Mitchell Elementary School FIRST GRADE MEETS MATISSE Researching Matisse: First grade students at Mitchell Elementary were introduced to Henri Matisse in their classrooms as their studies incorporated the French artist’s biography and explored his art. Using classroom computers, students wrote their own biographic sketches of Matisse’s life. Later, after studying Matisse’s paper cutouts and investigating his collage, Ivy in Flower, each class created their own paper cutout mural as well as individual paper cutout collages. Students were quite familiar with Matisse and his approach to creating art objects before they left for a visit to the Dallas Museum of Art. About Ivy in Flower: A part of the permanent collection of the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA), Ivy in Flower is a large, paper collage. Matisse used his favorite colors in the work: red, yellow, and green. The collage, originally intended as a design for a stained glass window in a mausoleum, was created during the last years of Matisse's life. To make the collage, paper was painted with gouache (an opaque, waterbase paint), cut into shapes, and attached to the background. A student made collage is presented to the right. A Visit to the Dallas Museum of Art: The chance meeting occurred during a guided tour of the DMA. In small groups with parent-helpers, students were provided worksheets that directed them to find a landscape, a portrait, and a still life. As the groups were being guided through galleries to areas where they could locate these types of artworks, their attention was immediately caught by the large, vivid collage that they had studied. When their guide stopped in front of the Matisse, the children were immediately overtaken with its large scale. Having explored Ivy in Flower with study prints, seeing the original 112" x 112" masterwork provided a sharp contrast. Students standing closer to the collage pointed out pencil marks that they had not noticed in the smaller study print. Students standing farther away from the collage noticed how the magenta flowers were accented by the yellow background. A student made collage is presented to the left Several of the first graders linked together information about Matisse to tell his story: that Matisse was a French artist who lived during the early years of this century; that he created many types of art that included painting, paper cutouts, and stain glass windows; and that in his later years he was confined to a wheelchair and relied upon assistants to help him create the large artworks. Another student mentioned that Ivy in Flower is actually a design for a stained glass window. Learning about art and artists provided a background for an authentic experience in the museum for these first grade students. The face-to-face meeting with Matisse’s Ivy in Flower after studying the object and Matisse in the classroom brought a positive impact upon the experience. These students will not soon forget this art and artist. EXAMPLES OF STUDENT WRITING Serena First Grade Herey Matisse was bown in France 1869. Fisrst he wonted to be a lawyer. Then one day he was sick. And his mom brot him som paint so he would int be boud. He got so god that he dasided to be a art ist. Wen he got reol old he could int pant aney mow. So he got som helpers. The helpers pant pesis of papers that he neded. He would cut out the peses of paper and tel his helpers wair to put tham I like flower and ivy. Shirley First Grade Henri Matisse was born in France 1869. One day he got homesick and his mom got him a box of paint. Then he painted a lot..Then he painted so well that he came a artist. Then he got sick and had to stae in a wheelchair.He got the money he earned and hired some helpers.So he cut out paper.And the helpers glued it on the paper.