The art exploration worked beautifully. We started the week with a great discussion about what art means to humanity, how modern art has changed people's expectations of what constitutes art, and what is the value given to artistic expression.  We then explored a wide variety of art forms and participated in all kinds of project work. Luckily, I was able to have a local modern artist come in and display his work for the kids.  The experience was truly memorable as the kids had a chance to ask all kinds of quirky and fun questions.  The works displayed were really challenging and it made for an engaging activity as they tried to figure out what the artist was up to in the piece, and then be able to ask him directly!  I bought three canvases each for the students and purchased a wide variety of acrylic paints.  The students were challenged to create three pieces: an abstract, realistic and self-portrait. They dove right in and made some beautiful canvases.  Next, we walked to a local art gallery that has formed a collective of local artists.  Here the students got to practice their newfound art appreciation skills and to work with another local artist on clay sculptures. The gallery even sent us home with a box full of paints to finish their sculptures in style!  By this time the students had really caught the bug, so we invited a professional photographer in to run a workshop on taking great pictures.  He displayed his amazing large-scale photos, discussed how he sets up shots, and told stories about working safely with wildlife.  We met him a few days later at a local lake and took pictures using his techniques.  All in all, it was a superb experience for everyone involved.