OHS ART STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT HARLEM RENAISSANCE

Recently, Oakcrest High School Art I Teacher, Erin Ruepp, organized a video
conference in the school’s Distance Learning Lab(DLL) with the Cleveland Museum of
Art (CMA) about the Harlem Renaissance.

Students learned that the Harlem Renaissance occurred in the 1920s in Harlem, New York which became the economic, political, and cultural center of black America. Various literary and artistic works were created celebrating the African-American experience and traditions.

The video conference focused on the artistic expertise of Langston Hughes, a poet during this time period. However, other contributors to the Harlem Renaissance were discussed, such as painter Jacob Lawrence and photographer James Van Der Zee.

The event provided art students with historically valuable information that they normally wouldn’t gain through classroom study. “The video conference was an excellent opportunity for the students in my Art I class to learn more about this important time in history through new and unique channels,” explained Ruepp. “The information presented in the conference reinforced our studies of the Harlem Renaissance and the artists who were a part of it. The DLL is a terrific resource helping to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world.”

The presentation was not only informative, but fun, allowing students to
interact with the presentation through a poetry reading and responses to visual artwork. “The presentation was interesting and insightful. It featured full student involvement and was actually intriguing. I found the poetry reading and sketch response section really fun,” stated sophomore Ryan Carroll.

For more information, contact:
Darlene A. Kopania, Journalism Department
Oakcrest High Scool
909-2631

Student Contact: Gina Mucciolo