More than 80 people attended the first Famous Artists Class for homeschooled students at the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library Monday.
The classes are geared towards elementary and junior high school aged students to learn about art masters through the ages — where they are from, influences, media used, styles present and significance of their contributions to art.
“Some of our homeschool teachers incorporate art into their curriculum while others do not, so when we asked what we can do to help, we found that offering art classes would be appreciated,” said Children’s Librarian Ashlee Williams.
The classes will take place on the second Monday of each month and will highlight a different artist each session.
The reference book for the class is Discovering Great Artists: Hands on Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters, and Williams said parents may also reference it at home if they are looking to continue art studies at home.
Each class is designed to be a hands-on educational experience in which students learn about an artist’s style and then make a replica. On Monday, Fra Angelico, an Italian Renaissance painter, was the artist of the month. Williams said his work used lots of gold and silver coloring, so students used aluminum foil and other supplies to make their own Angelico pieces.
Student artists were awarded prizes for their work, and Williams said the program went very well.
Classes will take place on the second Monday of each month at 11 a.m. and are open to homeschooled students and siblings from Carter and surrounding counties. No reservation is required. All supplies are provided, and students will be able to use the new tablets that the library purchased.
The next class is scheduled for March 14, and will feature the art of Masaccio, another Italian Renaissance painter. His style features portraits and profiles, so students will learn this technique by painting profiles.
Families can contact the library at 423-547-6360 or the Tri-Cities area Homeschool Playdate Group on Facebook for more information.