Fifth graders at Seatack Elementary School – An Achievable Dream Academy finished something they started in fourth grade.
They travelled to the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art(MOCA) April 11 for the unveiling of the sculpture they helped bring to life.
“Change How We Sea Life” is a 12-foot-tall glistening wave structure on the museum’s front lawn featuring sea creatures, including jellyfish, crabs and turtles.
Seatack gifted resource teacher Marie Culver and art specialist Maggie Smith directed the two-year project, a collaboration between the school, the Virginia MOCA and students in the Environmental Studies Program(ESP).
Culver said the project connected students through art, nature and community and provided a voice and sense of ownership for all.
“These are the kinds of experiences that stay with them and shape how they see and care for the world around them,” she said.
The inspiration came from two Virginia MOCA exhibitions: “Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s Underworld” and “Duke Riley: O’er the Wide and Plastic Sea.”
During year one, the then-fourth graders created nature journals before going on a field trip to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environment Center, hosted by students from the ESP.
They walked the nature preserve’s trails and explored the water’s edge, marshlands and forest with their hand-crafted journals. Findings were documented with drawings and descriptions about their observations of the watershed and ecosystems.
They also explored the urban setting surrounding the Virginia MOCA.
As fifth graders, they transformed their research into an idea for the sculpture, led by MOCA teaching artist Jasmine Brown.
Virginia MOCA interns from the ESP also visited their classrooms and helped them focus on the concepts and bring their ideas to life. This included brainstorming and guidance on strategies to develop a design.
They also experimented with a wide range of materials, including clay, organza, hand-felted wool, paper, water bottles, and even mylar balloons found on the beach.
During the Virginia MOCA field trip to see the sculpture, students painted rocks and made seed bombs – a collection of biodegradable materials molded with seeds into balls.
They also toured the museum exhibits and watched a short film about the entire collaboration.
Virginia MOCA school and educator programs manager Katherine Custer said the effort was all about the journey.
“We wanted these students to get outside and see these things taking place for themselves,” she said.
The finished product demonstrates the power of interdisciplinary learning and creativity and encourages students and visitors to be curious, informed and engaged citizens of the world, she said.
The sculpture will be on display at the Virginia MOCA, 2200 Parks Ave. in Virginia Beach, through the end of the year.
More information:
- View the documentary “Nature’s Witness” about the sculpture’s journey produced by Jeremy Bates Film: https://youtu.be/sCqN9ajRysY?si=W8xG4pX8xoG6vq1i.
- Virginia MOCA ESP interns recorded an audio tour for the sculpture https://guides.bloombergconnects.org/en-US/guide/virginiaMuseumofContemporaryArt/exhibition/1abdb4f0-b8a5-406a-b121-654eb1ceab82 and featured the project in an Eco-Summit presentation https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f3a56dd1036142bc8260d2a164bfb291.
