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The Art of Diplomacy

Introduce, or refresh, the concepts of 3-dimensional shapes and volume with your students. Investigate Joel Shapiro’s use of 3-D shapes with an analysis of his “Untitled” sculpture installed at the American Embassy in Guangzhou, China.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

Steps

  • Step 1

    The Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) is dedicated to providing permanent works of American art for U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide in order to promote cultural diplomacy and cross-cultural understanding. Ask students to research this public-private partnership. Why do FAPE artists contribute their art for this diplomacy organization? How is the artwork obtained and maintained? What is cultural diplomacy? How can art help people develop a better understanding of others?

  • Step 2

    Joel Shapiro is a FAPE artist who was commissioned to create two sculptures. "Conjunction," a bronze sculpture, was FAPE's first site-specific project and was installed in the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada in 1999. "Now," an aluminum sculpture painted blue, was commissioned in 2009 for the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China, and was officially dedicated in 2013. Have students view images of these two pieces as well as other sculptures by Shapiro. Note that most of his sculptures are based on the human figure represented as abstract art.

  • Step 3

    Have students use recycled boxes and cardboard to create a Shapiro-inspired sculpture. Challenge them to give the piece the illusion of a human form in action but in a non-representational way.

  • Step 4

    When the work is complete invite students to present the piece and describe how they achieved an abstract representation of a human figure.

Standards

ARTS: Analyze how art exhibited in schools, museums, galleries, virtual spaces, and other places contributes to communities.

ARTS: Speculate about processes an artist uses to create a work of art.

Adaptations

Read a book such as "This Is How We Do It" by Matt Lamothe or "Diplomat Up to Bat" by Bella Nesbeth and Rahardi Haus. Have students discuss how bridging cultures helps promote understanding.

Have students discuss how the arts, including visual, music, dance, and other forms, can be a powerful force in promoting global connections, sometimes more so than speaking or writing about commonalities. How does art engage us and help us find common ground? In what ways can it move us emotionally and prompt us to want to learn more about others?