I’m teaching 7th grade for The Art Connection this season which is my fifth year with the program (with a long hiatus in between). The Art Connection is an incredible outside-of-school program run on Saturdays at the Carnegie Museum of Art on Saturdays for grades 5 – 9. We’re celebrating our 90th year in 2018 – 2019. We’re three sessions into our second semester but just finishing up our second major project.
I have an amazing group of artists to share my Saturdays with this year. In the morning, a large group of girls (and one new boy beginning the second semester) and in the afternoon, a smaller, very social group of students. They have already forged such strong relationships, they created a Secret Santa gift exchange before our holiday break. It has been such a pleasure and in my posts to follow, I will document our experiences so far.
Eighteen weeks of intense artmaking just wrapped up at the Carnegie Museum of Art. Thirty-two seventh grade students worked incredibly hard to face fears, dive headfirst into ambiguity and learn a few new things. Students created some incredibly beautiful artworks, taking the lead in executing designs that interested and excited them. Our program-long theme was of altering media, deconstructing, and paying attention to everyday artworks and media. I couldn’t be happier with what my students accomplished and can’t wait to share with everyone during our Opening Reception on Sunday, April 8, 3pm – 5pm. The exhibition will be displayed in the Hall of Sculpture April 7 – April 22. I will post in the coming weeks about specific projects and outcomes and also share the curating and installation process. My assistants and I have documented the year on Instagram. You can follow us @ 
Jena Schieb 