The following article was submitted by Sonia Vasquez, a Teaching Artist at the Rahr-West Art Museum.
The Rahr-West Art Museum is excited to announce our collaboration Teen Lock-In event with Manitowoc Public Library: Surrealist Painting, taking place at the Rahr-West Art Museum on Friday, March 31, at 6:30 PM.
Emerging in the 1920s, the Surrealists were a group of artists who were interested in the bizarre, inspired by dreams, and wanting to tap into the unconscious mind. One of the ways the Surrealists brought their inspirations to paper was through a game they created and played amongst each other called “Exquisite Corpse.” Although the name of the game sounds slightly horrifying, it’s a fun, wacky, and collaborative way to make art.
Here’s how to play “Exquisite Corpse”:
- A piece of paper is folded into three or more equal parts.
- The first artist will use the top section to draw a head, leaving some small directional lines into the next section for the next artist to work from. Then, they will fold the paper back up so the next artists cannot see what was drawn.
- The second artist will then construct the torso and arms of the creation, again leaving directional lines for the third artist and folding the paper so their work isn’t visible.
- Finally, the third artist will create the legs and feet.
- Once all have been completed, the artists will open the paper to see their collaborative creature.
Remember, the Surrealists were inspired by the otherworldly and weird, so each part can be as wild as you want!
For our Surrealist Painting Teen Lock-In, participants will be learning about the Surrealist movement and playing the “Exquisite Corpse” game with others in attendance. Each student will end up with their own dream-like character that will then be used as the subject for an acrylic painting on canvas.
Open to teens ages 11-17, Surrealist Painting will take place March 31, 6:30-8 PM, at the Rahr-West Art Museum. Registration opens Friday, March 17, at 5 PM. Call the Library at 920-686-3030 or visit the Youth Services Desk to sign up! A signed permission form will be required for entry to after-hours programs.
At the Rahr-West Art Museum, we have a passion for the important role visual arts play in education. We see a valuable link between this museum, families in our community, and schools. Our classes are accessible resources of art education offered to our community members from preschool ages to seniors. We see the importance in serving our community as an outlet for lifelong learning and a healthy environment for fun activities.
We value the diversity of our students and seek to reflect and represent that in our classes. In an effort to connect our students with the collection and exhibitions at the Rahr-West Art Museum, many of our classes are structured to offer a deeper understanding and engagement with them. We strive to build a success driven community through teaching creativity—a pillar of innovation in every industry.
For more information on the classes we offer:
Call 920-686-3090
Find us online at rahrwestartmuseum.org
Visit us in person at 610 N. 8th St., Manitowoc.
We hope to see you and your wonderfully wild creations there!