Trimis and Savva and Chorotopos

Chorotopos, according to this article, is related to the space inside and outside of the school. This includes landscape and the village/town surrounding the school. This reading describes three different areas in Greece where children were allowed to explore areas near their school and create art based on those places. By exploring their chorotopos, children gained ideas for representing images as well as enhance their thinking in many different subject areas.

I thought back to my experiences as a child in art class. All I can remember is being inside the classroom and using fairly traditional art supplies. I think it is such a great thing for a child who is full of questions to experience a place and discover its qualities and be inspired by it.

This past summer I worked as a woodworking specialist with 1st to 6th graders at a day camp. We used both wood sets and collected branches to make projects, and I see many connections to the articles we read that discuss the importance of exploring natural materials. 

While working there, the main issue I came across was time. Having only thirty to forty minutes to create art is very limiting, especially when you include setting up, cleaning up, and giving directions. Trimis and Savva discuss time as a factor as well. They state that children should be given sufficient time for "exploration, creation, and reflection." When considering this issue with chorotopos, it seems unrealistic to me that an art class would have ample time to venture out and investigate a nearby place that would be as inspiring as the forests and beaches of Greece. How can the application of chorotopos be made possible in an urban or suburban area while still being safe, educational, and inspiring?