LAO ART & DESIGN LESSON PLANS

In the fall of 2003, the Children's Art Workshop, the Program for Southeast Asian Studies and Hayden Library at ASU, in cooperation with the Arizona Lao Association, presented art classes based on Lao weaving and drawing traditions, for children ages 4-14. This project was part of a continuing grant, entitled ASU/Motorola Great Communities Seed Grant, 2002-2003; "Bridging Generations through Arts and Technology", for educational activities with the Lao community in Phoenix. The following lessons were part of the semester-long art activities, culminating in a public exhibition of Lao traditional images along with children's interpretations, in a variety of 2 and 3 dimensional mediums. As one of two teachers in these classes, I worked with Steve Phengmyrath, a Lao artist, to create lesson plans that would exemplify primary tenets of Lao imagery, such as symmetry and repetition, while also allowing students to experience creative self-expression. The lessons include drawing, painting and mixed-media construction using graphite, colored pencil, charcoal, conte crayon, markers, chalk pastels, tempera paint and various colored and textured papers. Each lesson plan is accompanied by a Lao art image, teacher stencil and sample interpretive artwork (sometimes multiple works) for use in the classroom. I recommend reading the attached article "Teaching Cultural Traditions: Art of Laos", which describes our experience teaching Lao art in a Western art program, prior to presenting the lessons. The article, lesson plans and sample artworks will hopefully give teachers some helpful tips as well as ideas for additional activities based on traditional Lao imagery.

- Lynette Henderson, Ph.D.

Lao Art and Design: Lesson 1

Lao Art and Design: Lesson 2

Lao Art and Design: Lesson 3

Lao Art and Design: Lesson 4