A Color Printer to Build Community Around Art

Margarethe Olsson, Grades TK – 5 Art Teacher at Ruby Bridges Elementary, put in an application for an AEF Teacher Mini Grant to purchase a color printer, paper and inks to fund several projects in the art room. One project would be a community wall where all students could see themselves represented in the larger school community. Students would take photos, print them and embellish them with frames or backgrounds, so each photo represented the way students wanted to be seen.  The printer would also empower students to explore other avenues of art, including digital medias.

Ms. Olsson sent photos of some of her ESN (Extensive Support Needs) students working on a painting project inspired by Sam Gilliam. She wrote: “Students could examine and engage with the paintings closely due to your generous grant for the color printer! Thank you. I’ll be using it for many other projects – this is just the first use, but something I’ve wanted to do for a long time to help the students engage with the art more fully.”