Creating Hero Art and Engaging Students to Select Role Models with Life Forming Values “[Art] can be the change we need to see in the world.” by Victoria Murphy , The MY HERO Project Subject Area:    Art/Music, English/Language Arts, Social Science, Technology/Media Literacy, Other subject Grade Level:    K-4, 5-8, 9-12, college Overview/Purpose: “I believe in the power of heroes. What is a hero? There are as many different answers to that question as there are people in the world, and that’s a good thing: we need different kinds of role models for different kinds of people. I personally think a hero is a leader who has a positive impact on people. A hero is someone who acts and through those actions changes the world.” -- Magic Johnson By identifying heroes and creating art representing personal role models, students recognize the life forming values that heroes possess in order to accomplish extraordinary things. Students can learn how individuals have been transformed through an act or an event to become a lifesaver, a peacemaker, a freedom fighter, an inventor or an angel. Making hero art can be inspirational and can demonstrate to society the humanity and compassion that is necessary to create cooperation and mutual respect. Objectives: Creating the environment to select hero role models in the classroom Discussion of hero art and the role of art in society Creating student hero art - steps for student artists to follow Resources/Materials: Book: MY HERO: Extraordinary People on the Heroes Who Inspire Them Digital Camera Art supplies Activities and Procedures: I. Creating the Environment to Select Hero Role Models in the Classroom A. Definition of a Hero 1. Have students find the words to define a hero’s characteristics: courageous, valorous, indefatigable, bold, inventive, caring, responsible, committed, dedicated, focused, persistent, pro-active, triumphant, inspirational. 2. Discuss the concept of heroism: creates life forming values for the individual and for society as a whole; creates community; illustrates hope; provides role modeling for each individual to realize the hero within himself. B. Discuss and Create Different Categories for Heroes 1. Personal Heroes - Family members, Mentors, Teachers, Coaches 2. Community Heroes - Doctors, Social Activists, Local Environmentalists, Firemen 3. Global Heroes - Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Bill Gates, Anne Frank 4. Environmental Heroes - Wangari Maathai, Al Gore, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Rachel Carson 5. Scientists, Engineers, Inventors - Marie Curie, Thomas Alva Edison, Doctors Without Borders 6. Business Heroes - Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Stan O’ Neal, Paul Newman 7. Political Heroes - Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Lech Walesa, Eleanor Roosevelt 8. Religious Heroes - Dalai Lama, Elie Weisel, Mother Teresa 9. Artist Heroes - Frank Gehry, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Michelangelo, Mozart 10. Women Heroes - Rosa Parks, Georgia O’Keeffe, Mother Jones 11. Angel Heroes - Anne Frank, Paul Rusesabagina, Dan Eldon 12. Sports Heroes - Magic Johnson, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali 13. Other Heroes- nominated by students themselves C. Create Requirements that Every Hero Must Meet 1. A preconceived benevolent goal 2. A moment of decision 3. The conscious acceptance of the consequences of a heroic act 4. The determination to follow through 5. Self-sacrifice D. Distinguish between Heroes and Celebrities; between Heroism and Fame 1. Inspirational lives vs. pop icons 2. Lifetime achievement vs. Andy Warhol’s “15 Minutes of Fame” 3. Real life heroes vs. comic book super heroes II. Discussion of Hero Art and the Role of Art in Society A. What is hero art - art as agent of change and enlightenment 1. Portrait of a hero - Robert Shetterly’s Cesar Chavez 2. Illustration of hero story - Doug Miller’s Joneice 3. Representation of a heroic act or event - Iris Hoffman's Lifesaver Hero: George Latham 4. Abstraction based on concepts of heroism, hero traits - Rita Stern’s What Makes A Hero? B. What Makes an Image Heroic? 1. Intent - Tom Block’s Human Rights Painting Project 2. Scale - Art Miles Mural Project 3. Emotion - Ron Kovic’s Look to the Sky C. Identify Types of Heroic Art 1. Community Art - Art Miles Mural Project, Christo’s Running Fence, Banana Fiber Mosaics of Uganda 2. Humanistic Art - Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling, Pieta and David Statues, Rodin’s The Thinker 3. Political Art - Picasso’s Guernica, Goya’s The Third of May, Tom Block’s Human Rights Paintings 4. Portraiture - Robert Shetterly’s Americans Who Tell the Truth, Michael Moore’s Mandela 5. Environmental Art - Mama Tall Diedhiou’s Bird Sculptures, Charles Harper’s Assemblages 6. Inspirational Art - Rita Stern’s Hero Collages, Ron Kovic’s I am an Artist, Gabriela Ervits’ Gandhi 7. Conceptual Hero Art - Allegra’s Ordinary People, Jared’s Peace Bird, Nathan Smith’s Wheel of Faith 8. Peacemaker Art - Ahmed Lavaly’s No War Zone, Hindowa Anthony’s Make Peace War is Over 9. Family Hero Art - Doug Miller’s Joneice, Tammy Zack’s My Mom, David Basasira’s The Good Mother III. Creating Student Hero Art - Steps for Student Artists to Follow A. Research your hero or real life event. B. Read selections from the MY HERO book. C. Identify the traits that qualify your hero as a role model. D. Believe in your selection. E. Find photographs, biographical information, quotes. F. Sketch your hero or event or concept to be depicted. G. Select appropriate art media to represent your ideas. H. Complete your hero art. I. Compose your written statement to accompany your hero art. J. Prepare all hero art works to be digitally photographed. K. Upload your hero art and written statement to the MY HERO Virtual Art Gallery. Assessment: Your finished hero art work is meaningful because it comes from within the individual artist. It represents the very best work that you, the artist, can accomplish. It strives to be heroic. Through the pursuit of excellence and the selection of a truly meaningful hero role model, your life has been changed. Your art embodies the idea that “art can be the change you wish to see in society.” When your hero art is viewed by visitors to the MY HERO Virtual Art Gallery or exhibited in a school or a museum, the communication of heroic values will be complete, direct and immediate. Your art will have found its audience, and your and their lives will be changed.