Yes, ‘Art’ starts with ‘A.’ And that’s the grade for a Little Haiti school with a new program

Creating art at any age helps the brain build connections and makes it more resilient, researchers say.

For 60 fourth grade students at Toussaint L’Ouverture Elementary School in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood, art has also helped them form connections with each other and their teachers, and made them more resilient in class.

A new arts education program the school added in 2018 with the Institute of Contemporary Art in the Design District has contributed to taking the school from a “D” rating in 2017 to “A” in 2019.

The improvement in critical thinking skills through museum activities and art making has changed the students’ writing, and their overall attitude and behavior, and improved grades and test scores.

“I have definitely seen the most improvement in how the kids see their futures and their opportunities on the things that they can do,” Principal Lilia Dobao said. “For some, they’ve gotten to learn things through art they’ve never experienced before.”

“One piece, for example, that had to do with cubes, helped them see that math can be used to make a piece of art. This program opens up the way the students see and makes them think outside the box,” Dobao said.

Together, ICA Miami museum and the school have developed a curriculum that makes art an integral part of lesson planning for core standards in language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science.

The fourth-graders get to visit the museum on field trips to study pieces their teachers and the museum staff have chosen in advance. Sometimes the art depicts their everyday lives.

“One time they saw a painting that reminded them of their neighborhood and its basketball courts. They saw that it can be art, and that is so important,” Dobao said.

She said in addition to the program, the “A” school rating is due to increased efforts by Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Toussaint’s teachers and staff.

Two groups of fourth-graders were recently treated to an experience at ICA Miami museum with resident artist Eric-Paul Riege, whose Navajo-influenced work focuses on woven sculpture, and performances with his wearable art.

Earlier this year, Riege hiked with his parents into the red rocks near Gallup, New Mexico, his hometown, while carrying a woven sculpture on his back. He wanted to honor his Navajo heritage.

Riege says his art connects him to the generations of women weavers in his family. An artist puts sacredness into their work, he says in a website video at ICA Miami.

The Toussaint students were excited to create their own weavings alongside Riege in the museum’s workshop spaces.

“Instead of going broad, we’re going deep into the community,” said Lisa Fernandez, ICA Miami’s education and outreach director.

“On this visit, we saw that each class interpreted the art in a different way. We want the students to have that freedom. It’s really important that they connect the work to them,” Fernandez said.

“This was the third time they’ve worked with one of our presenting artists. We’ve heard them say, ‘Oh, wow! You’re the artist whose art is in the museum.’ It makes a big impact.

“Before this field trip, the students studied Eric-Paul Riege’s work, the history and culture of the Navajo, and the weavers. That created discussion about their own family traditions,” she said.

Curriculum and Tours Coordinator Morel Doucet, an artist who is active in the community, manages the ICA Miami Extended Viewing Tour Program with Toussaint.

The museum is hoping to collaborate with other schools once they see the results of this three-year pilot program. Working with Principal Dobao and the school’s teachers has been very encouraging, Fernandez said.

Dobao said her students love creating their own art when they get back to school after field trips. The opportunity to visit the museum has opened their eyes, and hers.

“It helps with the students’ reading and mathematics, and exposes them to a world where they see that they can be artists.

“When I visit the museum with my own family I can personally relate,” Dobao said. “The art creates conversations, and that’s beautiful.”

Learn more

You can see the exhibit “Eric-Paul Riege: Hólǫ́—it xistz” until Nov. 24 at Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, 61 NE 41st St.

For more, visit www.icamiami.org to view Riege’s videos of his art and performance. Admission to the museum is free. Get tickets to visit in advance on the website.