Editor's note.

Editor's note. Exotic art forms seldom fail to intrigue young people. Artisticmotivation can come from all over the world and, this month, Arts &Activities helps you take your students on a bit of a tour. Youngstersbecome more involved in and aware of the world around them when they areengaged in meaningful creative activities that entice and challenge.When introducing youngsters to different cultures the goal is not forthe students to copy, but to study the art, gain understanding, thenblend what they've learned with their own artistic imagination andimpulses. We share in this issue examples of how this can be done. Experience the "Wonderful World of Art" by"traveling" to Australia ("Aboriginal Adventure,"page 22), the Plains between the Mississippi River Mississippi RiverRiver, central U.S. It rises at Lake Itasca in Minnesota and flows south, meeting its major tributaries, the Missouri and the Ohio rivers, about halfway along its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. and the RockyMountains Rocky Mountains,major mountain system of W North America and easternmost belt of the North American cordillera, extending more than 3,000 mi (4,800 km) from central N.Mex. to NW Alaska; Mt. Elbert (14,431 ft/4,399 m) in Colorado is the highest peak. ("Exploring American-Indian Art: Making aParfleche par��fleche?n.1. An untanned animal hide soaked in lye and water to remove the hair and then dried on a stretcher.2. An article, such as a shield, made of this hide. ," page 28), the Canyon de Chelly Can��yon de Chel��ly?A canyon in northeast Arizona containing the ruins of spectacular Anasazi cliff dwellings built between a.d.350 and 1300. in Texas ("CaveKids: Pecos-River Style Art," page 32), West Africa ("MiniMetal Masks,' page 41), and your own family tree ("TheGeography of Us," page 30). The appearance of snakes and snake-like forms in art is universal,as Guy Hubbard explains in his "Teaching Art with Art: SerpentineSolutions" (page 24). Here, we take a close look at art fromPanama's San Blas Islands San Blas Islands(sän bläs), formerly Mulatas(mlä`täs), archipelago off the northeast coast of Panama. (a colorful mola), the African country ofGuinea (wooden headdress headdress,head covering or decoration, protective or ceremonial, which has been an important part of costume since ancient times. Its style is governed in general by climate, available materials, religion or superstition, and the dictates of fashion. ), Ancient Greece (marble sculpture), and theUnited States (a painting by Thomas Hart Benton). The peoples of theworld seem so different, yet when you pause to think about it, we aresimilar in so many ways. In 1927, the temples of Angkor Wat (in modern-day Cambodia)inspired American artist Allan Clark to carve his own Art-Deco versionof an "apsaras" dancer. This beautiful wooden sculpture, whichblends East and West, is then used to inspire a variety of learningexperiences in social studies, language arts, history and, of course,visual arts, in "Art Across the Curriculum: Myth, Meaning andMystery" (page 34). Exotic art and cultures have much to teach us. Children literally put themselves in the art-appreciation picture,in "Pixel Palette: Finding Your Place in Art History" (page42). Becoming a participant in a great work of art is a cinch--with thehelp of today's technology. What a marvelous way to learn andexplore! Kids feel like real artists when their art is purchased by adultsand the money goes to a good cause. How can this be done? Read"Community Connections: Organizing a Student Art Auction"(page 46) to find out. Here is a detailed description of how to plansuch an event at your school. It's a lot of hard work, but therewards are many--an increase in student pride is just one. On page 52 you will find our 2003 Buyer's Guide. Here is whereyou will find the companies and services to help you bring these artexperiences to life in your classroom. Whether you need artreproductions, crayons, paints or clay, the companies included in theBuyer's Guide are here to serve your art needs--no matter fromwhich part of the world motivation comes! Maryellen Bridge, Editor in Chief