Self Portraits in the Mups (2nd/3rd)

In the Mups, the pedagogy of art education is not just about creating beautiful images; it's about fostering creativity, embracing diversity, and nurturing academic resilience in our young learners. In a recent art project, our students delved into the world of self-portraits, a journey that involved not only honing their artistic skills but also addressing important themes of racial justice and celebrating individuality.

Artistic expression is a powerful tool for self-discovery, which our Mups demonstrated in mastering the art of drawing realistically. With patience and creativity, students learned to capture the subtle details of their faces on paper. By looking deeply at their reflection in a mirror and incorporating feedback, they discovered the joy of creating lifelike self-portraits, celebrating their individuality with every stroke of the pencil.

Our young artists engaged in thought-provoking discussions about skin color. Students brainstormed the various functions of our skin, like making sure our other organs don’t fall out. We read Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race by Megan Madison, Jessica Ralli & Isabel Roxas and talked about how everyone has different amounts of melanin in their skin. Through a discussion of the book and open conversations, students explored the science behind the variety of human skin tones. 

As the students embarked on their artistic journey, they encountered moments of frustration and self-doubt. However, at The Center School, we know that challenges are opportunities for growth. Our students showed academic resiliency by embracing their mistakes as stepping stones to improvement, erasing and redrawing their features, and carefully practicing blending colors before applying them to their drawings. Through perseverance, they not only improved their artistic skills but also learned valuable life lessons about persistence and the rewards of hard work.