Dala Horse Project

Kindergarten

Teacher Partners: Mrs. Munich, teacher; Ms. Chien, assistant teacher; Mrs. Matesow, teacher, and Mrs. Pignetti, assistant teacher
Teaching Artist: Kathryn McFadden

In the first week of the project, the Kindergarteners visited the American Swedish Museum and benefited from a tour and educational workshop facilitated by the museum educator. In preparation for a study of Swedish folk arts and pattern, the artist then worked with the students in a series of lessons on the formal principles of design. She linked these lessons to multi-media activities in drawing, painting, collage, and construction. The artist finally introduced the project of the Dala horse. Students painted practice horses with one side illustrating Swedish pattern and the other addressing the rendering of realistic color and texture.

Teacher L. Munich and Artist Kathryn McFadden teach students about the Dala horse.		Beginning with shapes... practicing patterns on templates.
Painting the wood horses.		An artist with his horses on display at the Fleisher gallery.