exceptionally hard work, yet a growing experience that will travel with me for the rest of my teaching career. The end reward has far out weighed the work (and the countless never ending to-do lists!)
​​​​
    Hard work aside, as I looked through each project I could not help but cherish some of the words and sentences students chose to write. Out of anything that they could have written about themselves or their lives I saw phrases such as, "I am proud to be who I am", and "I was born to make art". Pretty powerful thoughts for 10 year old students to express.
I was brought to tears by a student's statement that ..
"Sometimes I don't want to come to school, but today I am so glad I did because I got to make this."

Even now as I sit and reflect, I can hear students and adults of all ages stopping and admiring the photo triptych creations in the hallway, and exclaiming that they "can't wait to do the project too some day!" 

We are all left feeling blessed to have witnessed pure creative magic. Thank you Nancy for helping provide that for us!

My fourth grade students got to share a prideful sense of themselves with the world today - that's what photography can be, that's what art can be.

Newmarket Elementary School | Teaching Residency

Picture Day

For the first week of April 2018 I have been working with Ellie LaBranche's 4th Grade art students. This photo-based Learning to See artist residency is called, ME, MYSELF, + EYE, a photographic triptych and personal narrative. Ellie and I have been organizing this project since the fall 2017.

Here are photos of the kids using the cameras, working in collaboration. It is always a special days, special hair, props, clothes etc. 

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!  

This amazing sign greeted me upon entering the school alongside students work that lines the halls.

Ms. LaBranche (below top) getting to know the new cameras she now has supplied her art room with and shown here helping a student review the pictures he just made. Below, more students on Make Pictures Day!

 

 

MORE TO COME!!!

 

The Derryfield School

Being 13 is featured in a show at The Derryfield School, in Manchester, NH called Familial Gaze, curated by Becky Barsi.  I had the pleasure of visiting the students who discussed my work with me, as well as their own projects which were especially inspiring. 

Being 13, Spirit Week, NGH

Here are comments by Derryfield students about the day:

"I enjoyed learning about how Nancy has to look down through it [her camera] because it does not have a prism and this allows her to feel more connected with the subject."

"In meeting Nancy Grace Horton I learned that I shouldn't be quick to press the delete button and that anything can inspire a photograph."

"Being inspired by fashion, I enjoyed hearing about how [Nancy] aims to use clothing and colors to improve her work and create contrast. Looking through her works and listening to her process, I learned a little more about inspiration. It intrigued me that she did a lot of similar things that I do (looking for clothes, finding interesting perspectives)."   
              
"I loved the way she expressed her interest in raw photography and the idea of representing a natural image that has not been totally edited. I learned a lot about looking at photography and understanding a deeper meaning through inspection of the gender of the subject, the background, the positioning, and so many other factors. Since she is the first photographer I have met in person who has explained her point of view and her process, she made a great first impression for me towards future photographers that I may meet or look at."

"I loved hearing about her ideas on feminism and social pieces. They spoke words to me as I am exploring those same ideas through my art. Overall, she was a really cool lady and her art spoke to me."

Nashua, New Hampshire

Shooting Downtown:  Nashua on the River
Child and Family Services sponsored by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts

Summer 2017 brought varying temps and the days we set out to shoot in Nashua were especially hot.
Part of our first day was a crash course in  composition and using a camera then we set out to shoot using donated digital cameras from many different people THANK YOU ALL!!

More cameras needed please.  Seems as though pocket digital cameras have very little tolerance,  and over many recent projects one drop or bump (which happens) and that's it, they stop working.  Also looking for a new portable printer.

Send to:
P.O. Box 41, Portsmouth, NH 03802)




This project was put together by Thessa (left) and, she and Joelyn (right taking the selfie) where there to take care of all our needs each day to make the creativity flow.

The photos were spread out, talked about and worked with to create Japanese and Saddle stitch bound books, cut outs as objects, collage, and 3D collage and boxes plus enlargements will be placed in the Nashua site.

Great project thanks to the motivation of Thessa and New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.

Art Allstate 2017

UMass/Dartmouth

Limits No Limits

Studio 107
Artist Mentors
Nancy Grace Horton
Robb Sandagata

 Noelle Foye, Executive Director of New Bedford Art Museum discuss with our studio the work of Anne Leone Cenote, Azul #1 and our other inspiration, made by Jane Balsgaard (below).

The student artists hard at work, using the inspiration above to make their own installation, with limited materials, and time.

Success in the form of line dancing by all within their sculpture.

Northwood Middle School Residency 2017

Learning to See: 
Personal Name Photo Books and Group Mosaic

                                          

Nancy worked with my students at Northwood school learning how to be a better photographer, the history of photography, and different photography styles and techniques. Using the photography knowledge and advice Nancy gave my students they were sent out to photograph abstract letters found in their surroundings. Using my students photos we created a large photo mosaic that took on a large imagine representing the town. Nancy also taught my students how to make photo books with their photos. Students enjoyed working with Nancy and learned many new things about photography.

Melissa Lagasse, Art Teacher Northwood 

 

 

 

Wonderful notes from the 6th Grader.

 

Artist in Residence

Somersworth Middle School 2016Learning to See

Theme: Farm to Fork 

 

Somersworth Residency started off with a teachers workshop; student participants learned more about their cameras made books out of their photographs, learned a bit about the history of photograph and made cloth cyanotpyes that they then transformed into a quilt and pillows.

This project was over the course of several weeks and the whole school was involved.

 "I feel the students comments say it all"
-Bonnie DuBois the school art teacher

·         I liked the fact that you could choose the way you wanted your picture to come out
·         You could take as many pictures as you liked
·         You could choose your theme, story line for your pictures
·         We learned about the different settings of the camera
·         We were able to be as creative as we wanted with our photos
·         I liked watching the cyanotypes develop into a picture
·         I loved learning how to sew the cyanotypes into a pillow
·         I loved learning about and taking pictures. I am still doing it at home

Teachers

Having fun shooting in the garden.

Middle School student making cyanotypes in the theme of Farm to Fork.

 

Students hand made books from their photographs.

 

Fun had by all!

For more information see: http://hortonphoto.com/Workshops/about.html

or e-mail directly: ngh@hortonphoto.com