Throughout the month of April, every 5th grade student in the Ceres school district is scheduled to visit the Carnegie during the Central California Arts Showcase.  In addition to these, six 3rd grade classes from Marshall Elementary School in Modesto and two preschool classes from Crowell and Osborn Elementary Schools in Turlock are also set to attend.  That is a total of 1,310 students scheduled to take part in the Carnegie’s Spring Field Trip.

Each class explores the gallery with a docent, and then participates in a hands-on art workshop.  Using the CCAS pieces as examples, students study the composition of landscape paintings, learning about space, depth, and the concepts of foreground, middle ground, and background.  They discover how artists use these elements to create perspective, a technique used by artists to give the illusion of  three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface.

After their gallery lesson, students have the opportunity to create their own masterpieces.  Using collage techniques and geometric shapes, they construct their own imaginary or realistic landscape view, using the principles of landscape composition they saw in use in the gallery.

So far, five 5th grade classes have already made their visit to the Carnegie.  The field trips were a great success and the students were a delight to have at the Carnegie.  Their enthusiasm radiated off the walls of the gallery and filled the place with a youthful, contagious energy.  The students were very receptive to their lesson and were able to apply concepts accurately and creatively.

Numbered among the 5th grade visitors were many budding artists.  These students were introduced to all the Carnegie has to offer, from art classes to Art Club memberships for youth.  Even more importantly, every student present received a greater exposure to the arts and made the exciting contribution of their presence at the Carnegie.