The non-profit Al Hirschfeld Foundation is proud to present this innovative visual/performing arts curriculum based on Al Hirschfeld’s art that has been taught successfully in New York City schools since 2008. The curriculum utilizes Hirschfeld artwork to engage students in a variety of activities that encourage writing, reading, researching, observing, movement and performance.
The curriculum inspires multi-disciplinary learning to enlighten and challenge students to investigate both the subject of the art and the art form it represents. Hirschfeld took a multi-cultural approach to his art and this curriculum stimulates students not to draw or be like Hirschfeld, but to discover their individual expression and observation through a range of activities for students at all levels.
It is hoped that these activities encourage students’ appreciation of the arts, and learning how the arts can be a lifelong aid to understanding the world around them.
Hirschfeld artwork has proved to be accessible to students of all ages. While some students may not be familiar with the characters in the drawings, students do respond enthusiastically to the work. When students discover that Hirschfeld hid his daughter’s name NINA in his work, it deepens their appreciation of the arts and the subjects he drew, enabling students to have even more fun learning about the arts!
There are hundreds of Hirschfeld drawings used in this curriculum. If you want to see more, visit AlHirschfeldFoundation.org
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Hinton Battle, 1984
Clare Leach, 1985
Ann Reinking, 1985
Sammy Williams, 1983
Victor Garber, 1982
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Al Hirschfeld Images © The Al Hirschfeld Foundation.
All rights reserved. No reproduction, derivative works, distribution, performance or display of the images contained herein are to be made without the prior written approval of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation except that images may be copied, displayed and distributed in hard copy or password protected digital format directly to students solely for educational use in the classroom and related student homework in furtherance of the Curriculum, No one may duplicate, use or exploit the images for commercial purposes. Al Hirschfeld’ s works may be reproduced only by arrangement with the Al Hirschfeld Foundation.