Shetterly Visits Brewer High School
June 12, 2011Social activism and art
Brewer Art Teacher, Lori Spruce shared information with me about artist Robert Shetterly’s recent visit to Brewer High School. While there he visited with art and other content classes. We know the arts connect with other content and topics in our schools and throughout the world today and historically, culturally, aesthetically. If you’ve ever seen Shetterly’s portraits you know how monumental they are. If you’ve never seen his work my advice is: GO SEE SHETTERLY’S PAINTINGS! Lori describes the opportunity that Robert Shetterly’s visit provided in her own words:
Robert Shetterly addressed Brewer High school Art, English, Journalism classes and others on the role of social activism and art. He discussed his own reasons for starting the “Americans Who Tell the Truth” project as well as engaged students in discussions about important social movements in the past and current issues that affect them today. His presentation challenged the attention media gives to celebrities and encouraged students to speak their own truths about social issues and how much it can make a difference in changing perspectives and sometimes even the course of our history. Honors art classes are taking the challenge themselves and discovering people who have made a difference in the issues that are are personally important to them and doing their own portraits based on the research they have done.
You can see in the photos embedded the power of his portraits. You can learn more about Shetterly and his book ‘Americans Who Tell the Truth’ about the first fifty portraits he painted at http://www.americanswhotellthetruth.org/
me arts ed 
The combination of Rob Shetterly’s personal stories and his art is such a wonderful catalyst to ignite students in their quest for truth and for finding a voice that helps them take a stand on social justice issues. The Brewer High School project seems to be a perfect response to the collaboration of art and social activism. And, yes, if you haven’t seen the portraits — YOU MUST!!
I hope the Brewer High School portraits can be posted here when they are done!
Connie Carter
Thanks for you comment Connie! What a great idea to post the student portraits. I will check with Brewer art teacher Lori Spruce to see if we can get photos of them. If it can happen I will definitely post them!