We may have budding artists in our midst.
The toddlers at CSU’s Early Childhood Center worked on a long-term painting project during the Spring 2016 session that culminated in an art show on May 5. Children and families gathered to see the artwork installed for public display at MUGS @ the Oval.
“It was so fun to see families coming together, interns showcasing their learning, and the children’s work made visible in the community,” said ECC Assistant Director Elizabeth Fannon.
The Fort Collins community is invited to see the work and celebrate child creativity. The painting will hang in MUGS until June 1.
The project was born when the children showed an interest in making marks with oil pastel sticks on paper. The children were then offered pipettes with watercolor paints and brushes with tempera paint to foster their interest in drawing and painting.
Towards the end of the spring session, the class moved from individual painting to exploring color palettes together on one large canvas. The toddlers, aged 1-2 years, chose colors in warm tones of red, orange, magenta and yellow. Using the process they had learned over the previous couple months, the children drew with orange and yellow oil pastel sticks, colored with watercolor-filled pipettes, and painted with different-sized paint brushes.
“This project was off-the-charts wonderful from beginning to end,” said ECC Executive Director Karen Rattenborg. “Teachers, interns and parents were all committed to the process and we’re excited that the children’s work is valued enough to be displayed in a public space.”
The ECC is housed within the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at CSU and trains CSU students for careers in the field of early childhood, offers quality programming for young children, and provides opportunities for research related to children, families and early childhood education.
The ECC is a Reggio-Emilia-inspired school, providing an emergent approach to educating children that is play-based and child-directed. This approach strives to develop a learning community committed to the co-construction of knowledge in the context of collaboration between parents, children and teachers.
