Reflection
1. How challenging was this project for you? Be specific.
I think the project was challenging in the beginning because I didn't know what Dia De Los Muertos was and I never made an ofrenda before. I was able to overcome this by learning more about Dia De Los Muertos at school and looking for examples by looking up images online or asking classmates.
2. What did you enjoy most about this Cultural Connections project?
What I enjoyed most about this Cultural Connections project was making my ofrenda because my class crafted items and decorations using materials such as colored tissue paper, construction paper, pipe cleaners, cardboard and string. I made flowers and decorated my box with colorful paper and streamers. I had a lot of fun not only building my own ofrenda but also seeing all the ways my classmates decorated their ofrendas.
3. Did you receive critique and feedback from anyone (teacher, parent, classmate, etc)? If so, who? Was the feedback helpful? (This could be for any part of the project, illustrated journal, ofrenda, exhibition)
I did receive critique from classmates during the critique session my class had and also, while I was decorating my ofrenda, asked other students if certain decorations looked good. The feedback was very helpful. It helped me figure out what kind of theme I want to use and what other things to add to my ofrenda.
4. What grade do you think you deserve? Why?
I think the grade I deserve for this project is an A because I put a lot of effort into my ofrenda and artist statement. While constructing my ofrenda, I worked diligently and made sure to manage my time well so I could complete my ofrenda on time. When I didn't know how to make flowers using tissue paper, I went on youtube and researched how to make flowers to decorate my box. I used my problem solving skills to fix a problem I've been having where the top part of the box kept falling backwards because the lid was attached to the box. I cut out pieces of cardboard and glued it to the top and bottom to keep it upright so I could put the picture of the person I was honoring on it. I also spent time decorating my box at home. I painted my box black so the words that were previously printed on the box wouldn't show and I made more flowers with tissue paper at home. I spent a lot of time on my artist statement. My ofrenda was honnoring Helen Keller, who was blind and deaf from a young age but became an author and educator. I spent time at school and at home researching her life and accomplishments. I wrote about her childhood as well as her work as a activist fighting for the welfare for the disabled as well as women's rights. When attaching my artist statement, I printed it, glued it onto construction paper so it wouldn't get wrinkled and taped it to the back of my ofrenda.
5. If you could change something about this project, what would it be?
If I could change one thing about this project, it would be to spend more time learning about Dia De Los Muertos because I like learning about things that I don’t know much about.
Link to Artist Statement