K-12 Learning: Documenting Deco
Documenting Deco is an educational program that provides New York City students with the tools to recognize Art Deco architecture and design and understand the importance of preservation. By introducing students to the Deco splendors in their own neighborhoods, this program fosters pride in local communities.
Through these in-class lessons and walking tours, Art Deco design and architecture becomes the inspiration for students’ own art-making processes, which range from drawings, murals, ceramics, photography, and video.
Each lesson of Documenting Deco features activities to cultivate knowledge and understanding in various important aspects of design. It offers educators and group leaders an opportunity to connect the arts, architecture and design to social studies, language arts, science, math, and music activities.
Through this program, students are given the opportunity to make a personal connection with the visual world around them and see the role they can play in their ever-changing city.
Documenting Deco offers experiences in living history, and explores how each of us can honor the past while imagining the future, fostering New York’s next generation of architects, designers, preservationists, and design enthusiasts.
See the below lessons for more information.
The Documenting Deco Educational Program is provided with funding and support provided by:
This educational program, Documenting Deco, would not have happened without the assistance of many individuals who contributed their time, talents, and knowledge to make it possible.
Many thanks to architect and photographer Richard Berenholtz, who inspired Documenting Deco and shares his vast experience with students participating in the program; Judith Spokony, who brings more than thirty years as a New York City educator to creating the teaching guide and student materials; television producer Pamela Kawi who has contributed her talents overseeing all our media; Damian Cavalo for videotaping Richard Berenholtz’s interview; Sandra Tansky for her careful editing and helpful suggestions; Meghan Weatherby, ADSNY’s Director of Operations, for her extensive design skills, knowledge of Art Deco and endless patience spending countless hours designing all elements of the final print and online components of program; Cannon U.S.A. for providing student prizes and to the Weiner Nusim Foundation for helping to fund this program.
Many thanks to the instructors and administrators, for bringing this program to your students. We welcome your suggestions as we expand the program to more schools in the coming year.