Art Garden
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Photo of origami lotuses of various sizes and colors sitting on a light wooden table.
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With Downtown Little Rock’s MacArthur Park as the canvas, Art Garden is a community-built art installation celebrating AMFA's Grand Opening on April 22, 2023.
Art Garden invites all Arkansans to take part in the creation of this inaugural event by making their own origami lotus — one of thousands to be installed on the AMFA grounds to transform the surrounding landscape into a dynamic composition of color, shape, and movement.
All are welcome to get involved in Art Garden, so let's create art together!
Fold a Flower
An origami lotus is fun and easy to make with any kind of paper. Watch our video tutorial to learn how to fold a flower for Art Garden!
Four Ways to Create
Before you start creating an origami lotus, you first need to pick your paper. There are four different options:
- Use any paper you have on hand
- Make a sun print using construction paper
- Make a cyanotype print using pre-coated paper
- Make a cyanotype print using a paint-on solution
Select any process below to access step-by-step instructions and additional resources, then have fun creating art!
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Regular Paper Process
Instructions
Start by cutting a square out of any paper you have on hand. Then, follow these instructions:
- Origami Folding Instructions (presentation)
- Origami Folding Instructions (handout)
Tutorial
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Sun Print Process
Instructions
Using construction paper, you can create a sun print that can be folded into an origami lotus flower:
- Sun Print Project and Origami Folding Instructions (handout)
- Origami Folding Instructions (presentation)
Tutorial
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Prepared Cyanotype Process
Supplies
For materials, check out your local art supply store or visit:
Instructions
Utilize these instructions when using the prepared cyanotype process:
- Pre-Coated Cyanotype Paper Process (presentation)
- Origami Folding Instructions (presentation)
- Origami Folding Instructions (handout)
Tutorials
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Paint-On Cyanotype Process
Supplies
For materials, check out your local art supply store or visit:
Instructions
Utilize these instructions when using the paint-on cyanotype process:
- Paint-On Cyanotype Solution Process (presentation)
- Origami Folding Instructions (presentation)
- Origami Folding Instructions (handout)
Tutorials
Drop-Off Locations
After you create your origami lotuses, you can mail them to AMFA using this mailing label, or drop them off at any one of the following libraries in the Little Rock metro area from January 6, 2023 to March 24, 2023.
Educator Resources
Need helping lesson planning? Download our Educators Guide to access an overview of this project and other helpful instructions.
Join Art Garden
Please contact us to find out how your school or organization can be part of the Art Garden installation.
Sponsors
Art Garden is supported in part by Judy C Thompson Rev. Trust.