As we mourn the brutal loss of George Food, Breonna Taylor, Ahmad Arbery and many other beloved African-Americans, this Juneteenth is especially significant. Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19 and commemorates the day that the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached enslaved Africans/African descendants in the state of Texas in 1865 (two years after it was originally signed in 1863).  

While this historical document was supposed to mark the end of the horrific period of slavery in America, unfortunately we are still burdened by the vestiges of it today.  As we process the many suffered injustices of African-Americans, we will continue to use art to help soothe some of the pain. 

While there are many colors used to decorate for Juneteenth celebrations, the color red has great significance. The use of red in the food and drink served during Juneteenth celebrations,  can be traced back to West Africa. We have created several Juneteenth themed art resources: one of them uses the color red as a focal element. 

Use our Juneteenth Commemorative Plate Art Lesson as an individual or group art activity. Click on the image to learn more.

​This Juneteenth Coloring Set is great resource to add to your curriculum.  

Here's another simple, yet fun creative project you can create for Juneteenth. We used two designs from the Juneteenth Coloring Set and simple art materials that we got from the dollar store.

You can use these paper lanterns as centerpieces at your Juneteenth celebration. Make sure to explore our website for more great art lesson and resources.

Hello! We hope you're healthy, safe and staying creative. Today, we want to share some art resources that are inspired by mom. While this post highlights Mother's Day, these creative resources can be used all year long. 

One of our newest resources is a fun multimedia art lesson inspired by the beautiful work of prolific artist, Laura Wheeler Waring. This streaming art lesson shows step-by-step how to create a Bas-Relief Flower Bouquet, which would also be a great gift for mom. You can also learn more about Mrs. Waring in our Great African-American Artists Coloring & Activity Book.

​Host a virtual coloring party for mom and all of the other special women in your life with our coloring books, sets and videos.

​Finally, you can also make a bracelet for mom using simple materials from your kitchen and craft supplies by watching our Paper Flower Bracelet video.

Make sure to peruse our website to find more creative activities and tips. Happy Mother's Day and have a great weekend!

Hello! We hope that you are healthy and safe during this time of social distancing. It's definitely a time to try to  rest, reset and rejuvenate your creativity. We're going to end this Women's History Month with some art resources that highlight phenomenal women visual artists.

We are happy to share this video book reading of Jamilah Loves To Talk About Art by our very own Alicia L. McDaniel. Jamilah is a talented young artist who learns about renowned visual artists such as Elizabeth Catlett and Alma Thomas.

We also have a simple art tutorial highlighting dedicated art educator and visual artist, Alma Thomas. You can find the coloring portrait sheet of Alma Thomas in our new Jamilah Loves to Talk About Art Activity Set or Great African-American Artists Coloring and Activity Book.

Relax and explore our website to find more art resources that feature amazing  women artists that will help rejuvenate your creativity.

Wow! February has come and almost gone in the blink of eye; it feels like time is flying. In the spirit of time flying, this post will be short and sweet. We have the cutest idea for using our Great African-American Artists Coloring & Activity Books. Inspired by the enamel artist pins found in art museum gift shops, we used shrinking plastic, permanent markers, a pin back and hot glue gun, to make black artist pins. This is a great way to celebrate Black History all year long. Check out the simple steps below.

We used Faith Ringgold and Romare Bearden's coloring portrait sheets from the books above. Click on each cover to purchase your very own copy.

(This activity should be done by or with a responsible adult.)

What are you doing to celebrate Black History Month?
​Let us know by commenting below.

Happy 2020!!! We are thankful and excited about this new year. As we approach the day of commemoration for one of our great leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, we want to share a simple. yet colorful art lesson inspired by his life. It's no secret that one of favorite author/illustrators is Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Her lovely book entitled, Let Freedom Sing, also helped to inspire our newest art resource.

Throughout the beautifully illustrated book, which highlights several of the pivotal events in the Civil Rights movement, Newton includes the lyrics to the song, This Little Light of Mine. Reading this book to young artists is a great way to introduce them to this important period in American history. After reading, the book, they will enjoy doing our MLK Shine Your Light Art Lesson. 

We used DIY stamps made out of foam sheets and letters.  How do you honor Dr. King in your creative space? Share by commenting below.

Happy Holidays!!! We hope that your holiday season is going well. As we celebrate the last Kwanzaa of the decade, we want to share some of our favorite handmade gift ideas. Kwanza is celebrated from Dec. 26-Jan.1; each day focuses on an important principle. On day six, we celebrate the principle Kuumba which means creativity. This a great time to make a special gift for a loved one. 

Creating this pocket fan with some simple art supplies (including black dot paint makers and gold metallic marker) was fun. This colorful mini pocket fan would be a great gift for Kwanzaa.

This colorful notecard is a great way to create a personal greeting for Kwanzaa and help young artists develop printmaking skills.

Make sure to purchase our latest art lesson for Kwanzaa by clicking on the image. Have a prosperous Kwanzaa and New Year!

As we move swiftly through the last quarter of 2019, we wanted to share this brief post about the creative inspiration we recently got from a pack of color coding labels.  Normally these stickers are used in an office or clerical setting and they come in a variety of sizes and colors. We used some color coding labels to create the Maassai Inspired Paper Collar below. We also used a paper plate, scissors, washi tape, a glue stick, construction paper scraps and markers. 

​We also used these color coding labels to create our latest art resource, Silly Monster Art Lesson.  Inspired by the colorfully illustrated children's book, Monster Trouble! by Lane Frederickson and pictures by Mike Robertson, this art lesson is a fun way for young artists to learn about the Elements of Design.

There are so many other art pieces that can be created with these color coded labels. Meanwhile, check out these cool works of art created with black push pins and paper clips. Click on each image to learn more about the work and the artist. 

Is it me or did the summer seem to only last for a month? Wow! Fall officially begins this weekend. A new school year has also already begun, which means we're looking for new art ideas, artists and resources to enhance our curriculum. Here are some cool art resources we discovered over the summer.

If you're looking for works of art that display the Elements of Design, look no further than the amazing work of phenomenal artist, Mildred Thompson. We discovered her work through social media and created a new art lesson inspired by her dynamic use of lines.

Visiting the Mississippi Children's Museum was definitely a highlight this summer. While visiting our family in Jackson, MS, we were fortunate to tour this colorful facility and observe the amazing cross-curricular activities they have designed for children; everything ranging from a life-size, interactive scrabble board to a large art studio/gallery. I thought about how visual arts incorporates all of the other subject matters. Make sure to explore this website to find art lessons that have several cross-curricular connections.

One of our favorite illustrators, Vanessa Brantley-Newton, teamed up with talented author, Derrick Barnes to create this delightful story about a excited little boy who begins kindergarten. We love to use picture books for our young artists who are in preschool and grades K-2.
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What are some of the new art resources that you have discovered? Comment below.

Happy Father's Day and Black Music month! We hope your summer is off to a great start.  A great place to find creative inspiration this summer is in children's picture books.  As we celebrate Father's Day and Black Music Month, we want to highlight one of our favorite picture books entitled, Just the Two of Us, by the mega star, Will Smith.

Will turned this chart topping rap song into a children's book by collaborating with renowned artist/illustrator, Kadir Nelson to depict the lyrics of the song with delightful illustrations. This book is perfect for the month of June and connects Visual Art with ELA, Music, Social Studies and Physical Education. 

Explore our website to find more cross-curricular art resources to inspire your creativity this summer. Have a wonderful summer!

​    We are so excited and inspired by all of the amazing work that's being done to bring awareness to autism this month. While there are several significant visual artists that have been identified as being on the spectrum for having autism, we are especially  inspired by the art of prolific visual artist Stephen Wiltshire.

His incredible ability to draw cityscapes with precise detail after seeing them briefly is just one part of his extraordinary journey.  Click here to learn more about the artist and his work.  Stephen's work would be a fantastic example to show young artists who are learning to draw urban spaces and cityscapes.

Here are some more great resources to related to autism that can be used in any classroom space :

This beautifully illustrated story written by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete is based on her personal experience with her son who was diagnosed with autism at a young age. 

In addition to the children's book, these resources are definitely worth looking into: click on each image to explore each one. What tips or resources are you currently using in your art space to teach young artists with autism? Comment below.