This program offered by: Shuhe

Shuhe Hawkins will guide students through the creation of colorful animal masks and explore the transformation into their chosen animal through movement and storytelling. He has been a mask maker, puppeteer, actor and teaching artist in Portland since 1996.

Students will learn how to sculpt their mask and practice observation skills in the details of shapes and colors as they recreate their animal. Shuhe will also lead classes through the performance of a folktale or other final presentation.

Each residency is tailored to the grade level and adaptable to focus on curricular connections in Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Literacy, History, Social Studies and Natural Sciences.

– Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Transformation, Collaboration and Performance
The art of transformation creates the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective.
The skills that are developed by collaboration include: empathy, cooperation, listening & creative thinking. Performance helps us build a space of inclusion and develops people’s self-confidence.

– Culture: The use of masks exists in cultures from around the world and on every continent. From ancient Greek theater to African and American tribal rituals to Asian folklore, masks have been a vital part of remembering the past for many cultures. It remains as one of the ways that many people celebrate the vitality of their community.

– History: Masks are among the first tools used to empower the keeping if oral traditions that reminded generations of the experiences of those who came before. They are a tradition that is older than the written word in some parts of the world.

– Natural Sciences: Animal masks are a creative way to explore any natural habitat. Students can imagine the personality of their animal while they are learning about the environment.

– Folklore: Storytelling is an important part of self-expression and a natural way to create common and familiar spaces to share with others.