High School

The Essential Question
How can art honor and preserve the stories of people from the past?

Objective
Students will research or reflect on a historical figure, ancestor, or community and create an inspired quilt square.

Materials
heavyweight paper or cardstock (for quilt squares), colored construction paper (slightly larger, for backing), paint, printmaking tools (brushes, sponges, stamps, found textures), fabric scraps, thread or embroidery floss (for stitching), paper-stitching tools (needles, blunt tools, or hole punchers), glue or decoupage medium, scissors or craft knives, colored pencils, markers, pens, found objects and small trinkets (e.g., buttons and leaves)

Procedures

1. Discuss how quilts have historically been used to tell stories and honor people or events. Show examples of traditional and contemporary art quilts, focusing on symbolism and storytelling.
2. Have students choose a historical figure, ancestor, or community they want to honor. Students can research or reflect through writing or discussion to identify key traits, symbols, or imagery that represent their subject.
3. Students sketch a rough design of their quilt square, deciding on composition, color scheme, and which materials and symbols to include.
4. On heavyweight paper or cardstock, students begin by using paint, printmaking tools, or found textures to create a patterned background.
5. Students add collage elements, painting, drawing, or other planned methods and materials to complete their designs. Emphasize thoughtful layering of media and symbols to tell a story.
6. Students mount their finished artwork onto a slightly larger piece of construction paper, creating a border. Using embroidery floss or thread, they stitch through both layers to attach them, mimicking the look of a quilt square.

Nicole Herbst is an art teacher for Sturgeon Bay Schools in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.