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STAMFORD, Conn. Fourth grade students at Westover Magnet Elementary School in Stamford began a journey to become art experts by attending the first Learn to Look at Art class Tuesday afternoon.
Unlike other art classes, the students did not have to worry about getting paint on their clothes or whether their work came out well. The Learn to Look class teaches the students how to look at what theyre seeing.
They learn how to analyze art, not just say if they like it or not, Helane Rheingold, the facilitator of the program, said of the primary objective of the class. The students learn to recognize the different elements of art, such as shape, lines and color as well as about the artist and piece they are examining.
While Rheingold taught Wednesday's class, she was also training parent volunteers so they can take the lecture to their childrens classrooms. The parents will also be helping lead museum tours at the end of the year.
Rheingold began teaching the Learn to Look Class at Westover 11 years ago, then parents asked her to do it every year. Youll pay me to do something I really love? she remembers asking. From there, parents at other schools began requesting her, too, she said.
For the fourth-graders, the class ends with a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and for the fifth-graders, a trip to the Neuberger Museum. By the time the students take the trips, they are able to explain all the pieces they see, and even get other visitors to follow and learn, Rheingold said.
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