Throughout the month, Chassity Brady's art classes at Mary G. Hogsett Primary School are learning about several African-American artists and creating art in the style of their work. 

Brady is reading books about different artists to her classes and then creating lessons for them that are inspired by those artists. 

For example, on Feb. 15 in one of her classes, first-graders worked on their own story quilt art inspired by Faith Ringgold, who is best known for her painted story quilts. For the book, Brady read "Tar Beach" by Ringgold, which is named after one of Ringgold's story quilts. 

 

Brady also had the class start new pieces inspired by Folk Artist Clementine Hunter. She read "Art From Her Heart: Folk Artist Clementine Hunter" by Kathy Whitehead and then had the students begin to sketch what will be still-life paintings of a vase of flowers. Brady explained that much of Hunter's art depicted her day-to-day life. 

Other artists Brady is teaching about in her classes include Tyree Guyton, Alma Thomas, and Jean-Michel Basquait.