Young Artists Create Colorful Radial Designs

First-grade students in Sarah Bell’s art class at Kent Primary School gained new skills in artistic expression in February, inspired by the works of Alma Thomas, a celebrated Black expressionist painter and art educator known for her exuberant and colorful, abstract paintings. It was a sea of colors as the young learners tried their hands at radial designs – and even a drawing of a tree – inspired by the lesson!

“I was very impressed with how each student applied the idea of radial designs to their paintings in their own ways!” said Bell. “Alma Thomas, who was introduced to inspire our project, often painted using broken lines. Some students chose this method, while others used dots of paint, or continuous circles. Some students even chose to use a combination of all three!”

“I believe representation is important and I want my students to see artists that look like them and their family members, so I include artists from a variety of cultures, backgrounds, and genders throughout the year.”