The Watchung Cooperative preschool opened its doors in 1967 with one four-year-old class. The Coop's original philosophy, although new in the 1960’s, is still what they believe today: the best way for young children to learn is through play.

The Coop continues to run much in the same way it did when it first opened its doors. An executive board of parents administrates the school and creates the schools policies. Parents and teachers work together to enable children to make a gradual transition from a home-centered life to a school-centered one, with a caregiver frequently present and participating in the child’s preschool experience. While the culture has changed to include more academic preschool curriculums, the Coop stays true to its founding philosophy that play is the work of children. 

The Process

Each month the children in the DPK class, which consists of three- and-four-year-olds, are invited to create a self-portrait. The art is child-directed and choice-driven that celebrates the art of discovery. The project has a unique focus on the creation of the work, not the final product. 

Throughout the year, the children are given several opportunities to explore different materials through a variety of experiences. The self-portait exercise provides an opportunity for the child to observe themselves then draw, paint, and/or scribble themselves. Most of the works begin with a page filled with scribbling some so faint it can barely be seen. The portraits often include family members and sometimes how they perceive themselves as an animal. The paper and writing tools offered change each month. Mirrors are always provided to both observe and admire themselves. 

The self-portrait project for Tiny Gallery used a mixed-media approach with tempera sticks, face paint, Sharpies, and liquid watercolors. The project began with the children experimenting with liquid watercolors and watercolor paper that would serve as backgrounds for their portrait. The Coop often takes photos of the children for online portfolios and classroom display. The individual photographs were shown to each child before being printed. They varied in style, some were closeups, while others included the child working either inside or out of the classroom. 

Given that the portraits created a moment for children to manage the smaller scale, they were asked to decide how they wanted to “frame” their portrait. Some children wanted their frame to sit off center, others wanted to showcase only their faces. Some didn’t want their face in the portrait at all. The teachers then discussed that the photos would be cut and then reassembled by the child. This caused a few children distress and the photos were left in their original form. As a final step the tempera sticks, Sharpies, and face paint sticks were offered to embellish the portrait.

Some children covered their entire portrait, some put themselves back together as meticulously as they could, while others created something entirely different. Tiny Gallery and The Coop is beyond proud to share these unique interpretations and hope they bring a little more joy to your day.