Got up this morning and went through my usual routine of reading the local newspaper and then skimming my RSS feeds and Twitter stream. After coming across several reminders that today is Earth Day, I decided to join in and post an acknowledgement of the annual event here. But, what?
What could I contribute that hasn’t been seen or said about Earth Day already, a hundred times over? There is always the old standby image of earth taken from space. Add an appropriate quote like “There is one outstanding important fact regarding spaceship earth, and that is that no instruction book came with it” from Buckminster Fuller, save the file, post it to the blog and I can go about my business for the day.
But, been there, done that. Besides, the image of earth from space doesn’t say anything about what’s actually happening on the ground. With still lingering images of the devastating impact of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig blowout on Gulf coast wildlife running through my head, I searched for a realistic image that might foster more reflective, sustainable action.
Perhaps the following image of a poster I collected from an Earth Day event in the 70s and have kept all these years would do the trick? While compelling, the image doesn’t speak to all the positive efforts to promote a more sustainable future that have grown out of Earth Day events over the years. Anyways, it just doesn’t feel right this Sunday morning: too over the top.
After rummaging further through my hard drive, and just as I was about ready to give up on this idea, I came across the following image that promotes a caring and responsible approach to the earth. I decided this one would best convey my message.
But, as I worked all this out on the screen something other than promoting the message that we need to “care for the earth” surfaced. The hidden message that I uncovered over the course of writing this blog entry has to do with the failure and the power of images. We need to acknowledge that any one image can’t tell the whole story of Earth Day, which has a long and rich history of encouraging sustainability and stewardship of the environment. More importantly, we need to recognize that some of the images we encounter through media channels have been constructed to portray certain myths intended to deflect our attention from more accurate pictures of what’s being done to the earth. As art educators we have a responsibility to teach our students how images can be manipulated in this way.
Geez, is it the afternoon already? I better post this before Earth Day is over.
This morning, Kathleen Douglas (aka @twoducks) posted a link on Twitter to this great video by Rye County Day‘s Anne Bedrick of her choice-based art classroom. After viewing it, I knew it would be a nice addition to two other videos that crossed by desktop this week that provide snapshots into other classrooms. Together, the videos offer three different perspectives from which to view the teaching and learning that takes place during an art lesson.
Lastly, this video highlights one of the Phillip Collection’s educational initiatives that promotes Teaching through the Prism of Arts Integration. Enjoy.
I’m back in New York this week for the 2012 NAEA conference. After checking in to my hotel yesterday, I made a beeline over to MoMA to see the Cindy Sherman retrospective and to wander once again through the museum’s galleries.
Whenever I visit MoMA, I always make a point to stop by and see ‘Christina’s World’ by Andrew Wyeth. I’ve written about my first encounter with this painting here. As a 15-year-old on a school field trip to NYC, I saw this painting for the first time, and fell in love with it. Since then I have revisited this painting countless times over the years. Actually, I must admit, stopping by to see Christina at the MoMA has been a part of every trip I’ve ever taken to New York over the years.
This time though the painting wasn’t hung in it’s usual spot. I experienced a moment of panic. I thought perhaps the work was on loan or temporarily taken away for cleaning. I asked a lady at a nearby information desk if the painting had been moved and she said “Yes, let me find it for you.” She pulled out a notebook that lists the location of all the works in the galleries, skimmed its pages, and said “It’s up on the next floor.” I breathed a sign of relief as she gave me directions to it’s new location.
I made my way up the escalator, down a hall, and there was Christina. As I stood there admiring her once again, I felt a rush of emotion come over me. I realized at that moment that I’ve had a lifetime relationship with this painting. Though all the ups and downs I’ve experienced over the years, this painting has been one of the constants in my professional life.
As I stood there, several people walked by and paused for a moment in front of the painting before continuing on. I wanted to stop one of them and share what I knew about Christina and how I come back to the museum over and over again to see her. But, I thought “no, they wouldn’t understand.” So, I just stood there a while longer, before finally saying goodbye.
I’m curious if others have similar stories to share about particular works of art that resonate with them?
One of the bits of good news I read on Twitter this past week is that a four-million dollar grant from the Wallace Foundation is making it possible to expand visual and performing arts education through grade eight in the Boston Public Schools. You can read more about efforts to support the arts in Boston schools here. On the West coast though the news this week was grim. The Los Angeles Unified School District has proposed the total elimination of its elementary school arts programs.
This is of course a familiar story. Where one school district finds a way to support or even expand arts education offerings for its students during hard economic times, another district decides to close the doors to its arts classrooms.
Reading about the dire situation with arts education in LA and its expansion in Boston’s schools reminded me how fragile support is for arts education in this country. It also got me searching my shelves for a book I’ve mentioned here before on “arts education advocacy” that I purchased from the NAEA very early in my career. As I flipped through its pages once again, I came across the following statement by Ralph McGee who was the Principal of New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois during the 70s. In 1976, he wrote:
The arts are thriving at New Trier, but the haunting spectre of a financial crisis looms large and threatens what has been built over the past seventy-five years in our school district. While I am still optimistic about the future of arts in public schools, as all educators in the arts well know, the next few years will be difficult.
The University of Florida’s Art Education Program is pleased to announce that noted art educator Olivia Gude will deliver a public lecture on Friday, January 20, 2012 in FAB 105 from 7 to 8 pm (EST). Gude is a Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Founding Director of the Spiral Workshop. Gude was awarded the National Art Education Association’s 2009 Lowenfeld Award for significant contributions to the field of art education.
Olivia’s lecture will be streamed live on the Web and be viewable through your web browser at this URL (which is also on the attached PDF file). You can also view a recording of the lecture at the same URL, after the event.
Viewing the webcast on your web browser requires that the Microsoft Sliverlight Player Plugin be installed on your computer. Note: It was an easy install on my iMac, accomplished in a couple clicks. Additional information on the player and its system requirements can be found here.
For those who use Twitter, I will be tweeting live (craigr) from the lecture from 7 pm to 8 pm (EST) using the hashtag of #gude_uf. If you have a question for Olivia, please post it to Twitter prior to the end of the session and mark it with the same hashtag #gude_uf.
Images of Earth Day
Got up this morning and went through my usual routine of reading the local newspaper and then skimming my RSS feeds and Twitter stream. After coming across several reminders that today is Earth Day, I decided to join in and post an acknowledgement of the annual event here. But, what?
What could I contribute that hasn’t been seen or said about Earth Day already, a hundred times over? There is always the old standby image of earth taken from space. Add an appropriate quote like “There is one outstanding important fact regarding spaceship earth, and that is that no instruction book came with it” from Buckminster Fuller, save the file, post it to the blog and I can go about my business for the day.
But, been there, done that. Besides, the image of earth from space doesn’t say anything about what’s actually happening on the ground. With still lingering images of the devastating impact of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig blowout on Gulf coast wildlife running through my head, I searched for a realistic image that might foster more reflective, sustainable action.
Perhaps the following image of a poster I collected from an Earth Day event in the 70s and have kept all these years would do the trick? While compelling, the image doesn’t speak to all the positive efforts to promote a more sustainable future that have grown out of Earth Day events over the years. Anyways, it just doesn’t feel right this Sunday morning: too over the top.
After rummaging further through my hard drive, and just as I was about ready to give up on this idea, I came across the following image that promotes a caring and responsible approach to the earth. I decided this one would best convey my message.
But, as I worked all this out on the screen something other than promoting the message that we need to “care for the earth” surfaced. The hidden message that I uncovered over the course of writing this blog entry has to do with the failure and the power of images. We need to acknowledge that any one image can’t tell the whole story of Earth Day, which has a long and rich history of encouraging sustainability and stewardship of the environment. More importantly, we need to recognize that some of the images we encounter through media channels have been constructed to portray certain myths intended to deflect our attention from more accurate pictures of what’s being done to the earth. As art educators we have a responsibility to teach our students how images can be manipulated in this way.
Geez, is it the afternoon already? I better post this before Earth Day is over.