Newtown Middle School eighth grade art enrichment students spent the entire school day on February 28 making mobiles inspired by the American sculptor Alexander Calder’s body of work.

By noon, the Day of Art was in full-swing, with students bent over tables working to create their mobiles. NMS art teachers Leigh Anne Coles and Kristen Ladue led the in-house field trip with assistance from technology education teacher Kevin Eppley.

“We got a little creative,” said Ms Coles while pointing to a number of items the students were working with to create their mobiles. While she said Mr Calder worked with metals, the students did not have that option. So different types of wire, moldable plastic sheets, and hangers were available to students to use in their designs. Mr Eppley helped students from an engineering perspective throughout the day. Ms Coles said the entire project was a co-curriculum effort.

After students learned about Mr Calder’s work, they were then given the choice to work abstractly or to come up with different objects as inspiration for their mobiles.

“They kind of ran with it,” said Ms Coles, adding that artwork created during the eighth grade Day of Art will be put on display for this year’s annual Newtown Middle School Student Showcase, which will be held later this school year.

“I think they are doing well,” said Ms Ladue, as the eighth graders worked throughout the art room. Students were twisting wires and cutting out objects with just a few hours left to the school day.

As eighth grader Ayla Ryder worked to twist copper-colored wire around pale white sea-glass-shaped objects, she said she thought the project was “very abstract” and “cool.”

Nearby, eighth grader Gabriella Arguello held up her mobile, which had a white flower-shaped object near its top.

“I think it’s a really fun project, and it’s very unique,” Gabriella said.

Eighth graders Allie Kost and Alex Holme worked next to each other as they twisted wires to form shapes. Allie was inspired by the shape of a crane to create her mobile and Alex was inspired by light bulbs.

“It’s very fun and a great way to put out our creativity,” said eighth grader Malcolm Zimmerman, holding up his own mobile, which had abstract shapes dangling from pins and wires.

A seventh grade Day of Art was held on February 14, when seventh graders learned about the fiber art of South African embroidery artist Danielle Clough.