Fingers as brushes!

StudioMaury was in charge of hosting a culturally rich art project for the inaugural Diversity Night. Due to the recent fingerprint study led by Ms. Ford, and a brief visit with pointillism in preschool, I figured a combined project on Aboriginal dot painting would do the trick.

Event nights at school are fast and furious. As a teacher after hours, you have about 1 minute to capture the attention of an excited and transient audience. You’re competing with food, music, costumes, friends, and the joy of staying awake past bed time.

In my one minute, I did my best to brief students on the tradition of dot painting in Aboriginal Australian art history. Previously, indigenous artists painted in sand. Aware of the fact that their detailed and painfully time-consuming work was fleeting, they began painting on canvas to preserve their tradition. The artists often times paint images from their dreams. Music, dance, and the land serve as inspiration as well. On Diversity Night, we chose to paint symbols for the watering hole, thunder and lightning, stars, and the hunt. Below, Mia and Alise put finishing touches on our Thunder and Lightning tapestry.

Thanks to everyone who came out to kick off a successful first year of celebrating our diverse world and those who inhabit it–Maury style!