Created by fourth-graders from Red Oak School in Highland Park, Illinois, Jazz Collages connects music and art, combining jazz and the work of Romare Bearden (1911–1988). Art teacher Judy Solomon began the lesson by introducing students to art by this prolific African American artist and writer. During the four sessions that students worked on their Bearden-inspired collages, Ms. Solomon played blues and traditional and Latin jazz to create a lively, evocative atmosphere in the classroom. The resulting works reflect the music’s layered staccato rhythms and demonstrate the students’ ability to recognize the various instruments playing and to translate the music into colorful images.

Image: Student artwork from Red Oak School

 

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