Denny Sponsler, ceramics teacher at South High, was more than accomadating to our request to make art with creative teenagers, he gave us total freedom and a group of inspired students. He helped them with the logistics of scheduling workshops and etcetera into their busy days. We met at South High School in Minneapolis to discuss their participation in the creation of the bronze sculptures that will be placed in the concrete bench on the plaza next to the fountain.
The students are learning several mold-making techniques and the 2 cast metal processes. The students have gained a better understanding of our ideas and inspirations of the sculpture fountain; Minnesota Geology, Mississippi River, Community Involvement in Public Sculpture and Social/Political Water Issues (water quality, watershed, plastic water bottles, privatization of water, etc.)
After our muddy and mukky fossil field trip, we got down to brass tacks and wrote down words/ideas having to do with water in it's 3 forms, and practised the art of working backwards in clay and making impressions --we cast plaster forms.
The students began "word harvesting", gathering words about water from classmates and community members. They found the word "water" in languages spoken from their classmates to incorporate into their sculptures.
