Well, trash re-contextualized. The Nasher Classroom will display from May 8 through May 15 the fruits of the FOUND OBJECT ART, a community project meant to teach local students about “found” and “readymade” art. Let’s see, a community aware art project that mixes high and low forms with a dollop of ecological awareness: where’s Sarah Jane Semrad? There she is: The project is a collaboration between SJ’s La Reunion TX, the Nasher Sculpture Center, and Dallas ISD. Six Dallas ISD schools are participating, including Hillcrest, Conrad, Adamson, Skyline, and Seagoville High Schools, as well as Greiner Middle School. Here’s the full release:

Nasher Sculpture Center, La Reunion TX & Dallas ISD Schools Collaborate on Found Object Art Project

Student Work on View in Nasher Classroom from May 8 through May 15

DALLAS, Texas (April 29, 2010) – The Nasher Sculpture Center, La Reunion TX and six Dallas ISD schools are pleased to collaborate on an education and community service initiative entitled Found Object Art, which is designed to teach students about “found” or “readymade” art, while also providing a unique community service opportunity for Dallas.

The collaboration began in late 2009 and will culminate with a special reception at the Nasher on Saturday, May 8 from 1-3 pm to highlight the students’ artworks and to kick off the Found Object Art exhibition on view in the Nasher Classroom May 8 through May 15, 2010. Participating schools include Hillcrest, Conrad, Adamson, Skyline, and Seagoville High Schools, as well as Greiner Middle School.

The project began with a series of tours and clean-up projects on October 31, November 7, March 6, and March 27 at La Reunion TX, an artist residency located in a 35-acre urban forest, which serves as an outdoor studio and gallery. The visits offered the students opportunities to exercise their creativity while having a positive impact on the environment. Students were asked to collect discarded items from the grounds, including garbage, natural foliage, and man-made objects and then select five of these three-dimensional materials as possible media for future sculptures.

Each school then visited the Nasher Sculpture Center for a tour and workshop held on November 5, November 19, March 25, and April 1, led by the Nasher Curator of Education, Stephen Ross.  The workshops focused on artists represented in the Nasher Collection who have worked with found objects, including David Smith, Joan Miró, Julio González and Pablo Picasso. Discussions focused on artistic process and generated ideas for the students to use their found objects to create an artwork.

Students were directed to take into consideration the tour at La Reunion TX, the cleaning and research of their five found objects, and their new knowledge of art history when creating artworks in their classrooms. The six participating schools will each select three sculptures for the exhibition, and participating students will prepare a brief artist statement for the final reception on May 8.