This past week, my Grade 7 and 8 students mounted a showcase of their artwork from the past semester. The theme of their art was nightmares and daydreams with each student creating a 2D work (paintings, drawings) and a 3D form (sculpture).

The content of the show was driven by inquiry, a major aspect of the MYP Visual Arts curriculum. Prioritizing student voice and choice assists with this goal – from the media my students create with, to the shared responsibility for the upkeep of our studio space, to preparation efforts surrounding the art exhibition.

In this case, I asked the students to choose how they would contribute to the showcase. We had a facilities team, art handlers, curators, and exhibition designers. They took their roles very seriously and had the showcase installed in under 30 minutes! One student rain around with a clipboard and my layout diagram, noting every display table and translating our needs to the Turkish speaking facilities staff. Awesome to see a 14 year old step up like that.

When it came to the actual artmaking, my students’ choice of media (artmaking materials) and their personal interpretations of the theme (dreams/nightmares) made this exhibition truly unique. It’s dark, expressive, and full of energy. I can see their growth as artists and the beautiful artwork speaks for itself.

Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my first student showcase here in Istanbul. I will miss this crew but I’m already looking forward to meeting my next group for Semester 2 in a week.