Asian-American link resource for art education

Asian-American Collections from Museums:

• Angel Island: The Immigration Station Barracks Museum
• The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
• Honolulu Academy of Arts
• Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles
• The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
• The Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco
• The Chinese Historical Society of America
• The Bishop Museum
• Chinese American Museum of Chicago
• Hakone Gardens
• Japanese American Cultural and Community Center
• Peabody Essex Museum
• Japanese American National Museum
• Museum of Chinese in the Americas
• Kam Wah Chung and Co. Museum
• Hawaii's Plantation Village
• Pacific Asia Museum
• National Museum of Asian Art
• Lyman Museum and Mission Home
• The Trammell and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art
• The Wing Luke Asian Museum
• Korean American Museum

More Web Sites:

• Asian-Nation
• "Echoes of Freedom: South Asian Pioneers in California 1899-1965" 
• The Chinese Historical and Cultural Project
• The "Asian Pacific American Heritage Month"
• The Asian Society
• Enchanted Learning
• "The Chinese in California, 1850-1825" from American Memory 
• Japan Guide
• Camp Harmony Exhibit
• Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
• Kaboose
• Lao Family Community of Minnesota
• "Virtual Japanese Culture," Kids Web Japan
• Timeline of Chinese Dynasties for Art Education

Articles Listed by The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco:

• The Gold Rush and Anti-Chinese Race Hatred – 1849
• Photograph: “Chinese Girl with Bound Feet”
• Chinese Miners in the Gold Fields – 1860
• Chinatown Gambling and Vice – 1871
• View Inside a Chinese Opium Den
• Anti-Chinese Sentiments in San Francisco – 1874
• Kearneyism in California, by Viscount James Bryce – 1877
• Kearneyism, The Chinese, and Labor Unrest – 1877
• “You Sabe Him? Kealney Must Go!” – 1877
• “The Sand Lot and Kearneyism,” by Jerome A. Hart – 1877
• Remarks by Denis Kearney on Kearneyism in California
• “The Kearney-Kalloch Epoch,” by Jerome A. Hart – 1879
• The New California Constitution – 1879
• “Chinatown Declared a Nuisance!” – 1880
• Scene in a Chinese Opium Palace – 1880
• Chan Pak Kwai – 1881
• “China’s Menace to the World,” By Thomas Magee – 1890
• Arrest in Chinatown – 1897
• Arnold Genthe Photograph of Chinatown – 1898
• Tour of Chinatown – 1900
• Chinese Telephone Company – 1901
• Why Chinatown has Remained Where it is – 1902
• Funeral of Tom Kim Yung – 1903
• Chinese Orphans Escape the Great Fire – 1906
• “Asiatic Coolie Invasion” – 1906
• Mayor Schmitz Bars Coolie Labor from Earthquake Reconstruction – 1906
• Treatment of Chinese Refugees Following the 1906 Earthquake
• Plans to Relocate Chinatown – 1906
• China’s Empress-Dowager Contributes to Chinese Relief – 1906
• National Guard Members Loot Chinatown – 1906
• Relief for the Chinese – 1906
• Smuggling of Chinese Slave Girls Thwarted – 1912
• In Chinatown (Chinese Women Vote) – 1912
• Chinatown Tong Wars of the 1920s
• Chinese Wedding Mid Scenes of Splendor - 1924
• Brief History of Chinatown, by Jesse B. Cook – 1931
• English-Language Newspaper for Chinatown – 1940
• Ronald Reagan at Charlie Low's Forbidden City – 1942
• Paper Sons – 1969
• “Celebrating Chinese New Year,” by Audrey Wong – 1995

make a miniature decoupage bottle

Mona Lisa smiles on this miniature
decoupaged bottle.

Brief Description: Turn miniature bottles into keepsakes.

Supply List:

• miniature bottle
• tiny metal star
• decorative string
• Mona Lisa graphic
• blue butterfly wings (below)
• Mod Podge
• soft brush
• scissors
• glitter
• white glue

Directions:

1. Thoroughly clean and dry the bottle you intend to work with.
2. Cut out the pictures that you wish to include in the project. I've included a set of blue butterfly wings for you to download below.
3. Glue the pictures and glitter in place with ordinary white glue.
4. Now layer the Mod Podge on top of your work with a soft brush and let this dry. 
5. String the star onto a twine and wrap this firmly around the bottles neck and knot. 

Additional Suggestions: These little hand-crafted vases are perfect for miniature collections.

Blue butterfly wings.
This template may be downloaded and sized in a
word document. Read the Terms of Use before
using it folks.

All instructions, template and photographs copyrighted by Grimm 2017

Watch Aggie Craft paint and decoupage a bottle.

craft a walnut strawberry

This walnut strawberry will hang on somebody's
Christmas tree this year.

Brief Description: The first time I ever saw these walnut strawberries was in a magazine article about Victorian Christmas ornaments. Then, years later I found them again in a craft book about Mexican ornament making. So, I have no idea who thought of them first.

Supply List:

• cleaned walnuts (preferably from the store)
• red acrylic or red poster paint
•  two colors of green scrap felt for the leafs
• green string to match the felt
• a black permanent ink, felt tip pen
• a soft camel hair paint brush
• a shallow dish of water or a clean jar of water for cleaning the brush
• tacky white glue 
• scissors
• a large embroidery needle

Directions:

1. Paint the entire surface of the walnut a pleasing red and set the nut aside to dry.
2. After the walnut is completely dry, draw dots or short slashes with the permanent ink marker to mimic strawberry seeds.
3. Download and print out our template for strawberry leaves. Size these in a Word document before printing.
4. Place the pattern on top of the darker green felt scrap and cut out the bottom leaf, following the black outlined pattern.
5. Place the pattern again on top of the lighter green felt scarp and cut out the top leaf, following the white outlined pattern.
6. String both felt leaves together and tie also a large hoop for hanging. 
7. Now glue the entire felt top to the top of the walnut using a tacky white glue.
8. Apply a little pressure to the top while the glue is drying.

Additional Suggestions: The walnut "strawberry" may be painted a bit more elaborately by mixing a bit of white or orange to the the red paint as you apply it towards the top of the nut.

A strawberry leaf template.
This template may be downloaded and sized in a
word document. Read the Terms of Use before
using it folks.

All instructions, template and photographs copyrighted by Grimm 2011

craft project: mosaic bird house

I purchased this prefabricated, wooden 

birdhouse from a craft store called 

Michael's. It is an actual birdhouse that

may be used outdoors.

Brief Description: This mosaic birdhouse can be hung outside if you would prefer. My mother keeps it inside in her sunroom.

Supply List:

   1. Selection of mosaic tiles, glass marbles, tiny mirrors, seashells

   2. Cement grout

   3. Elmer’s wood glue

   4. Plastic-like gloves

   5. Old damp rags or paper towels

   6. Prefabricated wooden bird house

   7. white acrylic paint

   8. burnt umber acrylic paint  

   9. bucket of clean water

Directions:
 * Glue the tiles directly to the surface of the prefabricated wooden bird house.
 * Let the applied tiles dry over night to ensure that the glue has hardened. Do not check to see if the glued tiles have stuck to the surface permanently. Some of them will, some of them may only seem temporarily attached. The application of this step is necessary to help the tiles to stay in place before grouting them only.

* Mix the grout solution according to the directions on the label.

* Wear gloves if the label says that it is necessary.

* Gingerly apply the grout directly onto the surface of the tile work. Make sure that the grout does get pushed into as many of the cracks as possible. This is a bit messy.

* Wash your gloves thoroughly and you may put them back on or choose to remove them all together at this point. Be cautious about this removal however, some people do have mild skin allergies to grout and will develop a rash when coming in direct contact with it when its wet.

* Now your going to delicately wipe down the surface of your tiles with a damp rag or paper towel. You will be throwing these towels away. If you wish to rinse and squeeze out a sponge or towels as you work, keep an old bucket full of water for this procedure. Do not wash this contaminated water down a sink! Grout will collect in pipes and harden. You will need to pour this old water down a sewer pipe outside or simply find an area of your yard where you may dispose of it. Grout won't hurt an old leaf pile or the ground where plants are not growing.

* You want your project to look clean on the surface of the tiles when you are finished. The cracks between the tiles should also be completely filled with grout.

* Leave your mosaic project out over night to harden properly.

* If you see remaining grout on the surface of your tiles after it has hardened, you may go over the surface of these tiles with a light weight sand paper and damp sponge again.

Additional Suggestions: You may wish to seal the exposed wooden areas with a tough varnish if you choose to hang your bird house outdoors.

All instructions and photographs, templates are copyrighted by Grimm 2011

craft a vintage envelope tag book

A student's sample of a vintage envelope tag book.

Brief Description: My daughter decoupaged this little envelope tag book several years ago. There are also letters tucked inside of each page as well.

Supply List:

• You may either purchase envelopes or make your own. I've included a template below.
• scraps from newspapers, magazines
• Stamps and inks
• small additional charms, tokens etc...
• yarn
• scissors
• white glue

Directions:

1. As with most collage craft projects, the object of this process is to basically cut and paste. One needs very few directions when this is the case.
2. As for the template, down the image below, drag it into a Word document and size it according to the size you would like for a envelope tag book. 
3. You will need some kind of paper, preferably not too light weight.
4. Use glue sparingly as you go into order to keep the envelopes in shape.
5. Tie the pages together with an interesting bow or yarn.

All instructions and photographs, templates are copyrighted by Grimm 2017

The envelope tag book template.
This template may be downloaded and sized in a
word document. Read the Terms of Use before
using it folks.

More Tag Book Crafts:

• A lovely circus tag book!
• Going Dylusional
• Mini Steampunk Book
• Mini Circular Tag Book

sew a ethnic inspired wool pillow

Pillows made from woolen mats are easy
and quick crafts that just about anybody
can produce.

Brief Description: A woven mat, from south of the boarder, sewn into a pillow, adds plenty of character to my old mission furniture.

Supply List:

• one woven mat
• embroidery floss
• cotton stuffing
• a woolen piece of fabric for the backing of the pillow
• scissors

Directions:

1. Cut the woolen fabric to the exact same size of the woven mat.
2. Pin the two fabric pieces together.
3. Blanket stitch around three sides.
4. Stuff the pillow with cotton filler.
5. Sew the remaining side shut with the same blanket stitch.

All instructions and photographs copyrighted by Grimm 2011

35 questions for promoting aesthetic inquiry in k-12 art classrooms

Questions for Promoting Aesthetic Inquiry: Students should never be allowed to answer questions with a simple "yes" or "no." Teachers should always encourage and wait for the students to give a reason(s) for their answers. This practice will develop complex thinking skills.

1.  What is the difference between bad art and good art?
2. What is the difference between bad art and something that isn’t art at all?
3.  If something is carelessly constructed, from junk, can we call it art?
4. Why do people disagree so much about how art should look?
5. If I think some art is ugly, can it still be called art?
6. If an artwork costs a lot of money, does that mean it is better than less expensive art?
7. If art is kept inside an art museum, does that mean it is more important than art that is kept inside our homes?
8.  If an object is useful, is it considered art?
9. Are you born an artist or can you learn to be an artist?
10. Is a very old piece of art more valuable than a newly created piece of art?
11.  How do you become an art expert?
12.  If I’m making an artwork, am I working or playing?
13.  Should artwork be used to sell things, if so when is it the correct thing to do? When is it wrong to use artwork to sell things?
14.  Can people make art in a factory or does it need to be made by hand?
15. Can art be about ugliness?
16.  Are animals, insects, or plants considered art?
17.  Can you describe for me what a beautiful portrait of a lady would look like, and why you think that is the way she should look?
18.  Does artwork mean only one thing to every person? Can one artwork have multiple meanings?
19.  Who makes the best art in your opinion?
20.  Can more than one person work on one artwork at a time?
21. Should a gallery sell an artwork for less money if it was created by a woman, instead of a man?
22.  Does a painting of a city need to look real in order for us to enjoy looking at it?
23.  Is there such a thing as art that should never exist?
24.  Why should artists invest so much time in their work when they could be easily entertained in a theater or with a book?
25. Can we consider anything art?
26.  Should the government pay artists to create artworks that offend some people?
27. Should artists need to prove that they are capable of painting something realistically? If so, why?
28.  Do artists need to sell their work?
29.  If one painting is bigger than another, does that mean it is better?
30. If you could copy another artists’ work exactly, would your copy be as valuable?
31.  Can monkeys or elephants make art?
32. If art is easy to make is it less valuable or less important?
33. Can you name something that is not art but people might think that it is?
34. How long do you think it would take to make important artworks?
35. Who makes the best art?

children can sew this miniature penny rug

Sample of a miniature penny rug.

Brief Description: This miniature sampler of a "penny" rug provides young sewers opportunity to practice their embroidery skills. 

Supply List:

• 4 felt squares from a hobby shop or scrap woolens (4 colors minimum)
• penny "templates" (below)
• contrasting embroidery floss, three colors
• embroidery needle
• scissors
• pins
• black permanent ink marker

Directions:

1. Print and cut out the penny template provided below.
2. Draw around the circle templates with a permanent ink pen after placing these on top of your felt or woolen scrapes.
3. Cut out your penny design and pin it down onto a rectangular felt or woolen shape according to your own tastes.
4. Use a blanket stitch to assemble the sample penny rug.

Additional Suggestions: Use all wool or all felt scraps for your project. Once you have mastered the technique, design a larger version to cover a tabletop or bedroom dresser.

Template for a variety of "penny" shapes.
This template may be downloaded and sized in a
word document. Read the Terms of Use before
using it folks.

All patterns and photographs by Grimm copyrighted 2011.

Felt ball rugs are so easy to make,
 even a child could assemble them.

Don't you feel embarassed about . . . ?

Question: Don't you feel embarrassed about being a fine artist who also posts crafty things?

Answer: Not at all! Crafting can be an enjoyable occupation for many people. Do professional, downhill skiers mind playing on the kitty slopes with their kids? Artists can become too sophisticated. Everyone needs to be open to simpler pursuits at times, in order to relax and appreciate the modest joy of living. Never apologize for spending time with children and family doing what they are capable of doing in order to talk, laugh and build relationships that will last.

stitch some felt coasters to protect your furniture

A sample of the snowflake design was
used to craft the felt coaster above.
(approx. diameter across, 3 1/2 inches)

Brief Description: Felt coasters make wonderful little, inexpensive gifts. Children may practice their sewing and cutting skills while producing a set for a parent or grandparent. 

• Supply List:
•    1. At least two contrasting colors of felt or a grab bag of felt scraps will due.
•    2. Sharp scissors
•    3. No sew if you prefer (I did not use it, but it can make this endeavor much easier. You will need an iron too if you go this route.)
•    4. Embroidery threads of matching or contrasting color.
•    5. Coaster templates
•    6. Black permanent ink marker or a very soft lead pencil

Directions:

1. Print and cut out the felt coaster templates provided below.
2. Trace around all of the details of the template on top of the colored felt you have chosen for the top part of the coaster. Children may prefer to use the permanent ink pen for this part of the process. It is easier to see on dark felt.
3. Then place your circular felt top onto a contrasting felt and use it as a template to cut two additional felt circles that will become the bottom half of the coaster.
4. Set aside the third blank felt piece for later.
5. Sew with straight stitches the fancy top to one of the back sides with a pleasing design. Children find it easiest to follow the outlines of the pattern. Remember to knot and backstitch in order to keep your work from unraveling.
6. Place the third felt circle on top of the first back side and either whip stitch the three felt circles together or use a blanket stitch, if you prefer. This third piece of felt will hide all of your knots!

Additional Suggestions: Some people may elect to craft this project with "No Sew."  Read and follow the directions given on the packaging of the "No Sew" instead of stitching the coaster together by hand.

Diamond design template by Grimm for a felt coaster.

Cross and fish design template by Grimm for a felt coaster.

Mum design template by Grimm for a felt coaster.

Snowflake design template by Grimm for a felt coaster.

A wheel and spoke design by Grimm for a felt coaster.
All of these templates may be downloaded and sized in a
word document to fit the above measurements.
Read the Terms of Use before using it folks.

All patterns and photographs by Grimm copyrighted 2017.

Assemble an embroidered bouquet wrap

You may wish to hang this bouquet
by a vintage dressing table.

Brief Description: I think this is a lovely way to give a simple bouquet of flowers. Baby's breath and red roses would look delightful tucked inside of this embroidered wrap. I used tissue paper flowers for the photograph because these were what I had at hand. Make something new out of something old. 

Supply List:

• embroidered pot holder
• embroidery floss, I used red
• embroidery needle
• scissors

Directions: 

1. Turn the pot holder face down and fold together two of it's opposite points to create the cone shape. Pin down the sides if necessary.
2. Thread your embroidery needle as thickly as you wish and stitch these two side together with a firm decorative stitch. 
3. Stuff the cone shaped wrap with a posy and give it to your sweetheart or friend.

Additional Suggestions: For those of you who still celebrate May Day, this little project would be quiet charming. There are so many of these little embroidered pot holders for sale in antique malls and flee markets for mere pocket change.

The cone shape allows for a charming little
package for rose buds and baby's breath.

An old-fashioned pot holder I picked up in a local antique shop.

All patterns and photographs by Grimm copyrighted 2011.

halloween silhouettes for paper treat bags

Brief Description: Decorate candy treat bags with simple silhouettes of a cat, bat, rat and hat.

Supply List:

• black construction paper
• yellow and black markers
• scissors
• prefabricated treat bags (I choose orange)
• white glue
• templates
• white led or wax pencil
• contrasting tissue or cellophane
• candy treats

Directions:

1. Print and cut out the silhouette templates.
2. Trace around these with a white led or wax pencil.
3. Cut out and paste these to the treat bags.
4. Fill with tissue or cellophane along with candy treats.

Black bat graphic by Kathy Grimm
All of these templates may be downloaded and sized in a
word document to fit the above measurements.
Read the Terms of Use before using it folks.

Black hat graphic by Kathy Grimm

Black rat graphic by Kathy Grimm

cut sucker sleeves from outer space!

A rocket sucker sleeve decorated with
shiny foil paper and stuffed
with a lemon flavored sucker.

Brief Description: Sucker sleeves "dress up" party favors for classroom parties. When I was very young, if you received a valentine with a sucker attached to it, you were considered a great friend. Not every package of student valentines included more than just a few sucker sleeves with a bonus treat.

Supply List:

• a variety of construction paper
• tin foils or other alternative shiny papers
• white glue
• black permanent ink marker, thin tipped
• scissors
• sucker sleeve templates
• stapler
• suckers, of course

Directions:

1. Cut out the templates and trace around these on top of the construction papers.
2. Cut out and glue together the patterns according to your own tastes. You may choose to use tin foils for the spaceships as well.
3. Use permanent black markers to draw on top of the tin foil. This will keep the ink from rubbing off onto clothing and table surfaces. This ink does bleed, however, so remember to keep your work surfaces padded with old newspapers.
4. Glue around the edges of your front template and then adhere the back template into place. Let this glue dry before stuffing the sucker sleeve with a piece of candy.
5. After stuffing the candy sleeve, you may need to add a few staples to keep the sucker from falling out of it's wrapper.

Additional Suggestions: Teachers and/or camp crafters may elect not to cut and paste these candy wrappers with fancy papers. Small ones would probably be just as happy to color in the templates with colored markers or crayons.

The back side of our rocket sucker sleeve.
Teachers may choose to give students some
shiny tin foil to craft a more realistic
spaceship or rocket!

A sample of a submarine sucker sleeve
colored with a bright yellow marker and
stuffed with a sour cherry sucker

The rocket ship sucker sleeve template.

The submarine sucker sleeve template.

The spaceship sucker sleeve template.
This template may be downloaded and sized in a
word document to fit the above measurements.
Read the Terms of Use before using it folks.

All patterns and photographs by Grimm copyrighted 2011.

cut and paste treasure chest candy wrappers

Treat your pirate to Palmer chocolate,
gold coins packaged in our treasure chest candy wrapper!

Brief Description: These little paper treasure chests are easy and inexpensive to make. They make the perfect candy favors for a birthday party or holiday celebration. 

Supply List:

• one sheet of brown construction paper
• black ink pen
• silver ink pen
• scissors
• white glue
• one netted package of Palmer, gold, chocolate coins ( there are other brands of chocolate coins sold in the U.K.)
• pattern for the candy wrapper provided below.

Directions:

1. Print and cut out the templates
2. Trace one of each onto a sheet of brown construction paper.
3. Cut out the patterns and fold/cut where indicated on the pattern.
4. Glue just the out edges only of the back of the treasure chest and adhere this to the front.
5. Color the candy wrapper with black and silver ink as I have shown here in my pictures.

Don't forget to decorate the inside
of the candy wrapper as well

The backside view of our treasure chest

A treasure chest candy wrapper template.
This template may be downloaded and sized in a
word document to fit the above measurements.
Read the Terms of Use before using it folks.

All patterns and photographs by Grimm copyrighted 2011.

Read more about "How to host a vintage pirate party" at Thrifty Scissors.