Picturing+Poetry+-+Picture+Books+Inspired+by+Poems

=Teacher Workshop: Picturing Poetry - Picture Books Inspired by Poems= February 9, 2013 9:30AM–3:30PM Ryan Education Center The saying goes that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” So, too, is a word worth a thousand pictures. Picturing Poetry, on view in the Ryan Education Center from November 17, 2012 to May 12, 2013, showcases the original illustrations of six picture book artists – Carin Berger, R. Gregory Christie, Brian Pinkney, James Rumford, Peter Sis, and Ed Young – and demonstrates how the language of poetry has the power to evoke visual imagery. This workshop will explore the relationship between text and illustration while making connections to the Common Core Reading Standards’ emphasis on analyzing the structure of texts, identifying point of view, and evaluating comprehension. The morning will include a tour of the Picturing Poetry exhibition by the curator and an opportunity to make connections in the galleries. The afternoon will be spent in the studio investigating and creating mixed-media illustrations inspired by the artists’ work on view in the exhibition. Elementary classroom, language arts, and visual arts teachers are encouraged to attend this poetic program. Registration costs include a hardcover copy of one of the exhibit’s featured books, Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant, written by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Carin Berger.



Our morning began with an exercise responding to works of art from the museum's collection with different writing prompts. Everyone had such amazingly creative responses! Here are all the results from our morning activity, as well as the artworks that inspired your word choices:


 * Gallery Activity Worksheets**


 * Picturing Poetry Bibliography**

In the picture book gallery, we engaged in close looking by assigning words to the featured illustrations. | We tossed Haikus inspired by nature into a "river" in front of Utagawa Toyoharu's "Komachi Praying for Rain." | The paperweight gallery was a perfect place to write some Concrete Poetry. | Robert Rauschenberg's "Short Circuit" served as inspiration for group-written Exquisite Corpse Poems. | David Hockney's "American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman)" and Alex Katz's "Vincent and Tony" allowed us to jump into the paintings, explore the figures, and write Two-Voice Poems. | Everyone let their creative energy flow by creating original poems and illustrations in a prolonged studio experience at the end of the day.
 * Highlights and Photos from the Workshop**