Self Expression through Street Art
How do you capture the attention of fifth graders in their final year of Lower School? For Art Teacher Ms. Dianne Johnson, the answer was simple: create something bold, meaningful, and hands-on. Partnering with Ms. Tahtinen, Lower School Maker Teacher, they launched a multi-week Street Art and Maker Studio collaboration that transformed lessons on line, shape, and design into an exploration of creativity and community. Street Art includes murals, sculptures, installations, and graffiti. The Street Art Project challenged students to think critically about what defines art, the responsibility of the artist, and how creative expression can positively impact shared spaces.
鈥淲hen I first mentioned graffiti [to the students], they said, 鈥榃e鈥檙e not supposed to do that,鈥欌�� Ms. Johnson explained. 鈥淭hat opened the door to talk about how artists can gain permission, earn commissions, and use their talents to beautify communities. It was a real-world lesson in ethics and creativity.鈥�
Students studied the history of graffiti, from early tagging in Philadelphia to large-scale murals around Atlanta. They went on an expedition to the Krog Street Tunnel, one of the city鈥檚 most famous public art spaces. Equipped with gloves and spray paint, they practiced techniques firsthand while learning about legal street art and community responsibility.
鈥淭hey were so excited to actually do something, not just observe,鈥� said Ms. Johnson. 鈥淭hey practiced spraying and understanding what it means to create responsibly in a public space.鈥�
In the Maker Studio, students built miniature fences, personal 鈥渃anvases鈥�, reflecting their style. Using wood, paint, and fairy lights, they applied art principles learned in class. To incorporate the study of Installation Art, Senior and Maker Intern Michael Fennelly constructed five full-size, five-by-six-foot fences for each fifth grade homeroom class. These fences will be decorated for the Christmas Showcase, and then painted over again at the end of the semester to tie in how Street Art can be temporary art and utilized as a way to communicate with their audience.
鈥淥ur guiding question was, how can we combine maker and art skills to design and create structures that showcase personal style?鈥� said Ms. Tahtinen. 鈥淓very yard looked completely different the next day.鈥�
Learning the Art behind the Art
Ms. Johnson guided students through lettering, outlining, contouring, and shading. They practiced bubble letters, studied line weights, composition, and dimension, and discovered how thickness and direction add energy and balance. 鈥淢any students wanted to draw freehand,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut moving from pencil to spray paint required adjustment. Working vertically instead of flat was a challenge, but a great moment of growth.鈥�
Later lessons explored value and depth, teaching students to make letters 鈥減op鈥� using light and shadow. Students also experimented with technology, generating graffiti letterforms through an app and transferring designs to mini fences for a mixed media approach. Others created stencils with Cricut and laser machines, using acrylic and Mylar.
鈥淚f drawing wasn鈥檛 their strength, technology gave them another way to express their ideas,鈥� Ms. Johnson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about giving every student access to creativity in their own way.鈥�
Learning by Doing
The project reinforced maker skills, sanding, painting, constructing, and iterating, while emphasizing responsibility. Students transformed gray rocks into art and designed yards reflecting their ideas and values.
鈥淯sually, students want you to tell them exactly what to do,鈥� said Ms. Tahtinen. 鈥淏ut when you give them the chance to figure it out, they surprise you. They鈥檙e more capable and creative than we sometimes imagine.鈥�
Ms. Johnson agreed. 鈥淥nce I gave them a little structure, they ran with it. They鈥檝e filled sketchbooks, created stencils, and even asked to turn spray-painted shoes into wearable art. We were able to practice using spray-paint on plywood before heading on our expedition to the BeltLine so students could troubleshoot the painting techniques and design ideas. Their enthusiasm has completely surpassed my expectations.鈥�
From Process to Purpose
The Street Art Project will continue through December, culminating in a showcase that highlights both individual creativity and collective effort. By blending art and maker education, this collaboration demonstrates how contextual, hands-on learning equips students to explore, design, and contribute with purpose.
鈥淭he best part,鈥� said Ms. Tahtinen, 鈥渋s that the students taught us as much as we taught them. When you give them the chance to create and think critically, they鈥檒l always rise to it.鈥�
