Six unique books created by elementary school students will be on display in the lobby of The Wolfsonian–Florida International University from Thursday, May 12 through Sunday, June 12, 2011. This exhibition, which is free and open to the public, is the final product of Page at a Time—a long-running interdisciplinary arts-education program created by The Wolfsonian in collaboration with Miami-Dade County Public Schools and made possible thanks to the support of Carnival Foundation.
Page at a Time, now completing its fourteenth year, focuses on social and political themes reflected by objects in the collection. On a yearly basis different schools participate in this program jointly taught by classroom and art teachers, in conjunction with Wolfsonian education staff members. The students who participated this year created unique books examining a variety of issues. The book from Norma Butler Bossard Elementary explores the design of a game where the objective is to achieve “winning” values with one’s peers at school and in the community and with one’s family at home. Another book from Southside Elementary presents poems and stories from multiple perspectives about homelessness in Miami and the nation. Students were so inspired while working on their book that they began collecting clothing and canned foods for the local homeless shelter! David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Center students have created a book examining the various ways pollution impacts our natural environment, and offering grassroots solutions to address the problem.
The books are entirely student-created, from the text to the artwork, to the varied formats, and are made out of diverse materials. As part of the preparation for creating the books for this exhibit, the students visited The Wolfsonian a number of times, received tours of the collection and participated in hands-on bookmaking activities. The students then worked collaboratively in their classes to identify a conflict and develop a visual concept for addressing the subject, including deciding on a format for their book. Each student then created his or her own page of the book as part of the class project.
“Page at a Time is a very strong interdisciplinary program and great model for museum-based education. During the program, students learn about specific topics such as history, visual arts, and writing, as well
as art books, museums, and the interconnections between these topics. Students then apply their new knowledge to a creative project,” notes Kate Rawlinson, The Wolfsonian’s assistant director for education and public programs. “It’s invigorating for the educators and a great experience for the students and their families.”
This year’s participating schools are: David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Center, South Pointe, Southside, Wesley Matthews, and Norma Butler Bossard Elementary Schools. Page at a Time—the book—is also available as a print-on-demand catalog titled Facing Conflict: 10 Years of Page at a Time. The seventy-page catalog documents the first ten years of the program, including photographs of all books produced in that time as well as an in-depth look at five of the books. The catalog was produced through support from Citi Foundation. To learn more about Page at a Time, visit its website, www.pageatatime.org.