March 25, 2008 – Did you know that Salvador Dali had his own art studio at age 8? Or that Andy Warhol didn’t want to be an artist—he wanted to tap dance?

Southgate sixth-graders uncovered these unusual facts while researching, studying and writing biographies about artist of their choosing. The students also reproduced a piece of artwork created by their chosen artists, as well as planned and organized all facets of a student art gallery to showcase their hard work.

“The art gallery covers such a broad spectrum of artists that I would never be able to cover in a full year,” said art teacher Mary Beth Aldous. “The students are really teaching each other.”

Last month, students transformed the school’s art room into an art gallery, displaying books about the artists, student biographies and paintings, as well as a timeline depicting the artists’ ages. There was also a section devoted entirely to all of the interesting facts students learned but may not have necessarily included in their essays.

“It's a good transition from elementary school to junior high school—you can imagine the amount of time management it takes to put all of this together,” said Aldous.

As parents and other visitors arrived, students served as docents, guiding visitors through the different sections of the gallery while explaining the projects.

“Because they're all working on separate artists, you never know how much they've taken in until you hear it,” said Aldous.

“I wanted to research Michelangelo and some of his pieces,” said Danny Cunningham. “I liked him as an artist. He stood out among all the others.”

According to Cunningham, Michelangelo spent more than five years sculpting the Tomb of Julius.

“They did a great job,” said Sharon Bright Holub, as she perused the gallery, which included her daughter’s work. “I’m amazed at the variety of choices. Every time you look at it you see something different. I'm also impressed by the artistic interpretation by the students.”

Students interested in learning more about any number of artists are encouraged to borrow a book from Southgate’s library.

“We were very lucky to receive a North Colonie mini-grant to purchase books about artists several years ago,” said Aldous.