Each of us can play a pivotal role in our community, whether that is our neighborhood, family, friend group, or school. Today, as always, it is important to consider and learn about our local culture, through our communities’ people, places, and history. How are we building local understanding into our lives and learning?
Every community is different, so learning about your unique communities is important. Expanding on your own local understanding is a necessary component of becoming an engaged citizen. Understanding leads to appreciating, connecting, and protecting.
This bundle of artists, artworks, resources, and activities helps kids explore big questions such as:
- What is my role in the community?
- What are some important histories of my community?
- How do artists play a part in my community?
- And how do I imagine my community at its best?
The artists highlighted here show us that this learning can be achieved in many ways. We hope these resources inspire you to learn more about our local culture and histories.
Jaime Molina, The Family Garden, 2017. Wood, acrylic paint, hardware.
Looking Together
For our youngest learners, we recommend looking around your neighborhood and sharing about sense of place and the role of art in your community. Together, read our book recommendation, Maybe Something Beautiful. Through the pages, discover how art can inspire transformation—and how even the smallest artists can accomplish something big and discuss artful moments in your neighborhood or home.
This month’s installment of our How to Talk About Art series focuses on local Denver-based artist Jaime Molina’s sculpture from the DAM’s Art Lives Here collection, which has been installed in schools and community centers around Denver. Artists are influenced by the world around them, and can also influence the world around them! Take a look at this unique painted box and have a conversation about what inspires you about our local landscape, and how we can do our part to steward our communities.
Creating Together
Get creative at home or in the classroom with these two activities focused on themes of connecting with others in our communities and building empathy.
Multimedia artist Melanie Yazzie considers the role and importance of having empathy for others, or "walking a mile in someone’s moccasins" in this short video and suggested art activity.
Artists Marie Watt and Cannupa Hanska Leger invite you to submit art to be exhibited at the DAM! Learn how you can contribute to an artwork in the exhibition by submitting an embroidered bandana by October 31. And then try your hand at this lesson spark, which walks you through step-by-step on how to embroider along with some questions to spark personal and critical conversations while you sew.
Bently Spang, Modern Warrior Series: War Shirt #4 - National Sacrifice, 2010.
Thinking Together
In these two lesson sparks, older kids are encouraged to explore ideas of cultural heritage in their communities through a lens of storytelling. Artists Bently Spang and Marie Watt both work within an art practice that collect and assemble stories from their communities that are inspired and supported by objects as well as oral traditions, rituals and traditional preforming arts. Examining how we share cultural heritages can ensure future generations can continue to build on our understanding.
Check out Modern Warrior Series: War Shirt #4 - National Sacrifice and consider how transmitting cultural knowledge is a critical cornerstone in many cultures. We invite you to connect with others and share some of your own traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Explore Blanket Story: Confluence, Heirloom, and Tenth Mountain Division and reflect on the significance of your own personal objects in this printable journal entry.
Related Creativity Resources
The Art of the Samurai
Suit of Armor and Helmet is a unique object in our collection that looks functional but was actually made in admiration of Samurai’s of the past. Take a closer look at how this suit of armor balances delicate details and symbols of fierceness and consider what faithfulness, loyalty, and dedication might have meant in 18th century Japan.
From Art to Money and Everything in Between
Stepping Back in Time
Explore artworks from the museum’s collection by Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Paul Cézanne, Édouard Manet, Willard Leroy Metcalf, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Childe Hassam, and others that tell a story about a complex time in Europe and America.
Adventure through the Pink Universe
Guide your students and/or children through the Pink Universe with fun activities inspired by Simphiwe Ndzube: Oracles of the Pink Universe. Activities include an artmaking project and a book recommendation.
Putting It Together
Collaborative artmaking has the power to bond people, cultures, and community. With the opening of the Each/Other exhibition, take a closer look at two of Marie Watts' artworks and discover how they are a gateway to collaboration, sharing, and creativity.
