Dorian Sylvain
& John L. Marsh Elementary

Dorian Sylvain & John L. Marsh Elementary

“Fresh fruits and Vegetables are works of Art” 

This project was designed to highlight the importance of food in all cultures. Marsh has a predominantly Latin X student body and I wanted to use materials and techniques that reflect the arts and crafts found in their cultural practices. The piñata was my inspiration! 

Four plywood panels were installed in the hallway for this project (3’ x 6’ each). The first layer of the project was to create a colorful background. Small blue, green and pink tissue paper squares were collaged with Mod Podge by the students. Next students worked on individual fruits and vegetables, using a technique of shaping a square piece of tissue paper around a pencil tip and gluing it onto the cardboard. The pieces of tissue paper then stand up, creating a “fluffy” look. Many of the pieces contained two or three colors. My personal favorite piece is the watermelon slice, the student began with a layer of dark green, then a thin layer of light green and finally beautiful pinks and reds, which included black seeds for detail. 

The completed pieces were then mounted onto the wood panels to create a composition of natural foods and celebrate the rainbow of colors found in fruits and vegetables. The final layer was the vinyl words… “Fresh Fruits and Vegetables are works of Art.” This final message to the students was meant to identify fresh produce as a superior food (vs fast or processed foods) and the value cooking and eating bring to our cultural expression.