KINDERGARTEN
Dancing Alphabet
pARTners collaborated with Dancers’ Workshop to teach kindergarteners the letters of the alphabet through dance and visual art.
KINDERGARTEN
Drumming and Dancing with the Bell Family
The Bell Family shared their cultural drumming, singing, and dance form with kindergarten students. Luke is part of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, and Jasmine is part of the Lakota Tribe in South Dakota. Jasmine is a two-time world champion hoop dancer. Three children performed and taught students about their culture through their own learning experiences.
“pARTners lives up to their name. They are amazing to work with, because they know the teacher’s needs, and actively support enhancing our student’s curriculum. We are lucky to have them as a community partner!”
-Eric Midgley, Dancer’s Workshop Dance School Director
“pARTners has been such a fun and important part of the kindergarten year. Every year teachers, students and parents look forward to the Kindergarten ABC dance. It is a wonderful tradition that has been in the valley for years! I can’t imagine teaching kindergarten without the ABC dance! “
~Quinn Bonnett, K teacher Colter Elementary
1ST GRADE | JES, CES, WES, MMES
Learning about Light through Kaleidoscopes
Students worked with pARTners artists to construct and decorate their own kaleidoscopes. This creative project supports their science standard on how light reflects off different surfaces. They also learned that the smaller the angle, the more reflection they observe in their kaleidoscope.
1ST GRADE
Tipi Education and Art
1st-grade students learned about the history, form, and function of tipis. Students made small tipis to engage in this cultural art form firsthand. They worked with Native Shoshone artists Joanne Brings Thunder and Sophia S (both direct descendants of Chief Washakie), who taught them about the symbols used by various tribes.
1st Grade
Introduction to Weaving
Students learned basic weaving by interlacing painted paper strips to create colorful patterns. This hands-on project built fine motor skills and introduced the fundamentals of textile art in a fun, accessible way.
“I love this new 1st project! A great STEAM project for our students to learn about the properties of light. My class loved making the kaleidoscopes.”
– Jen Fischer
1st Grade Teacher at JES
2ND GRADE
Mythical Creatures and Fairies (Drawing, Painting, Symmetry, and Imagination)
2nd-grade students expanded their drawing and storytelling skills by designing mythical creatures or fairies. This project encourages students to explore facial features, symmetrical wing patterns, and environmental storytelling by designing habitats for their creations. Using metallic watercolors and a variety of drawing tools, students added magic and sparkle to their work while learning about composition, symmetry, and creative self-expression.
2ND GRADE
Native American Buffalo Hide Painting
Students designed their own symbols and wrote short stories, culminating in a buffalo hide artwork inspired by authentic Native American hide paintings and historical stories.
2ND GRADE | WES, MMES, CES
Wyoming Topographic Maps
Students created a 3-D topographic map of Wyoming and Teton National Park to identify and learn about the physical features and landforms of the state and region.
2ND GRADE
Hoop Dancing Performance
Jasmine Bell and her daughters performed various Native Dances for students, while Luke Bell played the drum and sang. Jasmine Bell is a two-time world champion Hoop Dancer, an extraordinary feat as this is a male-dominated dance style. All students had the opportunity to perform with the family.
2ND GRADE
Hoop Making with the Bell Family
As an extension of the Hoop Dancing performance, Jasmine and her family returned in the spring to have the students create the hoops their children had made when they were children. Native culture uses these small hoops with toddlers to introduce them to rhythm and balance. They decorated the hoops with their family colors or with colors that speak to them, exploring the circle’s importance in their culture.
2ND GRADE
Introduction to Sewing
Students learned basic sewing skills, practicing stitches and techniques to create simple animal textile projects.
2ND GRADE
Ecosystem Dioramas
Students researched specific ecosystems and used a range of materials to construct detailed dioramas that showcased the unique plants, animals, and environmental features of their chosen habitats.
3RD GRADE
Ledger Art
Joanne Bring Thunder, a renowned Shoshone artist and the great-great-granddaughter of Chief Washakie, recently visited third-grade classrooms to educate students about Ledger Art. This unique form of Native American artwork conveys significant stories through illustrations. The term “Ledger Art” originates from the late 1800s when Native American artists began using ledger paper, traditionally used for accounting, as their canvas. Joanne emphasized the importance of preserving Native stories and memories, a tradition that began with painting on animal hides before the advent of paper.
3RD GRADE
African Animal Masks
Students designed African-inspired animal masks, exploring symbolism and patterns from various African art traditions. Using a variety of materials and techniques, students crafted bold animal masks with intricate patterns that highlighted contrast and texture.
“This project made me recognize the value of interdisciplinary thinking in helping students better understand important academic vocabulary terms.”
~Ronnie-Jean Bernard, 4th grade teacher
4TH GRADE | JES, CES, MMES
Oregon Trail Flash Fiction and POP Art Inspired Watercolors
Students selected historical photos from the Oregon Trail era and wrote flash fiction letters depicting life on the trail, based on these primary resources. They then collaborated with a local artist to create watercolor photo transfers inspired by Pop Art.
4TH GRADE
Parfleches and the Importance of the Buffalo in Native Culture
Joanne Brings Thunder visited classrooms to teach students about parfleches and the significance of the buffalo in Native culture. The students then created their own parfleches, using traditional symbols.
4TH GRADE
Creating Fossils through Art
With the guidance of a pARTners artist, students created a trace, cast, and mold fossils. By imitating the creation processes of various fossil types, they were better able to understand how they formed and the different environmental factors involved.
4TH GRADE
Watercolor Landscapes
Students created real and abstract landscapes on circular wooden panels using pen, ink, and watercolor. The round panels symbolize unity and the interconnectedness of all living things. Through thoughtful use of line, space, and repeating forms, students explored connections between nature and humanity.
5TH GRADE
Calavera Masks
Students delved into Mexican folk art by designing surreal creatures inspired by their imagination. They used their creativity to conceptualize a unique mask, which they subsequently crafted with papier-mâché and decorated with acrylic and glow-in-the-dark paints, allowing the sculptures to illuminate in the dark.
5TH GRADE | MMES
Variables in Art
In our interdisciplinary Science in Art project, students honed their observation skills by selecting a scientific or natural image and recreating it through a variety of artistic lenses. Each student explored multiple media – including graphite, colored pencil, pastel, watercolor, and marker – to interpret their chosen image in unique ways. This iterative process not only developed their technical skills but also deepened their understanding of visual communication and experimentation. Through this project, students learned how scientific observation and artistic expression intersect.
5TH GRADE
Elk Teeth Necklaces
Joanne Brings Thunder and Sophia displayed the intricate beadwork and elk teeth necklaces worn for ceremonial purposes in the E. Shoshone Culture. The students then had the opportunity to learn about the significance and value that elk teeth play in Native cultures. They were able to make their own necklace using various beads and artificial elk teeth.
“The new Indigenous projects are truly amazing, and the kids were highly engaged and involved. pARTners brought artist, Joanne Brings Thunder from the Shoshone Tribe, to teach students about Ledger Art and Native Beading. They had the opportunity to ask questions and touch the various artifacts and pieces of art. This was an invaluable learning experience, and students came away from the project with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the culture.”
– James Howell, Principal at CES
Jackson Hole Middle School
Endangered Species Chalk Art
Students created beautiful pieces of chalk art with several pARTners artists to highlight the importance of the Endangered Species Act. Through their artwork, they create awareness of what animals are considered endangered. This was a collaboration between the science and art classrooms.
“I can truly say this is my favorite pARTners project. It not only engages the students, but also brings the community together. I love watching parents bring their children to the school on weekends to admire these incredible pieces of art. We are grateful for what pARTners does to inspire our students to think outside the box and participate in creative activities.”
– Seth Fetters (Vice-Principal of JHMS)
9TH-12TH GRADE | JHHS
Raku Pottery
Students learned the basics of this 16th Century Japanese art form and created their own pieces using this special firing technique. This year, pARTners purchased JHHS their own Raku Kiln ($3,000) so that they had the ability to make this unique type of pottery on campus.
9TH-12TH GRADE | JHHS
AP Art Portfolio Review and Coaching
Students worked with several local artists to receive feedback on their art portfolios and advice about next steps in their art careers.
9TH-12TH GRADE | JHHS
Ecology of the GYE Nature Journals
Ecology students collaborated with local artists to master the use of watercolors, colored pencils, and black ink for accurately depicting nature. Thanks to PARTners, each student received an artist’s sketchbook and various supplies. They guided the students in observing their surroundings and using the art materials to vividly bring their observations to life.
“I can’t thank pARTners enough. This was a brand new class at Jackson Hole High School, and the supplies and artist support brought learning to a new level. As a teacher, we have a vision of what we want our students to experience and pARTners made that come to fruition. They not only purchased supplies that were not in my budget, but also paid an expert to come in to teach the students artistic concepts that I could not. Thank you!”
Johnson Whippie, JHHS Science Teacher
“Art is a place for children to learn to trust their ideas, themselves, and explore what is possible.”
~Maryann F. Kohl
