The Fabulous Fuller

The Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts, is a wonderful resource for our students. Our third and fifth graders have been very fortunate over the years to attend exhibits for free. My students have limited exposure to museums, and for some, this may be their first visit. Our art department goes on a preview tour with the docents and provides images of the works that will be highlighted on the tour. This year, my students saw work by three different artists who inspired two different lessons.

Before the exhibit, I presented a slideshow about the Fuller Craft Museum and the exhibits. I asked students to remember their favorite works as they would draw and write about them when they returned.

Beau McCall: The Button Man
The first artist was button master Beau McCall. The exhibit featured a broad body of work, including wearable art, wall art, and even a bathtub covered in buttons inside and out. Students were thrilled to see this artistʼs creations and learn about his life. McCall’s artwork was a big hit, and I knew I had to jump on the button bandwagon.

Mixed-Media Button Compositions
Back in the art room, each student was given a 9 x 12" (23 x 30 cm) piece of white oaktag and instructed to cover the entire paper with color using tempera paint sticks, incorporating either patterns and shapes or an image.

During our next class, I showed work by other artists who use buttons in their art, including Dalton Stevens (a.k.a. the Button King) and my mother-in-law Dianne Jenkins, a mixed-media artist who supplied me with buttons and sent a video of her button book.

I was surprised by how excited the students were over the variety of buttons. They were eager to create with this unusual material. Buttons were attached with glue, and then I covered the pieces with lots of découpage medium to secure the work.

The variety of work was astounding and so successful I sent pictures of the work to Beau McCall’s Instagram just to show him how much he inspired us. Not only did he write the sweetest message, but he posted the photos to his story! I was touched, and my classes were excited to receive praise from a living artist.

Michael C. Thorpe and Maria Molteni
The other featured artists were Michael C. Thorpe and Maria Molteni. Thorpe is a young Massachusetts artist who played basketball in college and now creates colorful quilts inspired by his life and interests. Molteni created a site-specific installation about playing basketball. She often paints over unused basketball courts to create inclusive, fun, and colorful places for all to enjoy. I combined these two artists because of their shared interest in basketball and art.

Personal Inspiration Collage
After a slideshow presentation focusing on these two artists, I asked my fifth-graders to brainstorm ideas for a paper collage by making a list of favorite activities, places, and people. It was a great way to connect with my students and learn about their interests.

The next week, we chose bright colored paper and focused on cutting one large piece based on their brainstorm sheet. Students added words, photocopied images, and color and were eager to include more elements to their collages each week. They also wrote about their uniquely personal inspirations for their work.

Both lessons provided a meaningful connection to the contemporary artists featured in the exhibits at the Fuller Craft Museum that will be remembered long after their visit.