A Year with Children 2007

How does art reflect culture? What impact do humans have on the environment? How does geography influence our lives? These are just a few of the provocative questions that inspired the art on view, created by students participating in Learning Through Art (LTA). This artist residency program of the Guggenheim Museum, now in its 37th year, engages New York City public elementary school students in the process of investigating, looking at, and making art. Teaching artists and classroom teachers work together to develop projects that explore diverse subject areas, introduce art skills and techniques, and allow students to express their ideas in meaningful ways. LTA residencies are rooted in questioning: questions about the world and contemporary culture, questions about art materials and what they can do, and questions about works of art.

This exhibition, which features a selection of the artworks created this academic year, is organized according to five themes—Investigating Cultures, Humans and the Environment, Making a Difference, Voices from History, and Transforming Communities. The projects in each section explore questions related to the theme and were created using a wide range of techniques and materials. In each area, one highlighted project includes a display showing the complex process students engaged in throughout the residency to create this art.

A Year with Children 2007