When I was a child I had rheumatic fever and was hospitalized for 3 months and could not walk for 6 months. In graduate school my first attempt at silk screening ended with my tearing my silk while cleaning out the first color, thus causing me to totally begin again. I mention these two facts because they are my reminders that change/healing/learning take time. Real time not just thinking time but long boring never ending time. As I read your posts and reactions to each other or I miss your posts and reactions I know that you are each working at fast as you can, absorbing the information gained from reading or events and that you will share when you can. This is not an excuse to stop posting but an reason to post. I want to know what the stumbling blocks are , what is haunting you, where are you stuck. It is all good. Really.
Last week I had to have my knee drained and then injected with cortisone. A very painful reminder that I was doing too much, going too fast...not allowing my body to accept the requirements of time.
For this week I am asking each of you to play devils advocate when reading or researching. Challenge the facts, compare the facts presented to your experiences, your history. Believe in your stories.
Hey you all, glad to be back, enjoyed your writings last week about home and community, fiber art, and special needs art communities. Last week I was arranging plans for Door #2 with my community of friends in New Mexico. This community consists of my Benedictine monk friends at Christ in the Desert Monastery. One of the monks (Brother Francis) is a classically trained painter from Peru. He and I discussed the idea of what to paint on the door that best represents their community which I am part of. I plan to go back over Thanksgiving break to begin painting with the monks. While there we also talked about the idea of building a labyrinth so we are researching labyrinths around the world. I have been involved personally with this community for over 10 years and make a pilgrimage of seeing them at least once a year. Lisa and I are also oblates to this particular monastery, which basically means we try to live by the rule of St Benedictine that calls us to lead a simple life of prayer and service to others.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing your finished doors David. Are you going to disply them on the wall or have them free standing in door frames, or some other kind of display? I think it would be really interesting and interactive if they were exhibited as a series of doorways to be walked through, open and closed. Passage as experence, experence as self reflection.
DeleteThis sounds like such an amazing opportunity for everyone involved. I can't wait to see the final results. What ways are you thinking about documenting and sharing the process of the doors? If any...
DeleteDaniel, Carleen, and Andrea the door project is taking off and I am so excited! I have up to six doors now and each has an interesting story on how I found them. The people that are connected with them have been just as fascinating. Daniel, I have the thought of installing the doors in a circle with the outside representing what it is like to be outside of community “not belonging” and the inside of the circle representing being part of a community “belonging.” I also thought of creating a path using stones where people walk toward the first door with a “welcome” mat on the floor. I also thought of having a labyrinth taped off on the floor for people to walk while they are in the circle of community, which is more of a contemplative process. There will be an exit door, which will probably be the one from the monastery.
DeleteCarleen I am taking photos to document the process and also keeping a written record. Also, Andréa It is a challenge to keep it simple. Athough, I have found that if I make the conscious effort of giving my self time outs through out the day to reflect, it seems to help me slow down. How I start my morning seems to be the most pivotal part of keeping balance.
Might enjoy Kathleen Norris -poet who became a Benedictine oblate
DeleteAfter going for a retreat.
DeleteI am very excited to hear these stories!! This is such a great idea!!
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DeleteThank you Lynn, I will be putting "The Cloister Walk" by Kathleen Norris on my reading list.
DeleteGreat idea to have a outside view and an inner view, how true for all of us.
DeleteDavid,
DeleteThis project sounds like a fantastic way to connect to the Christ in the Desert Monastery in New Mexico and it's origins and beliefs. I am most curious to learn about the ideals and imagery that is particularly relevant to their community. Will you be working with Brother Francis directly? If so, I hope you can share about his philosophies regarding the doors and the spiritual journeys that have shaped this monastery. I will be most interested to see the imagery and symbolism and connections to faith and religion through these doors of introspection and meditation.
I also can't wait to see the doors! I was going to ask so many of the same questions I have none to ask! I love that you choose to live a simple life, I think that speaks volumes of the type of person you are! I hope that I too can't eventually get to that point in my life!
ReplyDeleteThis week I had chosen to dive in to Brene Browns book Daring Greatly.. And found I was just so exhausted from all the work I have done mentally and emotionally I was just too drained to dive into something heavy again. I needed a break... I tried a couple other books and just couldn't find the will power to read those either... So this week I rested.. I read for pleasure something to take my mind off things. I realized this week, I feel completely scatter brained and all over the place, mainly because I am not in a routine like I have been previously have been, not in my own living space, as Carson and I are living with My parents while I save money to buy us a home of our own, hopefully by early next year. My goal this month is to really get us back to somewhat normal as far as a routine and our daily tasks, although I am enjoying the freedom of being single and working on myself as well as Carson, I think we both greatly need some order to the choas that has seemed to take over the last couple of weeks. I am hoping that I can start my next book by this weekend and will feel somewhat rested and more healing will have been done.
ReplyDeleteAndrea, there are times that I have found myself in the same situation. Rest/healing is definitely key to pushing through this. Looking forward to hearing about your readings soon!! :)
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DeleteThank you! I am definitely feeling the BLESSINGS beyond measure! I joined a bible study and the first session was last night its titled "Girls with Swords" How awesome is that!!!!!! It was great to be surrounded by 70+ women that are so supportive and have a love for Christ! It was an awesome evening of fellowship! I am definitely looking forward to more me time, and more quality time with Carson! the freedom to do what we want or do nothing has been so relishing! Thank you for the support!
DeleteCyclical process of creativity fallow and fruitful
ReplyDeleteFor Carlene--
ReplyDeleteAlthough not fiber per se but textile-ashmolean is a fun and funky very very old museum -started sort of as an enlightenment collection of one man --it used to feel as if you blew off dust on shoe boxes to see the artifacts and that the mummy would see you at any moment from out of a tomb discarded in the corner. Now it's truly a testimony to contemporary engagement.
Exhibitions: The Eye of the Needle: About
About the Exhibition
The Eye of the Needle will display, for the first time in public, a selection of eye-catching, virtuoso 17th-century embroideries from the internationally renowned Feller Collection, together with outstanding examples from the Ashmolean’s own holdings.
These remarkable embroideries include colourful raised and flatwork pictoral panels, beautiful samplers and household items such as boxes and cushions and dress accessories including caps, coifs and gloves.
The exhibition will explore the context in which these dramatic and technically exacting works were made, examining their importance in creating the ideal goodly and godly woman through the discipline of painstaking embroidery, reinforcing both social status and appropriate behaviour.
Exquisite objects in their own right made with colourful silks, pearls, and semi-precious stones, the embroideries also reflect the religious, political and social concerns of the English Civil War period.
The Eye of the Needle is curated by Dr Mary Brooks, University of Durham.
Oh my word!! This is so amazing. I wish I could hop on a plane today to catch this exhibit. Thank you so much for sharing!!
DeleteSame here! I wish I could be there to see these gorgeous pieces! WOW!
DeleteThe shakers would say when one was praying for another
ReplyDeleteI will surround you with light--
Is that not a halo?
May I help you with your halos?
It's amazing where this class takes us.
ReplyDeleteDavid's project makes me think that we are all doors and we each open up new ideas to each other.
Thank you Daniel and Lynn for your art and artist inspirations. I really appreciate it! Your information that you both gave me led me down a rabbit hole to seek for more local classes I can take.
It started with finding two embroidery based artists one is named Louise Gardiner who does primarily machine embroidery but develops these rich floral textile designs as she treats her stitches like brush strokes to create amazing compositions.
http://www.lougardiner.co.uk
The next artist I found who does mostly hand work is named Adriana Torres. I was very much drawn to her illustrative, almost children's book style of hand embroidery.
http://www.migadepan.com.ar/
Finding her led me to finding about a retreat for makers called The Makerie - this is an amazing weekend retreat where artisans (primarily fiber based) come together to sew and create. I was just a couple weeks late of attending their most recent one (which was taught by Adriana Torres) however there is one in April in Philadelphia that I may try and attend.
Being sad that I missed the most recent retreat only lasted momentarily for then I found Creative Bug. http://www.creativebug.com
Have you guys heard of this? It's full of video workshops and lessons. It does cost for a subscription, but they have free classes that I'm going to try before I pay for anything. I just love the journey that this bit of research took me on this week.
This week reminded me that what we have to learn is limitless.
I have also signed up for embroidery kits that will be sent to me every month, which will help improve my embroidery skills. Hopefully my first one will come this week.
DeleteThat's very cool--
DeleteCarleen, the embroidery kits sound amazing. I love that you are exploring new processes and forced creativity in a way. I think that is such a valuable learning tool!
DeleteThat's awesome! that's what I love about this class as well! We open doors for each other or drop ideas that you never know could be an inspiration or what road it may take us down!
DeleteLast week was total chaos for me...I have been feeling very stressed and under appreciated at work (not teaching, but coaching) and I have found stress relief in the form of exercising and playing pick-up basketball games at the park. Well, everything must have caught up to me because I ended up dislocating my right knee cap while playing early last week. Because of my work schedule, I barely had the X-ray and MRI done and am still awaiting the news.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I was able to read two articles (one published in 1996 and the other in 2008) by Richard E. Mayer, who has done notable research in the applications of Psychology in Education. To summarize, both articles touch base on research done with the design of multimedia instruction and how visuals are beneficial to positive learning outcomes. Mayer does explain that by shortening/summarizing key concepts in lessons while including (simplified) visualizations, lessons promote retention. Looking through the high school textbooks I was able to check out last week, I did see the attempt of Mayer’s “multimedia summarization” in each of the chapters. Unfortunately these books still contain wordy passages sometimes lack multimedia in some key concepts.
I think that I would like to take a lesson from two or more subjects and redesign them….what does everyone think about that?? I understand that this falls under design, but isn’t art just as important in graphic design? Although Mayer explains that the visuals should be very simple, I still believe that they could be much more artistic to help pull a student into the lesson. If I have time, I would love to do one for each core subject. I took two years of Graphic Design and kept all of my textbooks we used…so I will be going through those to help me with my designs. I also am planning on contacting one of my Graphic Design professors to ask him if he would recommend any contemporary book design resources.
As for the teacher textbook survey, I still have yet to get administrative permission to send it out. I wrote an e-mail but have yet to receive any response, so I plan on meeting with an AP early next week. I think it’s a great idea to offer a survey for the students as well!! I plan to bring this possibility up to my AP and maybe create a hard copy for the students to fill out. I can probably do this for each of my own classes, but I feel like if the student were given the survey in the core class, they would be able to actually look through their textbook while filling it out. I’m sure this would create a much more accurate account of their opinions.
I love this idea of redesigning lessons, or books to make them more visually attractive.. drawing the students in. Isn't that what we need to do more of?? Getting the students connected? making connections between the material presented and their lives, only makes them want to participate even more.. or giving them some sort of choice in the lesson, helps give them control of their learning! I can't wait to see what you come up with!
DeleteAna, look into how Architecture presents some of it project. I have been totally blown away by how they include history of land/myth of land/ art from the land/ art about the land in their presentations. It is always on more levels than I would have thought. Good work...go for it. You already see it in your art/heart so now you just have to form it for the rest of us.
DeleteGood luck with the knee.
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DeleteThat is a great point! Why do we study the above mentioned and not LGBTQ artists? I think fear is a leading issue, people are afraid to offend, or maybe its lack of knowledge? I have found when people refuse to go to a concept or a person, its because they just don't want to get involved.. maybe thats why? I know for me its a lack of knowledge and being afraid to ask questions for not wanting to offend or not knowing how to ask questions or find out information.... just thoughts....
DeleteWhen I ask about the "need" to be over the top of a wonderful gay architect, he helped me understand at least a little the situation as this: when you have a history of hiding or being hidden the opportunity to finally say what you want to say goes to all the suppressed areas we all hold within. Sexuality being the most obvious. For me it was when I accepted who I was and so not need to ware a bra, and no need to hold back on my sexual desire. We all have issues/ needs that because of family/religion/ society/school we hide or hold back. This need is important to be heard and respected. My hope is that at sometime we see it all as human nature and not gay nature.
DeleteGreat summary Emily, and very interesting insight about sexuality and its role, or lack in 1950s Art and American identity. While I must view my opinion through the prism of my background and education and fully acknowledge it is not the norm, I feel like LGBTQ Artist that feature their sexuality strongly in their Art are gaining more attention and acceptance in the Modern Art world.
DeleteNow I didn’t feel this way until getting to undergrad, but I feel like the tide is turning on the issue. In some ways you have to look for it but at times these Artists on what was considered the fringe of society, Homosexuals, Native Americans, Black and Latinos, and so on, are coming to the for-front both in society and in the Fine Arts world.
Last year there was a huge Glenn Ligon Exhibit at the Fort Worth Modern. His identity, Homosexual African American, plays a huge role in his Art and it is very direct and in the open. That the Fort Worth Modern had a huge installation of his work speaks to this moving trend.
This week I started my next sculpture. I am creating a sculpture based on my grandmother. My grandmother became a widow around age 30. She had 3 children under the age of 9 and raised all 3 of them on her own. She never asked for money from anyone. She even put them all through college. I respect her more than anyone I know.
ReplyDeleteThis sculpture will be based on her and my memories of visiting her. When I was little, we would chase the bunnies in her yard every night on our visits to her house. So my plan is to create a sculpture of her leaning over a fence to feed 3 little rabbits. The fence will be glass, the woman will be clay, and the rabbits will hopefully be my first attempt at a mixed media of clay and glass. The rabbits represent her 3 children, the fence will represent the struggles that she had to rise above, and the woman sculpture will be her.
I’m hoping to get into a new book on a sculptor next week for more inspiration.
Wow! I can not wait to see this!! I love that you are using mixed media and I love the use of rabbits! *duh!
DeleteThat's wonderful
DeleteI am with Carleen, I can not wait to see this. Martha,you have an amazing grandmother who takes time to create unforgettable memories. Your use of clay and glass has me want to know more about the process.
DeleteMartha, can't wait to see this come together. I am really looking forward to see how you bring together the ceramics and glass.
DeleteI too look forward to your final piece! How are you doing the glass? what is your process? glass blowing? or molds? just curious!
DeleteAndrea, I'm just making molds of clay positives to cast the glass in.
DeleteMartha,
DeleteThis sounds so exciting. Creating beautiful works of art to honor those who have encouraged us and loved us through how they chose to live their life - even in difficult circumstances.
I can't wait to see this, too. Sounds like it will be a fitting homage to a great woman.
DeleteI have been reading about social class as not only a predictor of vegetable consumption but which vegetables. Why are cucumbers consumed
ReplyDeleteMainly among the poor? Is it immigrants?
ReplyDeleteI wonder? A perplexion. How will this tie into painting?? Possibly in a very silly way
Orange juice consumed fairly equally among all .
Apple juice not in the wealthy.
Eating healthy is expensive compared with how cheap eating artificial, GMO, synthetic and so on is becoming. I listened to a really interesting story about Fritz Haber, the German Jewish chemist and noble prize winner who created the process by which we create nitrogen, a key element for crop fertilizer. Haber was a very interesting guy, he helped bring crop production to its current industrial levels bringing life giving food to billions. He later helped invent mustard gas to help the German war effort during the stale mate of World War One. Point is his process is credited with the process that feeds half the world’s 7 billion people today, without it we would likely be facing either a food supply crisis or much, much lower levels of population growth.
DeleteLove the idea of vegetables as a class issue. Potatoes come to mind. I wonder is it is also how they are cooked or served and how often are they consumed. What a wild research strand.
DeleteThis makes me think of your paintings and being in a "safe place" and how food can become that safe place - comfort FOOD!
DeleteHello class!
ReplyDeleteSorry for my absence from the blog but the last two weeks have been insanely stressful at work. I contacted my good friends from the program to vent and to here their advice. Jason, bailey, and Liz have been a great help this semester and I thank them for their great advice about my work situations.
This week I began to read "The Street Art Book". The first chapter interviews a handful of street artist and asks them about the label "street artist" and if they believe it is a correct description of their work. I found it interesting that the majority of the artist did not like the label and would prefer to be know as just artist. Many of the artists started their careers as graffiti artists and later mixed their fine art background into their street background.
Oddly enough while I was reading last week my uncle called me. I have explained a few times on the blog that my uncle is a graffiti pioneer in Los Angeles. I brought up the discussion of street art and if he believe the movement was different from graffiti and gallery work. My uncle Jack explained to me that when he was a kid during the 70s, graffiti was a rebellious act and certain techniques were only taught amongst friends and family. He went on to say that kids now just use google and learn all the tricks of the trade without putting in their dues. Art has benefited greatly from technology but the easy access to techniques and process has created an influx of cookie cutter "street artist". I know in Houston every suburban kid that can make a wheat paste or stencil thinks they are a tagger but cannot control a spray can properly to save their life. I believe that the rebelliousness that graffiti once held is slowly fading away with the street art movement. I asked my uncle what his thoughts were about graffiti on canvas inside gallery walls. In his opinion graffiti is no longer powerful once put onto canvas because there is no rebellion in that act, but if you start to incorporate fine art with graffiti on canvas it takes on a different meaning. You are not being rebellious because you are breaking the state law but are breaking fine art laws. It is well know that graffiti and street art is seen as low brow by the art establishment. People who create artwork in this manner are typically scene as folk artist or thugs by most gallery owners. By incorporating graffiti elements and fine art you begin to challenge the belief of what high brow art is.
I am glad that my uncle gave me a call that night. My readings this week and his advice have cleared a lot questions about my work. My last few paintings had me questioning if applying graffiti to my canvas artwork was seen as commercialization. I have stretched some ideas for my next paintings and I am interested to see if I could executed them. I am also thinking of a way of incorporating my uncle's artwork and letters into my thesis exhibition.
Wow! Its awesome when we need those words of advise or that push in the right direction we get it when we least expect it but need it the most! I love that! I love that you ask questions and that you question where your art stands.. I often do the same without much validation from other artist, but mainly from friends and family. I love that he pushes you to break through the laws of fine arts and put graffiti on canvas and to push those limits that are set forth but LIMIT us and the creativity we want to explore and put into images! I hate competitions, galleries, museums, etc that put LIMITATIONS on art! How can you put a limit on someones creativity???? isn't that the point? This goes for titles as well... why do we have to put limits on what the artist is? Realist? Street Artist? Abstract Artist? what about the artists that dabble in EVERYTHING.... what title would our society give us? Why can't we just be an Artist! period!
DeleteReally interesting insight about the progression and incorporation of graffiti and the Art establishment brought up here Jermain. What is the real goal of the act, I think that’s a great question. Is it about expression or rebellion, and if the establishment accepts you, does that take away the meaning of the act?
DeleteKids from the burbs coming in town to put up their work is odd too, because they are coming to a place other than where they live and making points in another population’s environment. The influx of stencil work, literally cookie cutter, speaks to graffiti and or street art success but does it take away from the Art form? Is that just a bit hipster / elitist, which is in some ways becoming what you hate/ rebel against?
The point about technique and paying dues is particularly important given the broad access to the internet now. A few years ago only certain people had access to high speed internet, but now most have smartphones and Wi-Fi is everywhere for free.99. If someone has something to say does it matter how they gain the knowledge to express it? Or does the journey of knowledge acquisition still hold an important part of the Artist experience?
Great post Germain
The talk with your uncle is first hand research. Much better than a book or anything on the internet. I love the idea that you are rebelling within the gallery system which you know is based on making money, not making great art....good art maybe but not art that breaks the rules. Great work.
DeleteI found the comment on "paying dues" very interesting. I often feel like I put my students through the long way of learning things so that they can "pay their dues." In reality though, the journey is half of the battle. At some point, artists need to learn the hard way and explore so that they have more understanding of the medium and about who they are.
DeleteGreetings class,
ReplyDeleteI, too have been dealing with life pressures, and was unable to post. I did read your posts, and responded to a few of them. All of you are doing such incredible things with your independent studies and it is very exciting to hear (and see) where they are taking you.
I have to post in two parts as the post is too long for one:
It has been a very busy two weeks since last post. So much can happen in such a short time.
After the news about the death of my daughter’s friend, I ran away to Houston to take my second workshop for this Seminar class. The bookbinding class was scheduled for 4 hours, but they had the wrong information. It was supposed to be two days of classes 4 hours each. Rather than change the dates, they added 2 additional hours on to the class, so it was a bit accelerated. There was so much information that we received in that time I cannot remember everything! We learned two types of bookbinding and made two books in the class. Much of the information was given so quickly (in order to complete the 2 books) that I did not have enough time to take notes for each step. I have made one book on my own since then, but it is not as clean (and straight) as the ones we made in class. The shop had all the equipment necessary to cut the paper, clamp the paper, etc. which I do not have. The instructors had also prepared ahead of time the papers for one of the books by pre-drilling all the sheets for us. The binding for this type of book is called perfect binding. I purchased a hand-made hole-puncher to create more of this type of book, but it only punches a few papers at a time. If I want to make a book with a lot of papers in this style, I would have to measure and mark all the holes on each paper group to see that they are lined up exactly. I can purchase a drill bit specifically designed for this purpose, but have not done so yet.
The second technique that was taught was sewing in “signatures.”
We were shown two different ways to sew and glue the bindings. When I came home and tried to recreate the process, I found that I kept mixing up the two different techniques. I stopped and went back to read my few notes, and also review one of the books I purchased for the class.
One of my chosen readings is “little book of Book Making” by Charlotte Rivers. I had looked through the book before taking this class, admired many of the beautiful creations, but could not understand the process. After taking the class, there are still many types of bindings that are beyond my comprehension, but I was able to utilize one of the examples to recreate a book on my own. I will post images of the three books in a separate post. I will also include the latest book I am making in its partially completed stage. The papers are sewn into their signatures, glued and bound together with binding tape and are being compressed in a hand made book press (two boards and C clamps).
In the bookbinding class we were provided with hand made marbleized papers for the covers. I will be taking a workshop in Houston in early December to learn how to make my own marbleized paper. I am also taking another workshop in Houston in two weeks (Oct 18). In this class I will be learning how to make a book using the Coptic binding technique.
ReplyDeleteThe first weekend of November I will be flying to New Jersey to take a 2-day silkscreen workshop. This class also allows me an additional day to use the print shop facilities on my own. I have been in contact with Pat Steir (one of my professors from Parsons), was hoping to meet with her during my trip, but she will be in Italy at that time. I also contacted the MOMA and have made an appointment for a private viewing of 15 works of art. They will allow me 3 hours to look at works by Pat Steir and Louise Bourgeois in their print room. They have sent me a list of the printed works that they have of Ms. Steir’s from which I can choose. As they have many works of Ms. Bourgeois, I have not yet made any decision as to which of her works I want to look at up close. I am hoping to be able to view some of her hand-sewn books. They do not have any works by Vera Neumann (the third artist that I am studying).
I am very excited about this trip to New York. There will also be an opening of Louise Bourgeois at a gallery that weekend, so I will be viewing some large works of hers. Although her large pieces are not what I am focusing on, I want to see this show. The next three weeks will be packed between my teaching, our online class, and the workshops.
This year, I splurged and gave myself a treat. I purchased season tickets to the Dallas Symphony. I am situated in the choral terrace, which is behind the musicians. Not only do I get to hear beautiful music, I get to watch the conductor close up and see his expressions and his hand movements as well as close up views of the musicians. I sketch the musicians and conductor in a hand made leather bound sketch book (Coptic stitching) that I purchased at an art fair last Spring. One day I hope to be able to make books as beautiful as this one as I learn the different techniques for binding. Last week a woman approached me during intermission. She asked if she would be able to interview me for her school newspaper and include one of my drawings. I will be answering her questions this week.
WOW Pamela! you are definitely staying busy! I love that you get a private session to look at artworks that inspire you! that is beyond amazing!
DeleteI found with my leather journals that I took a little of this way and a little of that way and found a way that I enjoy and that is not entirely tedious that I don't want to make them for pure enjoyment! Find a way that works, experiment and make the process your own and then it will work best for you and your journals!
I love that you sketch while at the symphony I too have sketched while enjoying the beautiful captivating music and it just enhances the experience by so much more! I think you truly hear the music differently when you are drawing then when you are just watching, for whatever reason it changes it. It has been awhile since I have been, thank you for inspiring me to attend another symphony and I may go alone so that I can experience it in a new way! I look forward to meeting you in person and being able to share!
Great work. Exactly what an independent study about...your journey where ever it may take you. The real work is how you use the infomration.
DeleteWow Pam! I am so jealous! Your trip to New York sounds amazing! I love how proactive you are with your research and how you really don't limit yourself by your location, you go the extra mile to do your research. How exciting!
DeletePamela, I can't wait to hear about your New York trip! I love that you are exploring so many interesting artists and ideas up close. I am very excited to hear about the viewing of the work in NY and I hope to see you do some prints soon :)
DeleteThis week I was showing my students a picture of the wood blocks that you and Carleen did over the summer. They were amazed!
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DeleteTo Future and my classmates, I want to apologize for my very late entry this week. For those of you who know me, I am a perfectionist and have particular ways to address and resolve challenges efficiently, correctly and timely. Oftentimes, without very careful time management, that approach can get me in trouble in a variety of ways. I am a Technician responsible for B12-B14 (and a multitude of ongoing duties), am a Teaching Assistant for Andres Peralta’s Art 4362 class, I’m spending as much time as I can in the LHUCA Clay Studio, and I am a full time graduate student here at Texas Tech. I am not a full-time teacher as most of the students in this class, but I can relate to the workload somewhat. I am writing submittals via APA style for my ESPY 5323 class (Cultural Foundations of Education) more than ever before. Thank You for your patience with me.
ReplyDeleteAs I contemplate, write and submit this week’s submittal regarding special needs through Art, this subject matter has been very difficult for me as I have mixed rationales of discussion on many levels. This book was a difficult read as there are so many different methodologies and conclusions explained in the text. Having said that, my submittal this week is from the book “Reaching and Teaching Students with Special Needs in Art” by Beverly Gerber and Doris Guay (Editors) for the National Art Education Association.
As Daniel Rodriguez commented last week to my submittal, special needs students and their societal contributions in art education, are on the rise in schools today. I certainly believe this to be true, the tide of change for societal acceptance of special needs individuals is, thankfully, changing. But not nearly fast enough.
One of the significant ideals expressed early in this book is the rise of psychology to gradually change attitudes about education for those individuals with disabilities. There has been increased emphasis on what students can do rather than what they can’t do. Psychology (today and always), brings an increased understanding of mental illness, mental insufficiencies and other impediments that are addressed through learning, rehabilitation, medicine and technology. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) established in 1990, has made significant changes to fortify partnerships, increased attention to the individual transition plan and increased access to educational programs. Perhaps it seems simple to propose these developments years ago, but in reality, their true significances are indeed recent. There are so many bureaucratic stipulations in education that tangle issues of new developments (that are improvements from failures and disappointments years ago) than suppress new paradigms to reach the special needs individuals.
There are numerous pedagogies discussed in this book..from troubleshooting rationale and the lessons learned 10 years ago, to the emphasis of open-ended art lesssons to the Individual Education Plan (IEP). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) determined that one of the participants in the IEP must consist of a regular classroom teacher. This is significant. President Bush implemented the rationale of “No child left behind”. Beverly Johns established self-understanding lessons by making clay faces and heads, sculpture memorials, an Egyptian mural (as a road map for the spirits), and mummies. Other successful projects of hers were self-portraits and redesigned old shoes. The conclusions from these lessons is that the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. The special needs students are to find avenues of self expression that they can connect to from their own histories. My perception of processes is to clearly establish steps and procedures for the special needs individuals to encourage their further development of mental and motor skills.