Rosewood Elementary Visits “Mary Little: The Shape of Cloth”

Today the Craft in America Center was visited by our local 5th graders. Since Rosewood is located 0.6 miles away, the class walks to our Center and allows the students to stroll the neighborhood and take in everything that makes our location unique. Today was a special trip because we were able to film them and when they arrived, we were waiting for them as they made their way around the corner street. We documented the experience from start to finish and didn’t miss out on any of the excitement.

Ms. Angulo’s students are always our most exuberant visitors and rarely shy away from conversation. We could have spent hours talking about Mary Little’s soft sculptural wall hangings and why they’re each unique for hundreds of reason, but alas, we only had a little over an hour to discuss Mary’s work. The class immediately took note of the titles of each piece; all named after people. Who are or were these people? The students wondered whether each piece was named after a special client of Mary’s or whether they were named after complete strangers. Students also noted how the sculptures resembled waves, especially Marley, Russel, and Campbell. We spent time discussing the importance of symmetry in Little’s work and what pieces were distinguished because of their bi-lateral symmetry or asymmetry.

Shapes, form, and pattern were all discussed with the students and they showed us their understanding by working on a hands on project. The students were split into groups of 5 and each team was responsible for creating a symmetrical or asymmetrical Los Angeles landscape using shapes and pattern. They were given paper, scissors, pencils, and tape. Although our space quickly became crowded with future landscape planners, all the students created landscapes through repetition of shapes and imagination. It was a strong learning experience because we had a few students who found it difficult to work together as teams and then there were others who looked for solutions in order for everyone on the team to participate.