Hi Dave,
After reading your blog today, I had to share the attached photos! A couple years ago, I got inspired to do some wheelchair art, and on the last day of school that year, my ESL students (the beginning level) helped me make it happen. They painted and repainted my tires, and I rolled around the canvass. After we were satisfied with the tire designs, they painted the bottoms of their shoes, and walked around the canvass. It was so much fun!!
We managed to get a lot of paint off my tires after ward, but they definitely had some color for a long time. (Which, in my opinion, isn't a bad thing!) I'm still in love with the finished product. The crazy colours and designs somehow look exactly like my kids and I together in the classroom every day. :)
As we were finishing up, a 6th grader in a wheelchair came by, and we invited him in to take a look. His eyes lit up, and he also gasped, "My mom would KILL me if I did that!!" I told him, "So would mine...." :)
Just thought you'd enjoy!
Kristine
Now take a look at the art. Enjoy:
12 comments:
What a great idea! I'm like that little kid in awe of the artwork. Kristine thanks for letting Dave share this with all of us.
The Centre for Students with Disabilities at the University of Ottawa has set up something similar with one of their old spare wheelchairs during their awareness week. Anyone can take part and it's pretty neat to see people who aren't regular wheelchair users having fun in a chair.
What fun! What an awesome teacher! What great art! What zest for life and exuberant expression. On a deeper level, the fact that the wheelchair was the vehicle for expressing all of the above, the children will absorb into their psyches!
Just have to say that I absolutely loved this. Great post for a Sunday morning - Thanks Dave and Kristine!
Dear Dave and Kristine:
I just love this! In the hands of an artist anything becomes an instrument of creativity.
Or in Dave's case - in the hands of a romantic it facilitates the expression of love.
Colleen
Beautiful idea, beautiful art!
Sue
Thanks, everyone, for the nice comments! We had a lot of fun that day. And you should have seen the kids' faces when they realized we weren't going to be painting with brushes!!
I feel pretty confident that my kids leave my class with a MUCH better understanding of disability--the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful--than the average person. I also think disability makes me a better teacher in all kinds of different ways.
PS, Dave, you Canadianized my spelling! Colors with a u? Psh! ;)
Oh. My. Gosh. Kristine! I'm sorry. I have a British setting on my spellchecker and I didn't notice that I was changing your spelling. I have switched it back. Again, sorry.
Love that artwork. What a fabulous idea.
Haha, no worries, I don't actually mind at all! The British spelling just caught my eye and made me smile. :)
Gorgeous!
If I had big money, I would pay big money for that art! It is beautiful and the meaning attached even more so!
Post a Comment