Academics

Art and Architecture Throughout the Islamic World

The Steward School
A collaborative, cross-divisional project
A unique exhibit that combines artistic, historical, and mathematical perspectives and celebrates the art and architecture found throughout the Islamic world was recently on display in the lobby of the Paul R. Cramer Center for the Arts. This cross-divisional project brought together Spartans of all ages, and it represented a collaboration between a variety of disciplines. The exhibit is an example of Steward’s commitment to encouraging students to learn about and make thoughtful connections with the global world. 
 
On display boards and tables, visitors to the exhibit found examples of printmaking, watercolors, and ceramics from students in Upper School Visual Arts Teacher Kristin Snellings’ Art I, II, and III classes. Colorful tiles and stamps created by Upper School Mathematics Teacher Jennifer Maitland's eighth-, ninth-, and tenth-grade Honors Geometry classes, which were created during their study of tessellations through geometric constructions, were also on display. 

“A tessellation is the covering of a surface using one or more geometric shapes — known as tiles — with no gaps or overlapping,” explained Ms. Maitland. “Students created these using a compass and ruler, and some were digitized and printed into stamps using either the 3D printer or Glowforge laser printer in the Bryan Innovation Lab.” Upper School Mathematics Teacher Karen Hudson’s Algebra II class, whose detailed work was also on display, explored the exactness needed to create geometric tiling designs.

Junior Kindergarten Teacher Katy Koppanyi and her students visited the exhibition, which included a “make and take” table with materials for visitors. After walking through the gallery, the junior kindergarteners stretched out and found a cozy spot on the floor to create their very own artwork. 

Visitors to the exhibit could also read descriptions that Upper Schoolers in Humanities Teacher Trevor Smith's Honors Topics in Modern World History classes wrote about various mosques, palaces, and art styles after researching these topics. “This project was a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved to learn about the values and beliefs of other cultures while also exploring the deep connections between these distinct areas of study,” said Mr. Smith. 


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