Third Grade Cultural Arts

Central Cultural Arts Program

Third Grade

Welcome Third Grade Parents!

Join us in inspiring Central’s students through art—right in your child’s classroom! For years, this program has been made possible by parent volunteers like you. By bringing art history to life, you’ll spark creativity, curiosity, and a love of art in young minds, leaving a lasting impact on their understanding of artistic traditions from around the world.

Why Participate?

  • Impactful: Fun opportunity to engage with your student’s classroom in a meaningful way.
  • Minimal Time Commitment: Approximately 2 hours (1 hr for prep, 1 hr for classroom visit).
  • Supported: We provide everything you need: Presentation guides with artist background info and instructions. PowerPoint slides and speaker talking points. Project suggestions to inspire creativity. Access to our fully stocked supply closet or $20 reimbursement if you need to purchase your own materials!
  • No Experience Needed: You don’t need to be familiar with art history to participate! Sessions are designed to be easy for volunteers to lead. Presentations are short (usually five slides) and include a variety of fun, age-appropriate discussion prompts. The focus is on sparking curiosity and encouraging students to imagine the story behind the art.

How to sign up:

  • Sign up for your preferred month/artist using the Cultural Arts Program Volunteer Sign-Up Form
  • Once you’ve signed up, please reach out to your student’s teacher to schedule a day and time for your visit.

Looking for other ways to get support the program? Check out our Cultural Arts Program wishlist on Amazon or donate a print to Central’s hallway artwork collection.

Learn more about the artists and artwork

October: Colors & Shapes

Sunflowers III

Joan Mitchell, 1969

Joan Mitchell (1925 -1992), American Painter, Abstract Expressionism 

Chicago-born Mitchell is known for her large, colorful canvases that burst with energy, inspired by her love of nature, poetry, and music. Instead of painting things exactly as they looked, she captured the feelings and memories they stirred in her—making her work feel alive with movement and emotion. Her bold style earned her worldwide acclaim, and she is celebrated today as one of the leading figures in abstract art.

“Music, poems, landscape, and dogs make me want to paint… And painting is what allows me to survive.”  – Joan Mitchell

November: Stories in Action

Paris Street, Rainy Day

Gustave Caillebotte, 1877

Gustave Caillebotte (1848 – 1894), French Painter, Realism

In this iconic painting, which hangs in Art Institute of Chicago, Caillebotte’s sharp, almost photographic, perspective transports you to experience a rainy afternoon in a newly modernized 1870’s Paris. Known for his focus on urban life and modernism, he had a unique ability to blend Realist precision with the dynamic light of Impressionism. He was also a key patron of the Impressionist movement, funding exhibitions and supporting other artists with his large fortune.

“The very great artists attach you even more to life.” – Gustave Caillebotte

January: Portraits

The Make Believer (Monet’s Garden)

Amy Sherald, 2016

Amy Sherald (1973 – ), American Painter, Realism

Sherald is celebrated for her bold, colorful portraiture, which brings a fresh perspective to diverse experiences in her “Pictures of American Life”. Known for painting the everyday people she encounters in Baltimore, she captured global attention with her 2018 commission of Michelle Obama’s official portrait. Her work has inspired young viewers who recognize themselves in her paintings to explore the arts.

“I went to an elementary school to surprise a group of kids, and you would’ve thought I was JAY-Z. And that’s very symbolic…. because [my art] is being taught in art classes now, art teachers have access to images in schools where they are teaching mostly children of color who maybe don’t have to grow up like me, just looking at European paintings. They can see themselves. That’s the power. That’s the power of being mainstream.” – Amy Sherald

February: Enchanted Landscapes

Starry Night

Vincent Van Gogh, 1889

Vincent Van Gogh (1853 – 1890), Dutch Painter, Post-Impressionism 

Starry Night has captured the imagination of people for over a century and has become a universal symbol of beauty, struggle, and the search for meaning. With its swirling skies and glowing stars, it’s more than just a scene of the night sky; it’s a window into the artist’s soul. Van Gogh packed more creativity into a decade than most manage in a lifetime, producing over 2,100 artworks which unequivocally shaped Impressionism, even though he only sold one painting while alive.

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.” – Vincent Van Gogh

March: People in Action

Three Musicians 

Pablo Picasso, 1921

Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973), Spanish Painter, Modern Art, Cubism

Painted during Picasso’s Cubist period, Three Musicians is a playful puzzle of vibrant geometric shapes and bold, flat colors, blending instruments, figures, and background into abstraction. Picasso created two versions of this painting simultaneously in his garage-turned-art studio. They quickly captured the interest of the art world and have crossing oceans many times to be exhibited around the world in the past hundred years. Few artists are as universally recognized as Picasso, who was known for his rebellious spirit and boundless creativity, producing nearly 150,000 works of art throughout his 70 year career.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” — Pablo Picasso

April: Beyond the Canvas

Untitled Film Still #21

Cindy Sherman, 1978

Cindy Sherman (1954 – ) American Photographer

Sherman revolutionized photography by turning the camera on herself. In her Untitled Film Stills, she steps into roles like a one-woman movie cast —such as a determined career woman, looking ready to take on the world. Through her imaginative self-portraits, she turned the camera into a powerful tool for questioning how we see ourselves and others, cementing her place as a trailblazer in the art world.

“If I knew what the picture was going to be like I wouldn’t make it. It was almost like it was made already… the challenge is more about trying to make what you can’t think of.” – Cindy Sherman

Instructions for Volunteers:

Thank you for sharing your time and enthusiasm with Central’s students! Your involvement in the Cultural Art Program plays a vital role in bringing art history to life and sparking creativity and curiosity. By guiding students through the world of art, you’re helping them build a lifelong appreciation and understanding of cultural heritage, while encouraging their critical thinking and observational skills.

  • Prior to volunteering, you must fill out the District Volunteer Form (must be done annually.)
  • To volunteer for a session, use the sign up link provided by the Room Parent for your student’s classroom.  At the beginning of the month you’ve volunteered for, please contact your student’s teacher to schedule a time to come to class.
  • It’s helpful to do a “dry-run” at home with your student beforehand to anticipate how the students will respond. Reference the talking points in the notes in each slide to get comfortable with what you’ll plan to say and the questions you’ll ask.
  • It’s highly recommended to do any material prep work and create a completed example prior to the session. This helps students envision the finished product and complete it within the allotted time.
  • You will have access to the school’s wifi and the ability to plug in to a projector. However, to avoid any potential technical difficulties, plan to email your presentation to your student’s teacher prior to the session and print out your talking points/notes.
  • Plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to your start time to allow time to sign in, collect supplies from the art supply closet (if necessary), and set up for your presentation.
  • Plan to spend 20-25 minutes for your presentation and discussion, and 30 minutes for the project, depending on complexity.
  • In the last few minutes of the session, take time to ask the students about what they learned (i.e. “Can you tell me the name of the artist we learned about today? What were they known for? How would you describe the (movement/style) of art?)

Central has a well stocked art supply closet, however, if you needed to purchase your own materials for a project you can be reimbursed up to $20 by submitting a reimbursement form. If you have questions about what supplies can be found in the closet, please contact the Cultural Arts Program Chair, Maryjane Bates.

Questions about the program? Please contact Maryjane Bates, Cultural Arts Program Chair