Art From Many Hands: Multicultural Art Projects

Different. Excellent.

I found this book while searching for multicultural resources for a world tour theme year in our homeschool. I resisted buying it because the price was so much steeper than for others out there. I kept coming back to it though, hoping there would be a new review to tell me more. Finally I bit the bullet and bought it because I wanted richer art experiences for my kids than what I found in other sources. Specifically, I had already purchased Global Art: Activities, Projects and Inventions from Around the World and I found it lacking in pictures, historical/cultural linkage of the art, and authenticity of materials. It felt much more crafty than artistic to me, although there were quite a few good ideas in it and I do think it was worth the price. I also have Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters (Bright Ideas for Learning). I do like it but its scope is fairly limited in terms of time (mostly Renaissance to modern) and culture (mostly Western). That said, this book has far exceeded my expectations.I have a big problem with the abundance of arts and crafts in schools while true arts programs are being dumped left and right. A morsel of the latter is worth buckets of the former, in my opinion. I think arts and crafts have a use and they're fun for kids (albeit short-lived fun without as much pride in craftsmanship that can come from creating original art). This book, however, is not about arts and crafts. In contrast, it is full of history and culture. The author instructs educators about art from a wide variety of cultures and gives them the tools they need to help kids create similar art. Sometimes the medium is altered because the original material is not practical or is unavailable. Solid gold is out of my budget and I don't have any whale bones lying around!Because these activities are so visually interesting and based on history, I think they would actually appeal to kids from K-12. As the author points out, kids of different ages will obviously get varying results based on skill level. The author gives instructions for modifications to make activities manageable for younger kids. As a special note to homeschoolers, I should say that because most of us have more one on one time to spend with our kids during these activities, many of the modifications might not be necessary. They just might need more direct guidance.I'm thrilled that this book pulls true art forms from all over the globe and then presents projects based on that art. Below is an outline of the projects included.West Africa - tie-dying cloth, traditional dashikis, papier mache masks and sculpturesGhana - Adinkra designs on paper and clothNigeria - Adire Eleko cloth designs and Counter-Repousse (metal work)Egypt - plaster hieroglyphic tablet, jewelry/clay beads, tapestryIsrael - paper and tile mosaicsIran - Persian miniature paintingsFrance/Spain - prehistoric cave paintings (impressive - they make a whole caves system from cardboard!)Cro-Magnons in Europe - stone engravingsAncient Greece - sculptureGreat Britain - stained glass (originated in Middle East but famous in cathedrals)Sweden - cookie stamps (she even includes a recipe)Poland - Wycinanki (paper cutouts)Ukraine - Pysanky (decorated eggs)Belarus - straw designsGermany - flower arts (pressed, woodcut)China - calligraphy, paper making, woodblock printsJapan - haiku and sumi-e ink paintings, accordion books, fish banners, fish prints, decorated paperBurma - lacquer workIndia - marble inlaysIndonesia - Javanese shadow plays, batik fabricsSE Asia and Taiwan - kitesCentral/Northern Asia - felt rugs and ballsHawaii - canoesSouth Pacific - Tapa (decorated barkcloth) including Fiji for stenciled designs and Tahiti for fern designsTonga - design tabletsMicronesia - gift-giving bowlsAustralia - Aboriginal bark paintings, didgeridoos, carved Emu eggsMexico - Huichol Indian yarn painting, Amate paper cutouts and paintings, clay figures and sunsCentral America - Cuna Indian Molas (cotton panels), gold/silver sculpturePeru - embroideryCaribbean - maracasPuerto Rico - seed necklacesHaiti - steel designsUnited States - Pueblo Indian pottery, Navajo weaving and sand painting, Plains Indian Buffalo Robes, Headdresses, shirts and vests, Woodland Indian quillwork and beadwork, Inuit stone sculpture and printmaking, early American applehead dolls, scrimshaw (carving in whale bone and ivory), and weathervanesI am extremely impressed with these activities which are firmly rooted in the history of the cultures from which they originate. They would add so much to school art programs as a supplement to history. This is a book I know we will use for years. The kids won't be ready for the Javanese shadow plays for quite some time but until then, I'll be looking forward to the experience! I can't recommend this book highly enough. With this book and the Dick Blick art supply catalog, I know my kids have an incredible wealth of art activities ahead of them.As a side note, a few other resources that I love for our homeschooling program are Art in Story: Teaching Art History to Elementary School Children Second Edition30,000 Years of ArtArtistic Pursuits, Book One: An Introduction to the Visual Arts and the rest of the program that takes kids from Kindergarten through high school.

I bought this to give me some more ideas for my after school art club. I'm really pleased as it has done its job and I now have a long list of new topics for the children to enjoy.

Waaaaaaay less than I expected as an adult world-traveled crafter. After reading the blurbs,I expected much more than the cheesy, substitute products given as the starting ingredients of these crafts. Obviously a book for elementary school teachers, working on a budget, NOT a way to re-create crafts from round the world. I can't believe that these projects would satisfy even young crafters who had seen pictures of "the real thing".

I like the book. It was OK.