Personally, I think every day is a great day to teach about Black artists (full stop). But, it just so happens that February is Black History Month. And what better time to design art projects inspired by them. I feel strongly that incorporating Black visual artists into art lessons is not just about teaching diversity.
It’s a crucial step toward creating a well-rounded, inclusive, and culturally rich art curriculum. However, before I dive into my favorite Black History Month art projects, I’d like to talk about what that looks like in the art room.
What is Black History Month in the Art Room?
Black History Month is not just a time to commemorate historical achievements. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the rich tapestry of Black culture through the lens of visual arts. By integrating Black History Month into our lessons throughout the school year, we provide kids the chance to connect, appreciate, and be inspired by the stories of Black artists.
Check out all the amazing Jean-Michel Basquiat art projects on Erin’s Insta!
Why Do We Study Black Artists?
Incorporating the creations of Black artists into the curriculum is not just an acknowledgment of their contributions. But it’s also a commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable learning environment. It broadens perspectives, challenges biases, and prepares students to engage with the diverse world of art and culture.
Moreover, Black History Month is a great way to:
- Discover unique art styles and media techniques rooted in diverse backgrounds
- Empower students of color to pursue art as a career path
- Provide an opportunity to discuss social issues and cultural movements
- Promote critical thinking and deeper understanding of the Black experience and examine their historical representation from the art world to our own art room
- Encourage inclusivity of different choices and voices in the art room
Consequently, it’s a way to hold up a mirror to our own teaching practices. And, to see if we’re meeting the needs of all our students.
11 Black History Month Art Lesson Ideas for Elementary & Middle School
With that said, here are some Black artists that I love to discuss and use in my art projects during Black History Month. I know they’ll be a source of great inspiration for your elementary and middle school students.
Additionally, I’ve included some art project ideas that would work well for Black History Month (or any month of the year).
1. Kimmy Cantrell
Kimmy Cantrell is from Atlanta, Georgia and is known for his contemporary ceramic art, particularly his breakthrough “Mask Series” in the late ’90s. His masks burst with lively colors and textures, celebrating diversity and individuality. Cantrell’s art encourages viewers to reflect on the many facets of identity, urging them to see beyond the surface. And, to appreciate the beauty in the distinct features that make each person unique.
I think Kimmy Cantrell’s masks would make a great art history lesson for upper elementary and middle school aged students. However, make sure you provide good scissors (I love Fiskar!) and thinner cardboard so it’s not difficult for younger students to cut.
Art Project Ideas
- Sculpt their own abstract faces using clay or cardboard, and paint them with bold shapes and bright colors.
- Draw expressive portrait drawings with exaggerated facial features and use color to convey emotions.
- Make ceramic bowls that feature a narrative or a series of symbols that tell a personal story
2. Reggie Laurent
Reggie Laurent is a modern Black artist from Chicago most known for his colorful and energetic paintings. He calls these artworks that mix shapes and bright colors his “DNA series” style of painting because they are exaggerated doodles he drew as a child. Laurent also creates paper collages and wooden assemblages in this style. Alternatively, he also makes “quiet” paintings entirely with a palette knife.
Laurent’s art is unapologetically abstract and expressive, making it an easy fit for any elementary art lesson. When I’ve done this art project during Black History Month, I’ve tied it into a conversation about geometric vs. free-form shapes as well as patterns.
Art Project Ideas
- Compose a collage from various shapes and vibrant color. Then, use paint in squirt bottles to connect the shapes together
- Paint a “quiet” palette knife composition by encouraging students to observe nature’s beauty and translate it into abstract, colorful artworks
- Collaborate with other classes or grades to create a large-scale abstract artwork inspired by Reggie Laurent’s style
3. Lakwena MacIver
Lakwena MacIver was born in London, England and is known for making vibrant murals and paintings that often feature powerful messages of positivity and unity. Her art is filled with acid-bright patterns, symbols, and words that inspire joy and hope. MacIver’s work focuses on using communication and decorative elements to tell her story about growing up in Bromley, London as a “mixed-race girl.”
The emphasis of positivity and joy in her art would have a real benefit for middle school-aged students.
Art Project Ideas
- Construct a collaborative mural for a common area in the school or classroom, using vibrant colors and positive affirmations
- Design colorful posters with positive messages, experimenting with different typefaces, colors, and patterns that can be displayed throughout the school
- Compose self-portraits, that incorporate patterns and symbols that represent different aspects of their personality, interests, or values.
4. Moe Brooker
Moe Brooker was from Philadelphia and is known for creating colorful and expressive paintings and prints that celebrate life and joy. His abstract art often featured bold shapes, vibrant colors, and energetic lines that reflect his positive outlook. Moreover, he believed his work was reflective of his upbringing in the Black church with its spoken word and gospel music. And, his grandmother who designed patchwork quilts, an element that can be seen in his paintings.
Brooker’s loose style would work well for all elementary grades, especially lower elementary. However, if you decide to do this as an experimental, mixed media project with multiple steps, I think 2nd and 3rd graders would be a great target age range.
Art Project Ideas
- Drawn and paint abstract expressionist self-portraits, focusing on bold shapes, simple patterns, and joyful colors to represent their feelings
- After listening to jazz music, create multi-sensory paintings inspired by the emotions and rhythms they feel
- Experiment creating joyful color palettes that express emotion and then make abstract artworks using those vibrant hues
5. Charles McGee
Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, contemporary artist Charles McGee is known for his diverse creations, from sculptures to murals. His work touches upon important themes such as race and social justice. McGee’s dedication to Detroit is evident in his public art contributions, reflecting his belief in the transformative power of artistic expression. He often stated that he was “moved by togetherness,” that when different people come together, we can often understand one another better.
McGee’s controlled style of art would make a great art history lesson for upper elementary or middle school aged kids.
Art Project Ideas
- Create an abstract collage, using cardboard and acrylic paint, that experiments with layering shapes and forms in a dynamic composition
- Design a collaborative sculpture by assigning each group a section of a large mural to be displayed as public art in or around your school
- Ask students to choose a personal or fictional story and represent it through a visual composition using vibrant colors and dynamic shapes
6. Lois Mailou Jones
Lois Mailou Jones was born in Boston and is known for painting African inspired masks as well as landscapes inspired by her trips to Haiti. Jones was passionate about painting scenes from African American life and heritage, too. She used bold colors and powerful compositions, reflecting her commitment to celebrating diversity and culture. Besides being a painter, she was also an art educator and a touring artist.
Depending on the approach, her art can be inspiration for either elementary or middle schoolers.
Art Project Ideas
- Study the influence that Africa and the Caribbean had on Jones’ work and paint a landscape based on the community in which your students live
- Choose a famous person and create a portrait that captures the personality and achievements of that figure using symbolism and color to convey meaning
- Design clothing or accessories inspired by Afro-centric patterns and colors
7. Beatriz Milhazes
Beatriz Milhazes is a Brazilian contemporary artist known for her abstract collages using geometric shapes, rhythmic patterns, and vivid colors. Her paintings are decorative in nature and inspired by Brazilian culture, fashion, Carnival, and tropical landscapes. But it also hints at European Modernists like Henri Matisse and Wassily Kandinsky.
The very detailed nature of her artwork and the use of intricate geometric patterns makes Milhazes’ work perfect for middle school art history lessons.
Art Project Ideas
- Create mandalas using a variety of geometric patterns and vibrant colors, inspired by the rhythmic and layered compositions in Milhazes’s work
- Make collages that capture the lively and festive atmosphere of Carnival, using bright colors, rhythmic patterns, and a variety of textures
- Draw or paint a still-life composition featuring vibrant and stylized fruits, experimenting with color combinations and rhythmic arrangements
8. Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat was born in Brooklyn, New York and became famous in the 1980’s for his unique and colorful paintings that often told stories about race, identity, oppression, and the portrayal of people of color. Basquiat started as a street artist, creating graffiti under the name SAMO. His art mixed text, symbols, and images. He was one of the first Black artists to gain recognition in the art world and pop culture.
Basquiat’s loose, expressive style works great for elementary and middle school. However, deeper conversations about the symbols used may best be suited for middle schoolers who are better equipped to understand the meaning behind them.
Art Project Ideas
- Create portraits using expressive lines, bold colors, and incorporate words or symbols that represent the subject’s personality or story
- Design their own word art graffiti using meaningful words or phrases that emphasize the integration of text with visual elements, mimicking Basquiat’s iconic style
- Make a self-portrait using images and symbols that represent aspects of their identity
9. Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and became famous for creating collages that told stories about African American life and culture. He loved combining fabric, photos, and paper to create his art. His collages often featured jazz musicians, trains, and scenes from everyday life in Harlem, New York. Romare Bearden’s work became well-known in the 1960s, and he became one of the most important African American artists of his time.
Bearden’s narrative pieces fit in nicely with elementary aged students.
Art Project Ideas
- Create a mixed media collage of a jazz instrument using paint, paper, markers, and crayons
- Make a collage that represents significant moments or memories and uses images, colors, and shapes that evoke the emotions and stories associated with these memories
- Have students choose a cultural celebration and create a collage that captures the spirit of that event
10. Faith Ringgold
Faith Ringgold was born in Harlem, New York and is famous for creating Folk Art-inspired story quilts about famous African Americans. She’s not just an artist; she is also a writer and a teacher, too. One of Ringgold’s most famous artworks is the story quilt called “Tar Beach,” where she combines quilting and painting to share a special story about a childhood memory. Other works are about empowerment of women of color.
I think Ringgold’s narrative quilts fit in nicely with elementary aged students. Specifically, I’ve had success in creating fabric and paper collages inspired by her quilts with 2nd grade and up.
Art Project Ideas
- Create a personal story quilt collage by combining patterned squares with an illustration of an important memory
- Design a mixed-media family portrait that incorporates painting, fabric, and collage elements
- Explore Ringgold’s use of narrative by creating a digital story quilt collage in Google Slides, illustrating a short story or conveying a message through a sequence of images
11. Laolu Senbanjo
Laolu Senbanjo is from Nigeria and is known for blending traditional African patterns with contemporary influences which he calls “Afromysterics.” Senbanjo is not only a visual artist but also a lawyer, musician, fashion designer, and activist. He is particularly famous for creating mesmerizing body paintings on Beyoncé for her album “Lemonade.” He explores themes of identity, spirituality, and his Yoruba heritage.
Some of Senbanjo’s body paintings are fully unclothed models and may not be suitable for school. Some are just facial paintings. However, a lot of his work on canvas and clothing would be appropriate and engaging for middle schoolers.
Art Project Ideas
- Design a shoe incorporating personal patterns and contemporary design elements inspired by Laolu’s unique style
- Paint a self-portrait using a personal narrative or cultural story and include intricate patterns and design elements into the work
- Design and decorate a musical instrument using patterns inspired by Laolu’s art
How Will You Celebrate Black History Month in Your Art Room?
And there you have it, a bunch of cool artists with stories that are as interesting as the art they create. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling some extra artsy vibes for Black History Month art projects this year!
Check out Melissa Jongkind’s art room on Insta! These are her student’s Kimmy Cantrell masks.
So, what’s your plan? Will you dive into the expressive world of Basquiat with your middle schoolers. Or conversely, maybe get the little ones to create narrative collages inspired by Faith Ringgold? Whether it’s sculpting abstract faces, rocking vibrant collages, or going wild with patterns, I think there’s a lot of inspiration amongst these artists to get you started.
Unquestionably, I think Black History Month needs to be a year-round thing in the art room. It’s not just a month; it’s a mindset. Above all, these artists have given us a rainbow of art techniques and concepts to be inspired by.
So, art teachers, how will you bring some Black History Month vibes to your art room? What Black artists have I left out that you’re studying with your students? Drop a comment and let me know!
