An Afternoon of Art

Sixty five Edmunds students took part in the Annual Des Moines Art Center Tour for 4th graders in April, touring both the Art Center on Grand Avenue and the Pappajohn Sculpture Park located at the Western Gateway Park in downtown Des Moines. Students saw impressive art from some of the most important artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. In art class the students recently learned about abstract and figurative works, and about specific art that can be seen at the Art Center. Favorite pieces for the students included Grant Wood’s notable “Birthplace of Herbert Hoover,” Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art “Pyramids”, and Jaume Plensa’s piece “Nomade” (Nomad) which uses letters to construct an image of a crouching child – and is a highlight of the Pappajohn Sculpture Park. After the tours, the students gathered for a “tour de-briefing” in the art room with Art Teacher David Borzo to share what they saw, liked or didn’t like on the tour. Many students related complex ideas about abstract art, hidden messages and the backstory of many of the pieces they saw.