The student artists explored several perspectives on what it means to be a child, teenager, and adult in contemporary society. The class played their favorite childhood games, experienced a guided meditation, collected and analyzed internet memes, engaged in candid discussion, read articles, conducted cross-generational interviews, among other idea-generating activities in preparation for the Artist As Cultural Worker: Cut Paper Collage project. 

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After the research activities, the students set out to express their own opinions on what it means to belong to a certain age-group today. The class analyzed poster art and war propaganda from various historical time periods as well as contemporary artists known for their potent messages like Shepard Fairey and Banksy for inspiration. In addition, the students experimented with color mixing and collage techniques as a way to test out ideas and practice before starting the final work. 

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Using sheets of painted paper of every hue from their color-mixing exercise, the student artists constructed their collages with a strong focus on creating an impactful composition that incorporated both text and image.