An exploration of the work of Julie Mehretu

Beth Kroupa 
Yonkers Middle School, New York
Grades 7-8, including general and special education classes

At the end of 2020, the education team was visited by Middle School teacher Beth Kroupa to view our Julie Mehretu exhibition: about the space of half an hour.  Inspired by elements of Mehretu’s work, Beth put together curriculum for her middle schoolers which would introduce them to Julie’s work, her politicized landscapes, and the concept of using layers in art. The class was conducted remotely and the students were therefore allowed to use any materials they had on hand at home.

Download Lesson Plan

The students began the lessons first by discussing Mehretu’s work and watching Art 21 videos. They followed this up by discussing various societal issues which were important to them including racial inequality, pollution, and the Covid-19 crisis. Additionally, the students discussed more personal issues they were having that they might wish to portray in their work such as family disagreements, etc. Students were then introduced to the concept of using layers within art to create depth and express themselves in an abstract way. They began this process by dividing their concerns and thoughts, or their “theme” into three parts which would become their visual layers. The layers they could choose to use were very open, ranging from hand-drawn, found materials, objects, mixed media, digital layers, take-out menus, magazines, etc. The final projects were extremely diverse. Some students chose more literal shapes and elements to layer their pieces, while others used abstraction as a response to their subject matter.