Students Collaborate to Create Quilt Project

A huge, colorful quilt graces the wall in the Hope Hall Art Room, where students had the chance to create a piece of the collaborative art project. The project, inspired by traditional quilt patterns and the basic rules of composition, was originally designed by art educator Don Massey. 

Each student chose a square piece of white or colored paper, and a colored or patterned paper onto which they traced a circle. The circle was folded in half (“into a taco”), then in half again (“into a slice of pizza”), and cut along the folds into four equal pieces. We then discussed “composition,” or, how to arrange shapes on a paper space. The students created a composition with their four shapes and glued them to their square background. As a finishing touch, they had the option to add more color and pattern with paint sticks. Students in kindergarten to fifth grade created squares, which were then pieced together by Meredith Matthews, Beaches Campus art teacher.

“Just look at how many different solutions to this simple compositional problem are displayed here!” Matthews said. “As the board became filled with squares, each class discussed what they noticed, which led to lively conversations about the unique qualities of what we make as art. This collaborative project was a fun way to kick off the school year together and give the art room some fresh, original artwork.”