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Focus at the Guggenheim

Seventh Grade boys had the Guggenheim all to themselves this morning. They capitalized on their special access to the quiet and empty space to sketch elements of the iconic building's architecture.

The session is one of several art classes the boys will have at the museum, part of our school's year-long collaboration with the Guggenheim, which also includes units in Grades Two and Eight.

The Seventh Grade study focuses on "Learning to See Through Art" and is an exploration of the foundations of observational drawing. The boys learn that observational drawing requires deep focus, effort and practice, and the ability to use their minds differently: to see negative space, to uncover underlying shapes.

The unit will culminate with a tour and exhibit of the boys' work at the Museum for Seventh Grade parents in early March.

We live in a time of instant gratification and fractured attention spans, with demands that we do everything quickly and then move on to the next thing. The ability to focus and dig deeper is being lost in the popular culture; so much so that it is an attribute most sought after by employers.

Units like this one help our boys discover not only how to draw what they see, but the value in taking one's time to uncover what lies beneath the surface.


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