This is so much fun to read how each of you are exploring and discovering new avenues for your personal research. I will continue to respond to each posting during the week with new comments to begin each week. I want to challenge each of you to begin asking questions of one another about your work. Not nasty mean spirited questions but questions you would ask a friend over coffee. Think of ways to push each other a bit and allow for deeper responses.
I thought long and hard about my reaction to Lynn's comments on museums and realized around 5 am that my venting was in reference to the Tech Museum and not any museum I have visited recently. My personal history with the Tech Museum working as a security guard/exhibit designer/assistant to the director/curator of art was an intense experience that was my exposure to public education in a non traditional venue. I continue to take it personally when I go to the museum and see what it has become vs what I know he was on the verge of becoming. So, dear Lynn I apologize for using your wonderful information as a platform for my bitterness.
Some thoughts on my work. The process of going through thousands of slides was overwhelming. I set the pace of one box a day (file boxes jammed backed with little slide boxes) because i knew that if I had all the boxes (10 in all) in front of me I would never begin, just as I had not touched them over all these years. One box a day was doable. As I literally held each slide to the light I was thrown back in time to when I created the work and all them emotions that contributed to work. My work has always been romantically autobiographic....stories from real mixed with fantasies and dreams. These stories returned with all their tears, laughter, fears, daydreams, hopes, regrets, longings, meanderings, musings, mishaps, and secret desires.
I had little plastic containers to hold the various groupings: artist books, prints, dolls, alters, sculptures, paintings, drawings, and installations. What become very obvious was that no matter what form my work took I was still telling stories. Sometimes as with my dolls the stories were hidden or so obscure that they became one story. I found works I had totally forgotten . Never a print or book, because I believe the time it takes to pull a print or make a book is too intense to forget, but many paintings/drawings and a few alters. Odd to see a work I knew I had made but had not thought of in 20 years. The other revelation was that all my installations were/are based on being an Adult Child of an Alcoholic. Never, ever realized this very obvious fact till this process. Mind blowing.
I am beginning with my artist books. My book of little books. The slides are in the VRC at Tech and they are slowing being transferred. Seems this service has always been available but only the art historians use the service. Now I have to begin writing the stories about the books.
One bit of advise. Document now! Take the time to record your work. Your efforts deserve the time it takes.
Future,
ReplyDeleteI do not hear bitterness in your response to my post--no apologies are necessary. For me you are the wise, kind, warm and loving scholar and artist I have grown to respect and admire and look to as a wayfinder.
The NEA's finding --physical bodies in museums, at operas and ballets--numbers are down. Visual arts are fairing better than performing. But the population engaging in electronic media for culture and arts are up
ReplyDeleteSummary is below:
Key Findings
This initial analysis of the 2012 SPPA shows that large segments of the U.S. adult population reported taking part in at least one kind of arts activity. A closer look at the data reveals subtle shifts in demographic and behavioral patterns that occurred since 2008, the previous survey year.
Art and Electronic Media
ReplyDeleteMore than two-thirds of American adults (71 percent or 167 million) accessed art via electronic media, including TV, radio, handheld or mobile devices, the Internet, and DVDs, CDs, tapes, or records.
Music viewing and/or listening is the most popular form of media arts participation—whether on TV, radio, or the Internet. Fifty percent of adults used TV or radio to watch or listen to music, and 29 percent used the Internet to watch, listen to, or download music.
Mobile devices appear to narrow racial/ethnic gaps in arts engagement. Whether listening to music, looking at a photo, or watching a dance or theater performance, all racial/ethnic groups show roughly the same rates of engagement via mobile devices.
Attending Arts Events and Activities
Nearly half of the nation's adults (49 percent or 115 million) attended at least one type of visual or performing arts activity. Fifty-nine percent of adults attended at least one movie, an activity that increased substantially among most demographic subgroups.
Musical play attendance saw the first significant drop since the 1985 SPPA: a 9 percent rate of decline from 2008 to 2012. Non-musical play attendance fell at a 12 percent rate over the same period. Museum-going also saw a decline: 21 percent of adults (or 47 million) visited an art museum or gallery in 2012, down from 23 percent in 2008.
Non-white and Hispanic Americans saw no declines in their arts attendance rates from 2008 to 2012; on the contrary, they even saw increases in some categories. In 2012, African Americans outpaced whites' attendance rates at jazz events.
Festivals show promise as entry points to the arts. One in four younger adults (ages 18-24) attended an outdoor performing arts festival in 2012, up from 22 percent in 2008.
Art-Making and Art-Sharing
About half of the nation's adults created, performed, or shared art of various types. Social dancing is the most popular form of art-making or art-sharing; nearly one in three adults (32 percent) danced at weddings, clubs, or other social settings. Young adults and Hispanic Americans are the most avid dancers; 40 percent of 18-34 year olds and 36 percent of Hispanics reported social dancing.
One in four adults (26 percent) e-mailed, posted, or shared photography in 2012. One in five adults (21 percent) e-mailed, posted, or shared music. Fifteen percent shared their own photos, and 13 percent shared film or videos. Thirteen percent did photo editing, and 12 percent did photography for artistic purposes.
In this category, the fiber arts were among the most popular. Thirteen percent of adults reported participating in weaving, crocheting, quilting, needlepoint, knitting, or sewing in 2012. Twelve percent of adults played a musical instrument. Nine percent reported singing, either alone or with others, and 8 percent created leatherwork, metalwork, or woodwork.
Reading Books and Literature
More than half of American adults read a work of literature or a book (fiction or nonfiction) not required for work or school. However, adults' rates of literary reading (novels or short stories, poetry, and plays) dropped back to 2002 levels (from 50 percent in 2008 to 47 percent in 2012).
Older Americans (65 and older) now have higher rates of literary reading than any other adult age group.
Go Fiber Arts!
DeleteSeriously though, really interesting data. It really makes me look at myself and where I stand on the spectrum.
Should I be sharing more? Do I over share? Am I involved in a community that encourages share and growth?
Maybe these are good questions for all of us.
I saw a video by James Kochalka, he is a comic book artist that my husband loves, he is also in a band. (my husband does these things too, that's probably why he is such a fan of his!) - Anyways he did this little video on creativity and your data made me think of it so I thought I would share..
http://vimeo.com/104754995
Those in the creative world usually do more than one thing well. I know for me it's wanting to learn everything, but not being a master at any of them.
I am right there with ya,
DeleteThe information also lets you know what numbers you can expect for marketing
I am making my intern watch the video right now
It's Grapefest in grapevine right now.
Wow! I was thinking the same thing Carleen.. how and where do I fall in the numbers? It does make you think! Thanks for sharing all the great info! Makes me want to do more and share more with my students!
DeleteCarleen, Thanks for sharing that vimeo. I plan on having my students watch it as well this week!
DeleteThanks, Carleen! I will be sharing that video with my students as well. In a college prep school environment, my students get deer in the head lights looks about trying things outside of their comfort zone. The students who know me, know I will be extremely honest with them. When I tell them to redo a project or resolve a problem in a work, it is for their good. I am constantly pushing my students to look at new resources and new artists that will challenge them to think more deeply.
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DeleteArts Education
ReplyDeleteAs of 2012, roughly half of all adults had experienced some arts learning at some point in their lives, whether through classes or lessons, in or out of school, or outside of formal instruction. But disparities persist by gender, race/ethnicity, and level of general education. For example, a college graduate is nearly twice as likely to have taken an art class or lesson in childhood than a high school graduate (59 percent compared to 32 percent). Meanwhile, adults of all racial and ethnic backgrounds reported similar rates of taking arts classes or lessons in the last year.
The most popular classes adults reported taking in childhood (in or out of school) were voice training or playing an instrument (36 percent), visual arts (19 percent), and art appreciation or art history (18 percent).
A new, more inclusive question about arts education reveals more arts participants than before. Fifty-six percent of adults reported that they received arts education at some point in their lives—whether through classes, lessons, or through informal instruction (from friends, family tradition, or teaching oneself). This compares to the 49 percent who reported having taken formal instruction (a class or lesson, in or out of school) at some point in their lives. The most popular informal learning experiences were voice training or playing an instrument (18 percent), dance (16 percent), photography or filmmaking (13 percent), and music appreciation (11 percent).
- See more at: http://arts.gov/news/2013/national-endowment-arts-presents-highlights-2012-survey-public-participation-arts#sthash.IABkYd6z.dpuf
Great information Lynn. Do it also going into raising cost to attend events? museums? or events?
DeleteAnd I always go back to engagement or excitement with folks who are the front line (guards/docents) or ones who have attended before. I am not a good sample because I love live over recorded in any form.
And thank you for allowing my venting.
Several museums have take away their entrance fees
DeleteAnd as you probably know if you have ever talked to me--the met is free to enter (they just don't want you to know it)
Lynn,
DeleteI have to print out your posts. There is so much information I want to digest, and I find it difficult to do in this posting format. I am of the "old school" and so used to holding a book in my hands and being able to read back and forward to allow information to settle in and the online format is a struggle for me. I usually copy and paste the posts that many of you write into a word document and print it out. Then I am able to read them, retain the information and respond coherently! Do any of you have this difficulty as well?
Lynn,
DeleteI am happy to report that several of my recently graduated high school students are choosing to continue to take art electives in college.
Lynn that is some really interesting data. I have to admit when I first started reading the numbers they seemed high, until the break down of Arts participation inculded was presented. I found the numbers for accessing music and sharing photography on the internet to be much lower than expected.
ReplyDeleteLook at the NEA report
DeleteThere is a whole section on music and performance.
It might be fun for you
Plus there is a conference in Dallas on museums and digital platforms--that might be a nice networking spot??
Even at the university level music is the king/queen. Partly because of the marching band but mainly because it is for the most part it is very conservative and non confrontational. This is supported by a huge ULI musin system already in place and supported by high schools. Art or at least the art most of teach is confrontational, even when we are presenting art history. What we find exciting about art is exactly what administrators usually fear.
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DeleteThat is a really interesting insight Future, I had never really thought about it in that way but I think you are absolutely right. I don't think Admins have that view by choice all the time, but I think its a defacto result of the nature of Visual Arts. Visual Art is a mirror for reality and society and often times people want to look away from the hard truths. It is easier to listen to a piece of classical music.
DeleteHi! Just wanted to make sure I am on the right page. If the date, for example, says Sept 7, we must make our post by Sept 7. However, we have until Sept 14 to respond to others' posts, correct? Just wanted to stay on track :)
ReplyDeleteYes...it is always in flux but yes.
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DeleteThis week I was privileged to visit my community of special need friends at High Point Village. One of the many things I learn from this community is the gift of welcoming. When I walk through the door I am greeted with hugs, celebration and acceptance. This is a place where great joy resides and also great pain. As we create art together, I discover our humanity, which is a shared atmosphere of where the realities of life are revealed. I able to observe each individual sharing there personal story artistically and visually. “Jaime” shares her desire to be a cheerleader, and “John” shares his story of a hurt relationship desiring to be heard and accepted. The openness and truthfulness of our life stories brings us together and shows us we are not alone in this difficult world. For me personally, one of my biggest challenges in my past is sharing my own pain and joy with community. Over the years, I have discovered the challenge lies in trusting others as well as myself. Being an adult child of an Alcoholic, trusting others is one of the biggest hurtles that I have overcome through the help of a safe recovering community of unconditional love. Creating art has also played a large roll in my recovery and has given me a deeper understanding of self.
ReplyDeleteI relate so much to what your writing about. The book I am reading and working through is about Forgiveness. Forgiving those that have hurt us is one of the hardest things to do. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
DeleteIn Austin there is a group of homeless people that through an organization I am learning more about they are able to go in and paint I think twice a week. I am hoping to get in touch with the lady in charge and see about my 7 AP students taking a trip down to volunteer and see these amazing works of art created by artists from the streets. They are very inspiring. They have a website and facebook page as well, not sure exact addresses of each but the group is called Art from the Streets. Might be something to look into and expand what your already doing. Just a thought....
Wow, what an opportunity to get to make art with specials needs people. At my school, which is an elementary school we have our special needs kids in what is called a 'life skills' class. These kids are luckily integrated into art, music and pe with the rest of the kids. This is the only place they are integrated, and I often wish I had more time to work with them one on one. Every year my 4th grade students are required to make a disability awareness poster (per my districts request) - my first year of teaching this was a big challenge, but now it's something I really look forward to. I hope to teach my students acceptance through art by making our posters and I feel lucky that they get to work next to our life skills students while doing so. I think it helps make the project more meaningful for them...I hope it does at least.
DeleteThank you, Andrea for the suggestion. I have thought about doing art with the homeless, in fact I have worked with the Salvation Army homeless shelter. My wife and I served meals during Hurricane Katrina relief here in Lubbock. In retrospect, it would have been great if I was able to do some art with them to help the time pass. Some people lost everything and I’m sure doing art would have helped them process their loss and grief.
DeleteIn response to last week, Andrea, I appreciate your willingness to share on what you find out about Art Therapy and I am looking forward to learning from your discoveries.
My personal art therapy of late has been my clay throwing class. Working with clay has become a great stress reliever for me and I am fortunate to learn from a wonderful clay artist here in Lubbock.
Carleen, I would love to be in the room when your students are creating these posters. One thing I did with my students through out the year was make sure that everyone had an opportunity to do something with my special needs students. I also made sure we understood the word “empathy” which I translated to what it would be like to “walk in another person’s shoes.” Creating community in my classroom was one of my goals and I am happy to say the kids did a great job incorporating this goal in regards to special needs students.
DeleteCarleen,
DeleteIf you do take the class, maybe you can have your students make the posters with silkscreen?
David,
DeleteI am in the process of throwing away years of accumulated letters, newspapers and magazines. As I do this, I often stop and read some of the articles (more often that I want to, but that is how I am). I found an article on a homeless man who creates art in a program for homeless people. It takes place in a church somewhere in Dallas. I read the article a few days ago, before reading this. Now I have to check if I kept that magazine or threw it away..... it sounded like a good program.
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DeleteDavid,
DeleteWhat a wonderful recognition of the different ways people are either welcomed or neglected in a "community" - whatever that grouping might be. It could be at a gallery opening (where people may not know others besides the artist), a person's home, a school wide event, or any other gathering of people. When any of us walk into a room full of people, whether we know them or not, do they acknowledge us or ignore us? How does that make us feel as people? Last week I went to a gallery show of a friend. I did not know most of the people there. I engaged with a few of them, and they were very open to talking with a stranger. Others were not as open and only wanted to talk with their friends or the artist. Your comment about a welcoming community also reminded me of something that happened to me the week before Sept 11, 2001. I was at a party in New Jersey where I only knew the host and hostess. No one introduced themselves to me. As I can sometimes be bold, I walked up to one of the small cluster groups and tried to become engaged with them. Basically my attempts were ignored, and so I walked away from that group feeling a little rejected, but recognized that it was not about me, but rather their inability to include one who was not of their "group". One of those in that group died the following Monday in the Twin Towers. Whenever I remember Sept 11, I always think of that man.
wow Pamela, I completely understand how you feel, about being rejected when trying to incorporate yourself into a group that is not willing to accept "Outsiders." This happens more often that not to so many. Thank you for sharing that story. I did not know anyone personally, I have visited when they were still in the clean up stages and I have to say how very emotional and moving it was to be there and would love to go back and see the memorial now.
DeleteThere is something incredibly powerful about the healing properties of art. I think it is so incredible what you can encourage the community of special needs to release emotions through their art. My school takes mission trips the week before spring break every year. A few years ago I went to a center in Abilene for adults with special needs. At a last minute request, I was able to teach an art lesson for the adults there and so many of them were able to take these paintings and put them in their rooms to brighten their days. The joy of being able to express themselves was apparent. It was such a beautiful time together! I will not forget it anytime soon.
DeleteDavid,
DeleteI found the article again... and it was from this month's Richardson Living magazine. It is a four page article (with lots of photos of the artwork) about an artist known only as "Donald of Dallas". He has been involved in The Stewpot's Open Art Program. This is a mission of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, "offering a safe haven for homeless and at-risk individuals of Dallas, providing resources for basic survival needs as well as opportunities to start a new life." They also give them opportunities to sell their art, with 90% of the moneys going directly to the artist and the other 10% being used for program support. It is a good read, and it discusses the desire to see these men and women develop not only their creativity, but also to become part of a community "as the feeling of isolation is common among the homeless." If you would like me to scan and send you the article, please post an email address and I will send on to you.
David,
DeleteI am very pleased with your willingness to volunteer and teach art at a homeless facility(ies). There are so many ways to improve lives through making art. This makes my heart smile.
If you are ever in Dallas (McKinney, in particular), there would be great opportunity to teach art classes (You and Lisa) at the Samaritan Inn. This extraordinary homeless facility is located in McKinney Tx., about 2 miles north of Downtown McKinney on Hwy. 5. At that facility, there are single men, women and families that would be thirsty for your teaching. There could be multiple opportunities for outreach. This facility is distinctly unlike any other homeless facility in the southwest U.S. The contact person there is Jill Rix (972)632-1290 X228.
Carleen that sounds like a really great project, and something that could be taylored to any grade or skill level. I might borrow that! Do you have images of the projects?
DeleteI don't have any images yet...but I do have the prezi I made that introduces the idea to kids. Again this is a hard thing to get 4th graders motivated, but I made this prezi which has helped a lot!
DeleteYou can find it here:
http://prezi.com/arsboeo6e6n6/disability-awareness/
Ok so that is one amazing prezi. If anyone has a minute you should check it out because I think that could work for any k-12 classroom. Any not even just Art that could be a segway to just about any creative content area. Thanks for sharing that Carleen, do you make a prezi for every project or just a select few? I try to have slideshows or presentations as often as possible but have never used prezi before, I always wanted to give it a go but now I am doing it for sure!
DeleteI agree with you Daniel the prezi is amazing, great work Carleen. I am going to have share this in a class I teach at Texas Tech.
DeleteCarleen,
DeleteI just watched your Prezi.... it was so excellent. I am going to share it with the Middle School and High School staff before presenting it to my students. I would like to use it as a springboard for my students to think about how they can make a difference in others lives as well as perhaps share their own story. Thank you for sharing this. I, like Daniel have never used a Prezi but would like to learn how to use this as well.
This week I started the book: The Book of Forgiving, The Fourfold Path for Healing ourselves and our world, by Desmond M Tutu and Mpho A. Tutu.
ReplyDeleteAs I started the chapters and reading how this book would work, so many times I wanted to stop, thinking do I really want to dig all this pain, hurt, suffering, memories up once again?? But each time, I answered yes! How will I ever let this go if I don't forgive those that hurt me? The 2 things required for this book are a journal and a stone. I LOVE making leather journals and thought ok I will use one I already made, awesome, then at looking at them, they were just not the right fit for what I wanted/needed for this book, well semester. So while teaching journal/sketchbook making to my students I started making one for me for this book, this class, this process, and also wanting it to somewhat fit into the series I have been working on. I started with the pages, using some handmade paper I bought last year at TAEA wondering all year what I would use it for, well each page was folded and sewn into pages for this new journal, along with some plain white watercolor paper that I went back and added things to so they were not plain white. I do not want this journal just to be a journal but a work of art, something that I am working on, creating inside and letting go of those things that I have carried for so long. Now to the stone. This summer in Junction, I think it was the last week we were there, I picked up a stone and it was so smooth on one side and a little bumpy on the other. For some reason I could not put this stone down, I put it in my pocket, I carried it around, I left it in my cabinet, picking it up almost daily, and it finally found its way to my car's cupholder where it has been since then. I pick it up almost daily, refusing to let it go. So when this book asked for a stone, I immediately knew which one I would use. I went to my car and got it out, washed it and was ready to use it.
At the end of every chapter there is a meditation, a stone exercise and a journal exercise. The first stone exercise was to carry this stone around for the period of a morning (about 6 hours). I thought to myself, ok that won't be too hard. BOY WAS I WRONG! At first it was easy, but trying to drive with this palm sized, not very heavy stone, or trying to pull my hair back, or demo for my class with a ruler on the board, WOW! That little stone got heavier and HEAVIER and HEAVIER as time went on. By the time I had 1 hour left, I told my AP students what I was doing and why I was carrying this stone, and I could not wait to put this stone down! Finally 6 hours later I laid that stone on my desk and thought WOW that is how much of a distraction, a pain, a heaviness, a nuisance all the unforgiveness I carry daily with me is on the simple things in life. What a great exercise to do and what a great way to show me what I need/want to let go of! As I move through the book the chapters get a little more in depth and more work I need to do. More memories come up and the more I feel the need to write and let go. Needless to say I have a lot of work this week to do in my journal as I continue to move through this book.
On a little bit of a lighter note... Thursday we had our first run through for this Sunday's church service. We were unable to find a wheel, but I found a table top wheel (like a lazy Susan for lack of terminology) that I will be using and hand building a clay pot. When we ran through, those that were sitting in the audience thought it was just as powerful if not more powerful to watch as Mikala sang "Whole Again" what an amazing experience!!!! We have another run through tonight and then a game night with those that are part of the team this week! I am super excited and can't wait to see what God has in store not only during our run through's but tomorrow morning during each service! I am hoping that it will be recording and I will be able to share with y'all the experience!
This morning was the services in which I was apart of and hand built a clay vessel. Words can not express how truly amazing it was to be apart of such an awesome, moving experience. We did a run through Thursday evening, again on Saturday evening and then this morning, before the first service. The first service seemed to fly by, and when it came time for me to enter stage, I was extremely nervous, my hands were shaking the entire time as I added coils to the clay vessel I had already started the previous run through. By the time the song was over and I walked back stage I fell to my knees and sobbed. It was so moving. 13 people accepted the Lord into their heart that service. By the 2nd service I had gained some confidence and was ready to be on stage and see how God would move. It felt so good, so free to be creating a vessel in front of all these people as she sang this song about being broken and becoming Whole Again. Very powerful. 28 people accepted the Lord as their Savior this service. I can not express how freeing, how powerful, how humbling, how moving it was to be apart of God's greater plan, and to also have him work through me and heal me as we went through this service, as chains were broken and hearts began to heal. If I am able to get a recording of it I will share with you.
DeleteHere are the lyrics to the song "Whole Again (Come Alive)" by Lincoln Brewster
DeleteYou know the cracks upon my heart
You saved my tears inside a jar
you see beyond my veiled smile
as a father knows his child
you take all my brokenness
all my hurt and all my mess
every piece in faithful hands
and somehow make me whole again
While time and trust taught me pain
you were there to show me grace
a thousand times I've been let down
but you redeemed the hurt I found
you take all my brokenness
all my hurt and all my mess
every piece in faithful hands
and somehow make me whole again
You breathe upon my weary soul
and I come alive
you breathe upon my weary soul
and I come alive
you breathe upon my weary soul
and I come alive
I come alive
you breathe upon my weary soul
and I come alive
you breathe upon my weary soul
and I come alive
you take all my brokenness
all my hurt and all my mess
every piece in faithful hands
and somehow make me whole again
you make me whole again... whole again....
here is the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFQRoqokGYE
Such a beautiful picture! It is so exciting to see that through your healing, others can be healed as well. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteWhat you are working on, through and (eventually) out of your life is monumental Andrea. Wow. To know that you are helping others work through the difficult life experiences that have been a burden and torment in their lives must bring you joy even as you are also humbled to be able to be used in such a fashion.
DeleteAndrea , you description of the service could have been an art class...think back on those times when everyone is actually paying attention and focused on the demo....how making something out nothing (like a lump) of clay is overwhelming and transforming. The idea of adding beautiful music only adds to the experience.
DeleteThank you Future!
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DeleteI think your doing a great job. I understood it, but I am also in the same boat as you... learning.
DeleteI had a student last year that I had the year before as well, and sent an email to all of her teachers to now refer to her as a him. It was very surprising to me, at first, it was really the first time I had encountered anything like this. I was very unaware. I really had to think when I talked to him to make sure I was appropriate and used appropriate terminology. He was one that was very offended when identified as a "tranny" and preferred to be associated with the male gender. We had several conversations throughout the year that helped me to understand. He related to so many of the pieces I was working on and would just sit and watch or stop by to see what I had done since the last time he had been by my room. It was interesting to watch his life and others around him change, especially as I learned so much more that I felt very clueless about. I still am very clueless but am learning more and more.
Emily, great work. Every year the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Women's Studies programs holds an amazing conference on Women's Studies and GLBTQ issues. Last year the focus was on transgerdering. It is a huge legal issue...they are denied insurance and driver licenses because there is no transgender box for them to check off. And who/how are surgeries covered.
DeleteAnd it would be a wrong to assume that all members of the GL community are supported of the "cutting".
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DeleteHey everyone, I apologize for the delay in comments but I have been having technical difficulties in Blogger! My name is Ana Harvey and I am in my 5th year of teaching at Sidney Lanier High School in San Antonio, Texas. I also coach middle school volleyball and high school basketball. This year I am teaching Art I, Drawing II/III and AP 2-D.
ReplyDeleteTeaching at the high school level has lead me to be able to see the positive and negative impact various visual styles in written resources can have on my students. In the past, I had done research on theoretical science and whether or not visual aesthetics could engage and help students learn the curriculum better. In order to expand my research, I would like to do a few things this semester.
Initially, I chose to focus on Physics and Astronomy because these two subjects have always been a personal interest of mine. I feel that it is important to include Math with Science because these core topics are in high demand. Unfortunately for me, Math is not my absolute favorite subject so this is something I am going to have to spend a little time on.
Secondly, I want to begin looking through various types of textbooks and other written resources that are currently in adoption by public/private schools in Texas. In doing so, I hope to study their overall design choice from written information to charts and diagrams.
I also feel that feedback from Math/Science teachers and students on successful/unsuccessful resources they have used in their classrooms would be important to my research.
My goal is to promote the use of visual arts as a vital reference when teaching the core curriculum. One book that has influenced me is Art & Physics by Leonard Shlain. I would like to see if there are any followers to this type of research as well. Any suggestions???
Ana,
DeleteI believe that you have an outstanding approach to connect visual arts in teaching core curriculum in Physics, Astronomy and the Sciences. Math is a world to it's own, but I'm certain that you can connect it's realm to Physics and Geometry through Math and the Sciences. I applaud your willingness to strengthen your skill in Math, so as to not limit your possibilities of interconnections of the disciplines. Mathematicians would love to pick on you for that, but you are the better individual for seeking paradigms for interfacing the 2 strengths.
I am fascinated to hear about the results you find in adopting texts for public/private schools in Texas. You can make a significant difference, an impact to interconnect Art and the Visual Arts to relate these disciplines with the Sciences to create enhanced learning opportunities for all. I applaud your pioneering spirit and refreshing intent to meld the disciplines to broaden horizons for all.
Ana, there is an older book (1996) that might give you some additional insight..."Art Meets Science and Spirituality in a Changing Economy", From Competition to Compassion". If you cant find it,I will loan you my copy. And welcome to the class!
DeleteAna I think thats a wonderful topic to explore and quite relevant to the current climate & culture of public education. Right now in Lubbock ISD there is a big push for Project Based Learning ( PLB ) in all subject areas and an even greater emphasis on cross cirricular projects that provice relevance and rigor to the cirriculum.
DeleteI have planned a PBL with a friend who is teaching Forensic Science for the first time this year. We are having her students work with my Art 2 Drawing class to work on Artist composite sketches of "suspects" from a fake crime scene. The Forensic Science students will be witnesses to staff members in a crime scene for a brief amount of time (1-2 minutes).
They will then have to work with the Drawing students to create sketch artist renderings of the suspects without disclosing the staff members name. After the sketches are finished we are making wanted posters with tip lines, so students can guess which staff members go with which crimes. Our CTE ( career technology education) cordinator is over the moon about the PBL, and our campus admin is thrilled to get the attention from down town ( central office).
I think this area of research your going to start can really highlight the important and relevance of the Visual Arts to school districts and admins who might not see the importance and value of Art.
Nice to see your name on here, Ana!! I believe we met in Junction this past summer. Did not know about your fascination with science/math + art. Looking forward to what you find! I always like seeing art integrated in core subjects. Gives us yet another reason when we answer students' questions of "Why do we need to do art?"
DeleteGood morning all.
ReplyDeleteToday I am going to a workshop on fabric dyeing – I have been looking forward to this all week. I am pretty sure it is the same class that Carleen is attending! My books started trickling in this week and it feels like Christmas time! Each day another package arrived. It was so much fun coming home to see what was in my mailbox. I have made a quick glance through them and am not sure whether I will be read through one at a time, or a few at once. I was little disappointed with one of the books (Louise Bourgeous). She was such a prolific artist, and the book I ordered was not about her printed works, but some of her sculptural pieces. I could not see inside the book to know what works were included before purchasing. I have not read through it as yet, so may still be surprised upon a second go-through. It is interesting that some of Lynn’s research deals with how much art is being viewed online as opposed to actual visits to museums. Most of Louise Bourgeous work is available to view in a virtual library. This is great for me to use as a research tool of her work, but also frustrating. I want to view her work in person. The sculptural pieces are in museums (I am hoping to get to see some of them in NY in a few weeks) but I think the printmaking and handmade books, which I am most interested in, are only available to view online.
I am excited to hear about the workshop! I feel the same way every time a book comes in!!!! I am sorry to hear about your book that is not what you were wanting but I challenge you to see what or how it can change or give new perspective to your printmaking or fabric! There was a reason you got that book! It may be just what you need and you didn't know it!
DeleteI almost studied that artist this semester! I am excited to hear about your research of her work. I have seen pictures of her spider sculpture and I am in awe of what she did for the time period she was in. She almost overlaps with Beatrice Wood, who I will be sharing about later. That was an interesting time for female artists!
DeletePamela, check with the National Museum for Women in the Arts, in DC.They have wonderful research materials.
DeleteNothing beats an Amazon box on your doorstep after a long day at work! When I looked up Louise Bourgeous most of what I saw was large sculpture like the spider piece Martha mentioned. I would be interested to see what her asthetic in print is like. I tottaly agree with Andrea, that book came to you for a reason.
DeleteWhat a busy day!!
ReplyDeleteI did take the same natural dying class that Pamela was taking! It was fun to see her! The class was great and taught by a woman named Sarah Westrup. I first learned of Sarah through a natural fiber dying workshop she led at a local farm in Denton. This time the class focused on Dye made from Cochineal bugs from Peru! It's not as gross as it sounds. The bugs are dried, and actually smell really earthy and almost like chocolate. In the class we painted with a variety of resists made with alkaline and iron and a 50/50 solution, then we soaked the fabric in the dye and the variety of resists made great bright different tones of the cochineal, which is a rich purple.
I had to leave the class early to teach a community workshop for kids. This had three hands on projects inspired by nature and fall that kids could make with their families. We made tree sculptures, textured leaf watercolors and felt animal masks. I had a great turn out of about 60 kids come and make the projects.
Then I went back to Oil and Cotton to pick up my finished dyed fabrics, they turned out so lovely. I am so excited about the colors, and how the change of mordants can change the color of dye your using.
I am exhausted now and ready for another week of learning! I picked up a kit to make a basket while I was at Oil and Cotton, so I am going to attempt to start that this week too!
Wow you had a BUSY day! Sounds like a lot of fun!!!!! I can't wait to see pics of your dyed fabrics!!!!
DeleteYour colors were beautiful on the dyed fabrics! What are you going to make with them?
DeleteThis was SOOOO FUN!!! I am going to post more how it affected me below.
DeleteNot here... below Martha's post.
DeleteOK, the fundamental question...why natural dyes?
DeleteOk Carleen you just made me feel lazy, THAT IS A BUSY DAY!
DeleteThat sounds like a great program at the community workshop. Your really involved, hats off!
I am interested to see the finished products, any ideas on what you will do with fabric?
Future,
DeleteWhy natural dyes? Because it is an amazing experience to be able to take the food we eat, the berries from bushes, the nuts from trees, leaves of flowers, herbs, etc. and see the incredible and sometimes very subtle color variations found in nature. And it is a thrilling experience to watch the colors form... even as it takes a lot of preparation to make these dyes - it almost feels like a magic trick! When I have the time, I enjoy the "preparation process" before I begin to work on a piece of art. I enjoy the quiet contemplative time when I set up to grind ink on a suzuri stone before painting although I do not always have time to relax and enjoy these processes due to my current life circumstances.
https://plus.google.com/photos/114252974668277038408/albums/6059078839083587617?authkey=COPp3azy8ZXi4wE
ReplyDeleteAbove I have posted a link to an album that I will put pictures of updated works. Things are moving very slowly. The more I work, the more I realize how slow of a worker I am. I am trying not to be frustrated by this because I know it is part of the process.
So far I have completed the dollhouse and will be doing the glass casting of it this week. It will take about 2 weeks to fire, so I won’t see it again for some time. I am also teaching a few students how to cast glass and I am excited to pass along this new technique in my classroom. I am about 75% done with the woman sculpture to go with the dollhouse, however, I’m stuck on the eyes and she looks very creepy with one eye so I didn’t want to post a picture of that!
I recently finished the book about Roxanne Swentzell, Extra Ordinary People. Roxanne Swentzell is a pueblo artist who works with sculpture. Her work is very introspective and explores the collision of her cultural heritage and the modern culture today. Her clown sculptures are the most interesting to me as they are the most animated and I love the design. However, the sculptures of woman who are hiding behind masks and images of bikini bodies were particularly moving.
My goal for the week, assuming all goes well, is to finish the sculpture of the woman and post pictures by next Sunday.
Martha,
DeleteI am so impressed that you have been incorporating what you learned this summer into your program at school! That is fantastic. Do not be hard on yourself regarding the time it is taking to complete your work. As a full-time educator, your day is filled with teaching others and you do not have the time to focus on just creating as you did this summer in Junction. I am looking forward to seeing your pieces!
Martha,
DeleteI too can relate to your methodical processes that create introspection and thus slow me down also in my thinking processes.So much information to analyze and sort, it can be overwhelming at times.
I am very excited to see your cast glass sculpture! You are quite talented and I was quite impressed with your glass pieces in Junction (particularly the woman bust) this past summer. I'm certain that the woman sculpture and dollhouse will tell a beautiful story of craftsmanship and detail of wonderful, expressive stories. Your dedication to form, shape, proportion and detail are impeccable.
Martha,
DeleteI am so in love with the house! Houses are such an important thing for me when it comes to memory. I am so often drawn to dollhouses, and the idea of my childhood house.
I also love the scale of the house. I know it's probably that scale due to the casting process but it also seems important because when we are little our childhood house seems so huge but as we grow up and look back at our house it seems so small. At least that is the case for me. When I go and visit the house I grew up in, it is tiny. As a child though it was my world, it was huge. The fact that your house is small seems impact with how our memory is sometimes bigger than the actual thing. I like the idea that there is no size limit on our memory.
Glad you liked the book. She is one of my favorite artists and you can often find her work in Santa Fe. The first time I saw her clowns I literally stopped in my tracks to stare in window for almost 5 minutes...which is a long time when you are on a side street in Santa Fe. I love that she began using clay because she had a speech difference.
DeleteYes! I was in Santa Fe over summer. I didn't see any of her work in person, unfortunately. There were a lot of things to be inspired by!
Delete"Document Now".... Oh Future...... such important words.... and yet I fear that it shall not happen for a long while in my life as the little time I have to spare after my day work and then more work at home (just trying to clear out and organize my home) that any extra time I have I want to devote to creating more art! Having this class structured as a self directed class is the perfect class for me at this time. I get to read about other artists, go to shows and look at their work and be inspired, and on top of all that I get to go to workshops and create my own art pieces! I cannot be in a M.F.A. grad school program at this time in my life, but the TTU M.A.Ed Program, the Junction Experience and this current Seminar are breathing new life into my creative desires and allowing me to pursue what has been too elusive for more years than I care to think about. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
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ReplyDeleteI keep spelling Louise Bourgeois name wrong, so corrected it in the post and resubmitted it below.
DeleteThe workshop I attended today Painting with Natural Dyes was thrilling. The woman who taught it (Sarah Westrup) is an M.F.A. student at U.N.T. and an excellent instructor. She had some hand made books with her notes on fibre dyes and it has given me some additional ideas for my current direction of different types of printing, fabric/textile printmaking and bookmaking. The building and space where the workshop took place was inspiring as well. I am already signed up for another class, and am considering a third one if it does not conflict with another workshop I am considering. My goal is to take at least one workshop on bookmaking or bookbinding, a silkscreen workshop and/or a printmaking workshop. I have been looking at the Louise Bourgeois book, and am still comtemplating returning it and trying to order a different one, but I may end up keeping it as there are a few pieces in the book that do interest me. I am trying to figure out why the book is disappointing. Is it the quality of the photos? The fact that it is a dull finish and not glossy which makes the images pale looking? There is not much written content, but I will read what is there and see if that changes my initial reaction to the book. I am also going to revisit the quality of the books from the class I took with Future which focused on Basket Making and Beadwork to compare the quality of those books to this one. Perhaps upon further review I will look at the Bourgeois book in a different light and find it more appealing.
ReplyDeleteWorking with a mordant and natural dyes requires lots of sample making and note taking as the process requires a good deal of documentation to see how different materials will turn out when processed with mordants. As this was my first time using this process, I know that I have just barely scratched the surface of this amazing form of painting with natural dyes. Some of the sample dye colors I was able to look at in Sarah's book were created with rosemary, pokeberry, pomegranate, red onions, black beans, avocado and blackberry. She made her sample books with a leather cover, then block printed the names of each vegetable or fruit or bean with an alphabet stamp, and placed a sample piece of dyed fabric onto the page. They were charming!
ReplyDeletePamela! Maybe we need to get together and have a natural dyeing party! I have some alum, and I have done the process with blackberry and coffee by myself. I also have a book we can use for reference. Just a thought! It would be a party to dye for...get it!??
DeleteAlso we could start a book/journal to show the development of the process. Didn't you just love Oil and Cotton?? I want to live there!! They have a spinning class coming up in October that I hope to attend.
DeleteCarleen,
DeleteYes! Let's have a dye party! I absolutely loved Oil and Cotton. I had signed up for another class, paid for it and then realized it was taking place on a day that I have a very important Religious Observance and so had to cancel. I am very disappointed, but hope to try again in the future. In the meantime I have scheduled 2 more workshops, one this weekend in Houston on bookbinding and another in a few weeks also on bookbinding. If we can get together to have a dye party, maybe we can also make a sample book for them!
This past week has been a whirlwind with my 3 online classes here on campus. I guess I’m a bit old school and prefer the traditional classes in a traditional environment.
ReplyDeleteOver the past week, I have been researching the possibilities of formulating my own clay recipe, or to use a clay formula that Roger Holmes would recommend at the LHUCA Clay Studio. In my clay class (architectural clay) this past spring semester 2014 with James Watkins, we used “architectural clay” which was a formula that allowed versatility of workability, yet was strong and smooth. This clay body didn’t have a lot of grog (binder for strength), but it was very conducive to changing shape readily and was very forgiving. I was able to work several hand-built pieces (and wheel thrown pieces) with this clay with great results. I plan on visiting with Roger in the next few days about formulating my own Terra Sigilata or if he would recommend that I not “reinvent the wheel”, using an established clay studio recipe that he might personally recommend.
Daniel, I appreciate/respect your recommendations for me to accept the serendipity of working with clay and formulating glazes. When you and Shelby created the “John Wayne’s Blue” this past summer, you opened my eyes to possibilities of glaze color(s) and texture that I was unaware of previously. It seems no matter how I may try (by being meticulous), there will always be opportunities to learn and grow in Ceramics by accepting the happy accidents just as I would when painting with watercolors. This semester, I must produce works faster than before, and I must be willing to accept the realms of possibilities for creative designs and finishes that I hadn’t dreamt of before. This process is a bit daunting and risky for me, but I know the rewards far outweigh the conservative approaches that I used previously. I am very excited to learn where these journeys will take me in the world of clay.
Hi Rick! I am not that well versed in clay, but when I started the program, I too preferred traditional to online courses. However, having taken ed psych classes online (for my MA's minor) and art ed classes online (like this), I SOOO prefer the art ed classes. I think using blogger and making the class conversational (over the static/formal Black Board) is so much better and you do really get a feel for others and their aura. When I met some of them in person at Junction this past summer, it was really neat to put a tone of voice to the person I already felt I kinda knew :)
DeleteHi everyone! Sorry for the late post, my daughter and I have had strep this past week and its been fun filled to say the least. This past week I received some presents from Amazon in the form of two books on “Craftivisim” and a book called Identity and the Museum Visitor Experience by John. H. Falk.
ReplyDeleteWhile I flipped through the two colorful Craftivism books, the 3rd book seemed like it would lead me to other readings for the remainder of the semester. As such I started off with it over the weekend as I ingested copious amounts of antibiotics.
I didn’t really know what to expect with this book but I was curious to see what it was like since I have an interest in working in a museum setting but have little experience with Museum Science. After reading the first 100 pages it is clear to me that there are a lot of similarities between Museums and public education with regards to clienteles’ vastly different backgrounds, needs, and experiences with the same institution.
The author, John H. Falk, takes the view that some within contemporary museums view the visitor experience as driven by factors such as content and quality of display instead of the individual.
A small excerpt,
“Our inability to more accurately predict the experiences of different visitors derive no so much from a lack of knowledge about museums and visitors, but because historically we have tended to concretely focus on the pieces of the system, rather than think of the system as a dynamic whole.”
I thought this passage was especially relevant to my own experience as a public educator. I think public education is slowly starting to transition to a more inclusive view on how it services its clientele, yet in many ways public Ed. tends to look at individual problems in the system instead of looking at a total picture. Looking at students’ lack of critical thinking skills is rarely viewed through the lens of Art Educations role in the total educational experience; instead teachers in core areas get new strategies, methods, and untold numbers of acronyms.
Another passage I found interesting talked about intent and outcome. Something a classroom teacher knows doesn’t always line up, but is not always a bad thing.
“ Content does drive much of a visitor’s experience in the museum, but by no means all of it. And of course, the content the visitor chooses to focus on may or may not bear much resemblance to what the museum professionals who designed the experience hoped they’d attend to.”
If I had to pick the single most important thing I learned in undergrad with regards to Art Ed it would be flexibility. I think anyone who has spent time teaching Art k-12 students knows that often the most important things a student learns from you and your class have little to do with Art and more to do with life. I would rather a student learn character, humor, compassion, and tolerance from my class than Art Elements and Design principles.
The last thing I wanted to share was a section that summed up important the individual is to the museum experience is, in much the same way as with public education.
“In conclusion, viewing the museum exclusively through the lens of the museum, whether it’s the content or exhibitions and programs, provides a surprisingly small measure of understanding about the museum visitor experience. In large part this is because these variables are passive, they are only made active when they are responded to, interpreted, and processed by visitors. Given how diverse the individuals are who visit museums (insert public schools), it should be no surprise that the responses, interpretations, and resulting mental processing are also diverse.”
I am really enjoying this book so far, in large part because I have always loved going to museums, be it art, history, or natural science. It is interesting to take a step back and see that what I get out of a museum trip is, in all likelihood, vastly different from what my students, friends, family, and the general public might get out of the same visit.
I love that you want your students to take away life lessons vs art elements and design principles. I think that is a very strong statement. I think I also teach my classes this way as well. The school systems have lost so much as far as teaching our students how to be citizens and how to live and rather they have focused on all these stupid tests. Students do not know how to balance a check book, or manage their bank accounts, even write in cursive... so much of the fundamentals that just help us survive in this world they don't know. If we lost all technology they would not know how to survive. It is a very sad thing that our world is coming to. As much as I love technology, I think our world could use less of it and more time in nature and being outside, exercising and climbing trees, riding bikes, family time, reading books. playing with toys or just relaxing....
DeleteInteresting observation. I have long held that we should not give grades for art till college.Really. Just do or don't do art. Enjoy, experiment, explore, fail, succeed....all of it without the pressure of a grade or a system that is so competitive yet so out of touch with what is required in the real world of art. Why do we make art? Why do look at art? Who cares...really who cares?
DeleteAlright lets try this for the third time. My laptop's K and L keys have gone out and I was not successful in using my ipad to submit my post yesterday. After three hours and accidentally erasing my post twice because my chubby fingers hit the wrong key I gave up.
ReplyDeleteI have decided to bounce back and forth between my books during my research this semester. This week I read the first chapter of "Supply and Demand The Artwork of Shepard Firey". The first chapter explains Firey's evolution from simple skater sticker slaps to mass produced vinyl artworks that have gone global. What I took from my reading this week is the process and passion Shepard Firey has for his artwork. His interests for graphic design as a punk teenager skater evolved from hand drawn stickers to gallery quality work because of his constant research to better his form. Shepard Firey's work is based on the psychological concept of Phenomenology, the awareness itself in abstraction from any claims concerning existence. Shepard's Andre The Giant image is used in this manner. The Shepard posted this image in cities across the nation the more aware and annoyed the public became with it. Firey found it ironic that his simple Andre the Giant image disturbed the public but the visual pollution of political and commercial advertising was ignored. I think it is amazing how powerful his Obey image has become.
My art career started as a graphic design major at the junior college level. After three years of working full time and attending school I finished my two year degree. Shortly after I was hired at a mom and pop print shop. I loved my job, we made anything and everything from AT&T ads to bumper stickers to garage sale signs. After two years of designing for this company I was told that I was too artsy and they had no need for a "picasso" to create signs. I was replaced by a cheaper and low qualified designer. Long story short I enrolled into my bachelor of Art Education degree and never looked back. Because of this bad experience I kept graphic design out of my artwork. It almost pained me to produce work on a computer but there was a process I could not stay away from, silkscreen. Silkscreen is one of the few hands on processes a graphic designer uses and I always enjoyed it. Reading Shepard Firey humble beginnings made me realize that I should incorporate my graphic design background into my work. For the last few years I have bounced the idea of creating a silkscreen image of a big foot. If you ever attended a class with me at Junction you know I always talk about big foot in a joking manner. This stems back to my youth of tagging the alias "Lurker". Big foot is the definition of a lurker and I figured I could hide the image into my artwork to pay ode to my past. I believe I can find a tasteful way of incorporating this image into my work. I want to test this on a painting that I am working on currently.
I can't wait to see what you come up with Germain! This sounds awesome!!!!
DeleteAs an aside but another glimpse into the evolution of skater to artists/market empire check out the movie on Z boys...the first radical skate boarders who turn the clean cut sidewalk surfers into an extreme event...not the made for TV movie but the documentary. Passion takes many forms ...not always pretty.
DeleteGermaine: see an additional post to you below under Future's.
DeleteOne of the artists that I am studying is a former professor of mine from college days. While looking at her work there were some videos about Shepard Fairey who also shows at the same gallery.
Here are some links:
http://www.paceprints.com/video/shepard-fairey-installing-murals-pace-prints
http://www.paceprints.com/video/shepard-fairey-pace-paper
I just had this image of Big Foot stopping out your K and L keys!
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
DeleteGermaine,
DeleteI will be in Houston this weekend for a workshop, and again in October. It is too late to try and get time off to come and observe you in the classroom this time, unless I can come visit on Monday? If you do not get back online again tonite to confirm, I will be in Houston again the weekend of the 18th October. I could arrange for an observation day on the 17th if that works for you? Could I get your school and email address?
Pam October will work. My e-mail is Germain.Quintanilla@channelview.isd.esc4.net
Delete