by Mary Erickson, Ph.D., with Arizona art teacher Allison Lee

Tokens of Love is a three-lesson unit plan designed in conjunction with the Summer of Love exhibition at the Tempe Center for the Arts.

Preview the Summer of Love exhibition PowerPoint

Themes

• Theme in Life: We all prize our relationships with others.
  
• Theme in Art: An artwork can say how we feel about someone without words.
  

Key Questions

Lessons approach the themes through key questions about the art of others as well as questions about our own art.

What feeling does this artwork express?  

 

What do I want my artwork to express?

What textures do I see?

How can I use texture to enrich the surface/s of my artwork?

Community Connections
We have all given a gift to someone we love, respect or care about. Sometimes people even give gifts to cities or organizations to express their care or commitment. Did you know that the late Senator Barry Goldwater gave the Heard Museum his collection of Hopi kachina dolls so local residents and visitors to the Valley of the Sun could see them? Did you know that the Order of Odd Fellows gave the historic Petersen House to the city of Tempe? Next time you visit a museum or see something marked with a plaque, take time to read the text and you may learn about generous people who have given gifts as tokens showing how they feel and what or whom they care about.

Lesson One
One: Expressions of Love, Care and Respect

Expressions of Love, Care and Respect PowerPoint
Enriching a Surface with Texture PowerPoint
Summer of Love Exhibition Preview PowerPoint

Lesson Two
Two: Exploring 2D and 3D Cacti in Art at the Tempe Center for the Arts

Resources
Questor Questions about 2D & 3D Cacti in Art (pdf)

Lesson Three
Three: My Token of Love 

Resources
Tokens of Love PowerPoint
clay
slip
sponges
rib tools
pin tools
rolling pins
wire cutters
texture tools (various objects like combs, forks, raw noodles, matchbox cars, etc.)
spray bottles with water
wood boards (bats)
plastic bags
towels
rags

OPTIONAL: Paper bags (one bag for each small group) each holding several sample textures, such as tree bark, tire tread, rough and smooth fabric swatches, fake fur, playing card, corrugated cardboard with top layer of paper removed, wire mesh, etc.

OPTIONAL: Newsprint and charcoal or soft graphite pencils

Credits
Joshua Roffler, Tempe History Museum
Seventh and eighth grade art students at Chandler's Arizona College Prep,
Oakland Desert Botanical Garden

Estimated Time
Previsit Lesson =  50-100 minutes
TCA Visit Lesson = Field Trip
Postvisit Lesson = 250-750  minutes

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