“Finding a friend in Art” is one of my favorite lessons to teach because I love friends! Learning about Alexander Calder and Joan Miro thru The Phillips Collection teaching packet was so much fun, I could barely control myself to read it completely! With Calder from New York and Miro from Barcelona, my mind was spinning thinking of taxi’s, bright lights, warm evening air & strolling on the sidewalk with live music everywhere. My first question for students is “What do you value in a friend?” Often the answer is, “They like what I like and do.” That is often where we start our discussion in art. Calder and Miro teach us that they find common interest in using line, color and shape. They also teach us that this visual language can be spoken in two and three dimensional representations. What I also find so exciting about these artful friends is that their materials to produce drawings, painting and sculpture can merge together. These artworks inspire our youth to find a calm and open mind their own observation, alternative view and expression of similar subject matter. The friendship of Calder and Miro and interpretation of elements has provided a timeless resource for our students and a valuable life lesson of how to problem solve with similar interest but alternative view.!
Paige P. Byrne 
Loved reading about how you used Calder and Miro’s shared “artful conversation” as a jumping off point for a conversation about friendship with your students:)
Thank you Laurie~long time no see, & hope you are well. Going to subscribe to your blog so we can be more in touch!