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Multimedia artwork from students at Southwest Open School is on display at the Canyons of the Ancients Visitors Center and Museum.<\/p>\n
Before creating their artwork, 15 students visited local archaeological sites and studied the culture and textiles of the Ancestral Puebloans. They became inspired to create ceramics, paintings and dioramas using a mix of ancient techniques and creative interpretation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a very playful art show, and the students got a real sense of the material culture of the Ancestral Puebloans,\u201d said teacher Ed Whitmer.<\/p>\n
In a well-lighted gallery, tables of pottery depict painted animal figures, flowers and designs.<\/p>\n
Mathew Cisco showed off his pottery with a rabbit design.<\/p>\n
\u201cLearning about people who walked the earth before us expands your mind,\u201d he said. \u201cThere were more people living here in the past than I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
Loris Stone\u2019s pottery pieces were inspired by nature and by the stories behind ancient designs that she learned during tours of the museum with curator Bridget Ambler.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people did not just make them at random, they did it for a purpose,\u201d Stone said. \u201cSeeing the artwork at the bottom of the bowl made the meal more special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Painter Christian Martinez was inspired by the symbolism of the Native American culture seen on ancient rock art and pottery. His psychedelic painting is a collage of animals, both real and imagined, and he added aliens as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people before us left behind cool beliefs and liked to draw, so I came up with some of my own ideas,\u201d Martinez said, including a walking fish and other creative creatures. \u201cHaving a show at a museum where people can admire your work is like a reward.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Ashley Lopez saw the towering architecture of Cliff Palace dwelling, it gave her the idea to paint skyscrapers in vivid colors. The whole project brought the class together, she added, and brought out \u201cour creative and team spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n
When student Bailey Landin saw an ancient cup with a secret rattle at the museum, she decided to give the technique a try and made ceramic rat with beads that also \u201crat-tled,\u201d she quipped. \u201cWe learned how they made pottery using the coil method; it was fun making our own designs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gigi Baxtrom was intrigued by the \u201cimpressive detail\u201d of ancient pottery and the resourcefulness of the early Native Americans.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe used the resources they had available and had to make it all by hand. It was original,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
SWOS and the monument\u2019s museum plan to continue the collaborative art project for future classes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe students really rose to the occasion, and it\u2019s really beautiful to see their imagination and thoughtfulness,\u201d said Marietta Eaton, manager for the museum and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.<\/p>\n
The student art show will run for two weeks.<\/p>\n