Everyday and Unusual Objects

The earliest objects we now term folk art were mostly utilitarian in nature, made to meet the basic demands of daily life. At the same time, they were expressions of their makers’ creativity, elevating everyday objects into works of folk art. The idea of utility that is often associated with traditional folk art forms is also prevalent in twentieth- and twenty-first-century works and demonstrates the endurance of utility as an impulse for creative expression. Mundane materials—from tree branches to chicken bones—are transformed into fantastical creatures or shimmering towers. Within this unit, educators choose from a variety of focus objects and subjects ranging from family trees to advertisements and from reuse to recycling.

	A Tree Can Be . . . Pre-K–Grade 1 A tree can be just about anything in the hands of self-taught sculptor Bessie Harvey. Students will look at Harvey’s work, which is constructed from found wood, and explore the creative possibilities of found materials in their own artmaking.
	Family Portraits Pre-K–Grade 1 Students will create a series of portraits that together represent a family, taking inspiration from painter Jacob Maentel, whose detailed and descriptive pairs depict couples and families in their homes, preserving family memories in a time before photography.
	My Family Tree Grades 2–3 Students will explore family history and genealogy through observation and discussion of a hand-painted family record. They will then create family trees as informational documents and works of art.
	Art All Around: Found Objects in Folk Art Grades 2–3 Students will look at objects created from a variety of unusual materials, while considering the various reasons for which artists work with found materials—including economic, environmental, and creative impetuses. They will then make original works from found objects.
	Advertising Then and Now Grades 4–5 Students will compare and contrast handcrafted trade signs and show figures from the world of nineteenth-century advertising to contemporary advertising, and design original advertisements for historical or contemporary trades or products.