Birds of a Feather: Works by Second Grade Students from PS59 Beekman Hill International School

Using famous pieces of artwork from all over the world as inspiration, second grade students studied photographs of various birds and sketched them with ebony pencils. Students chose their favorite sketch and used pressure to impress the drawing on a styrofoam plate to create a stamp for printmaking. The prints were pulled with black and colored ink onto colored paper, the students experimenting with color combinations to discover different effects and contrasts. Finally, students created backgrounds for their birds with markers, crayons, and watercolors to fill in the weather, season, and location—either at home in NYC or outside of the city.

About the Student Art Project

The Child Mind Institute believes the arts are critical to child development and academic success. They promote self-esteem and provide opportunities for self-expression. Four times a year the Child Mind Institute invites public and independent schools to participate in our Student Art Project, a gallery program dedicated to displaying works of art created by student artists. We invite schools to prepare an exhibition for our gallery based on a theme chosen by their art teachers. Student pieces are displayed prominently and each exhibition launches with an opening reception for student artists, their families, and the entire school community, hosted by the Child Mind Institute.

If your child’s school would like to participate in a future gallery show, please contact Angela Gage, the CMI Student Art Project Curator, at 646.646.625 or angela.gage@childmind.org. Art teachers are also welcome to contact us on behalf of their students.