COMMUNICATE!!!
December 1, 2009Shout About the Work
It is especially important (in this economy) to communicate about what you do and why you do what you do! When I taught I sometimes wondered why arts educators had to communicate about the importance of arts education. I remember thinking that teachers who taught other content didn’t have to promote or advocate for what they did.
One day I realized I didn’t have to, but I wanted to! I wanted educators and people who were not teachers to get it! I wanted them to know what kids were up to in the art room and beyond and why and I wanted them to know what. I also wanted them to know and understand what students were involved with in the art room was as valuable and sometimes more valuable than what they were getting and doing in other classrooms in the school building.
Recently I got an email from Therese Provenzano who teaches art at Madawaska Middle High School. She sent me a link to a new segment on Madawaska Middle School’s Voices from the Middle webpage.
Therese’s students had their art work on display at the Department last Spring. Please click here and you can read an outstanding piece written by one of Therese’s students. Check it out and respond with your comments below.
So, what are you doing lately that is worth shouting about? Please send me a link and a few sentences describing what your students are involved in and I would be glad to post the information.
me arts ed 
Art is so important in everyone’s lives. From the morning when you first get up to the end of the day you are influenced by someone’s creative abilities. From your toothpaste tube, the clothes you wear, to the vehicle you drive, you are influenced by artwork. In the school setting, those children exposed to the study of art, are more creative, can solve problems better and are more capable of thinking” outside of the box.” To be productive citizens in the future, we need more people to be flexible and innovative. Art classes tap into these things!!!
Thank you Mary Beth for contributing to the conversation.. WELL said!
Art-making is a journey the human spirit takes. If we define ourselves only by what we DO we will never really know who we are. Art classes familiarize children with the inner selves they will need to face and learn from the challenges life will present. Of course, the kids don’t know that. But we artists do. Art education is ostensibly about making something to look at and enjoy. But, it’s really about learning to hear and express the language of spirit. Children without art education and/or appreciation enter adulthood handicapped. When we celebrate our own spirits, we are more likely to appreciate the differences in others. The world sure needs that understanding more than ever.
Art plays a crucial part in all of our lives, whether we are willing to embrace it or not. It is a matter of self-expression and capturing the moment…you’re not going to find that in any textbook.
Good points Marybeth, on “flexible, innovative and thinking outside the box”-all valuable skills. Gee,”diversity” is huge and I agree with you Theresa, “children without an art education and/or appreciation enter adulthood handicapped.” Thank you so much for leaving your comments.
A few things came to mind when I read Tonya Bell’s article “Why Are We Making That?” – innovation, creativity and boldness. Always fundamental to the arts, these are hot concepts now being used in the economic development circles in Maine, throughout the nation and the world. Other words come to mind: cooperative, skillful, curious, daring, and intuitive. These are great qualities to possess no matter what path a young person takes in life.
These letters from Therese Provenzano’s Grade 8 students of Madawaska Middle High School are exciting to read. Their words are confident, articulate and impressive. Provenzano is not only providing outstanding artistic instruction to her students in Madawaska, but she is sharing life skills and preparing them for any variation of professions. I was struck by the one of the student’s revelation that a bundle of straw, that made no sense one moment, could become something of value the next. That takes daring and insight and above all, a knowing that anything is possible. Another student learned to move beyond shape and form – that it’s about “….what you see in your mind.” And another, after being hesitant (and doubtful) about doing something, was able to bring the task to fruition. Provenzano, an accomplished artist herself, is helping to shape our future artists, our future CEO’s, software designers, politicians, developers, educators and engineers. Madawaska Middle High School is lucky to have her.
Sheila Jans
Cultural Development Consultant, CultureWorth
I see children in my psychotherapy practice who have found “art class” a major reason to stay in school and a significant “niche” to build self esteem. We all need art in our lives, but for some, art is literally a “life-saver” to help in the expression of feelings in very difficult situations. Children learn through art education that they have another “tool” in their tool box to cope with life and discover who they are. Art IS an intervention!
The article posted December 3rd, “Art and (German) Collaboration,” echoes the same theme, that the cross-pollination of diverse learning experiences inspires creative solutions. I recently saw a show on The Sundance Channel…one of a series of interviews by Elvis Costello. His interviewees include James Taylor, Sir Elton John, etc. This particular one was with Bill Clinton. He claimed that he would not have been President of the United States if it had not been for his learning to play the saxophone in school. He cites the discipline required, the teamwork in playing in an ensemble, and the actual music played (in his case, particularly, jazz) as having a profound effect on his development. He also mentioned that the “No Child Left Behind” policy is a big mistake. If curriculums are reduced to math and science alone in order to raise test scores, civilization may just screech to a halt! Art is a tool and a joy and there must be a place for it where children are learning how to respond to themselves and their world.