Skip to content

6th graders decode a masterpiece – and the media notices

students holding big pixelated image of "Mona Lisa"

Posted April 6, Updated April 17, 2023:

Students in Autumn Slawienski’s 6th grade art enrichment class spent eight weeks using pixelated charts of five colors to decode an image. The group of 21 students worked in collaborative teams to read, transcribe and color code nine 30×40 panels of grid.

“They had no idea what the final image was going to be – although many had a very good guess!” Slawienski said. “Just in time for their final class, the image was unveiled: ‘The Mona Lisa’ smiled upon them and the students returned to the art room to watch a video about the history of one of the most widely recognized pieces of art to date.”

big pixelated image of "Mona Lisa"

IN THE MEDIA:

Read the April 16 article by The Recorder about the students’ project:

Fort Plain sixth graders decode hidden artwork