While standing in a room filled with Pablo Picasso art, students began to understand what they had been studying for weeks. On April 12, 2018, Laurell Landrum took both of her Spanish 3 classes to the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA). As a conclusion to the “Spanish Art” unit, where students practiced descriptive words and using the superlative, the classes went on the “Art and History in Spanish Speaking Countries” tour.
“We were studying a large variety of Spanish and Latino artists, and we wanted to see a practical application of what we were learning about," said Emily Konkel, who co-taught the Spanish Art History unit. "We planned the trip so that the students could really see the culture we were learning about."
In preparation for the trip, students learned about the mural, the artist, and the controversies around the masterpiece.
“My favorite part of the museum every time I go is the Diego Rivera Mural," Konkel said. "It is so massive, and there was so much time and effort put into it that I feel like I could look at it for hours and still find new things to notice within it. That's my favorite part of the DIA for sure.”
In addition to Diego Rivera, Spanish 3 students learned about Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Francisco de Goya, and Salvador Dalí. The DIA had works of all of theirs, including a Pablo Picasso room. In the Picasso room, the work was placed in a very specific order. Scaling from right to left, the work showed the progression of Picasso’s career. On the right side of the wall, there is very technical work done at a young age; on the left there are Picasso's later works, which are much more abstract — more “Picasso" like.
While at the museum, the class split into three groups: Picasso, Goya and Dalí, for group lead tours. Each tour had different emphasis, ranging from the Diego Rivera Mural to ancient art history, depending on the tour guide.
“I really liked seeing the paintings we learned about [in class]. It was really cool to connect what we were learning in class to the painting and the artists that we were looking at," Sarah Levin said. "It was really different than when I have visited before, I felt like I could look so much more in depth at the painting and could understand the background of the artists and what they were going through.”
At then end of tours, the students had some free time. A quick fan favorite became the contemporary art section: with crowds forming around the Kehinde Wiley portrait.
Kehinde Wiley, the same artist who painted the Obamas’ Presidential Portraits, painted this portrait in 2007. His goal was to show an “average” black man in a powerful position.
Looking back, students and teachers alike loved the trip and how it directly related back into the unit they were learning.
"We have such a great exhibit of art, especially Mexican art, in Detroit," Konkel said. "Laurell and I thought it would be a great trip for all of the students to see that."