Art Education

Creative Children's Art Welcomes President Obama

Art is a wonderful tool for children's self-expression, and art students at participating Abrakadoodle locations nationwide shared their patriotism and visions for America as part of a colorful welcome for President Barack Obama.

Some students learned about the art of Jasper Johns as an inspiration for their art. They learned about Pop Art, encaustic painting and the use of texture. Children tried out smaller, quicker brush strokes in the style of Jasper Johns as they created American flags.

Other students learned about the life and words of Martin Luther King, Jr. and called upon his famous "I Have a Dream" speech to draw inspiration to bring their own dreams for the future into a work of art using words, images and shapes. Some children created Presidential Seals using model magic, while others created mobiles with inspirational phrases. One student literally made Presidential "seals" as shown left.

Children also created poster art in the collage style of contemporary artist Shepard Fairey, whose portrait of Barack Obama will be displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Artists for Kids

Teachers of art education will be interested in Jasper Johns. His most famous artwork, Flag, is a good example of citizenship, creativity and art for kids. Johns was born in Georgia, grew up in South Carolina, and he moved to New York City where he studied briefly at the Parsons School of Design. In NY he met Robert Rauschenberg (visual artist), Merce Cunningham (choreographer) and John Cage (composer). Working together they explored the contemporary art scene.

Initially Johns supported himself by working in a bookstore and designing window displays for prestigious stores. While visiting Rauschenberg’s studio, his creativity was discovered by Leo Castelli, who promoted his artwork on his gallery. Jasper Johns is often called the “Father of Pop Art” because he represents subjects that are popular in our culture.


What Kids Can Learn From Johns

(Art for Kids)

Art education is also a tool to educate children about citizenship. Johns’ most famous artwork is the painting Flag, which he made after having a dream of the American flag. Through his work children can learn about the American flag’s colors and the meaning of the stripes and the stars.




Jasper Johns brings art for kids by introducing Pop Art to their curriculum. Pop Art uses images from the popular mass culture. Children can be inspired by comic books, advertising, TV and everyday cultural objects. Jasper Johns likes to repeat the same object over and over and color them with different colors.



Learn more about Jasper Johns on the web at:

http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pbio?65280