Art teachers help their students work together and develop awareness and understanding of themselves and their communities through art. Through collaboration, students transform their artroom into a cupcake factory installation, use lighting techniques to create interpretive shadow scenes, invent and draw their own monsters with preservice teachers, and more.
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You may be surprised to learn that SchoolArts Magazine is primarily put together by a collaborative of just a handful of people. But our collaboration reaches far beyond our staff. Our articles are written by art educators for art educators and chosen from submitted articles. That is where our strength lies.
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My education and art education majors worked together with kindergartners on this activity as a way to learn about the young students’ artistic development and celebrate creative ideas. Throughout my experiences teaching education methods courses, I’ve come to recognize the value and importance for preservice teachers to work with children. This collaboration was an exciting and rewarding learning experience enjoyed by all involved.
In the morning before our first Sumi Ink Club session, preparations are made. Tables, countertops, and windowsills are covered with white paper; sumi ink and brushes are put in places for easy retrieval; chairs are moved out of the way to allow for movement around the tables; and calming instrumental music is played softly in the background. Students who have experienced the “club” before squeal with excitement as they enter the artroom—they know it’s Sumi Ink Club day!
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I recognized in our high school that many students are socially isolated, and I saw this gap as an opportunity to explore art as a form of social practice to engage students with their community. To achieve this, I introduced a project in an afterschool program that focuses on creating handmade items and giving them to people in our school community.
On March 24, 2018, many of our students walked out of their classes along with thousands of other young people across the country. Some walked out in support of gun reform laws, others to honor the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. No matter their reason, all who participated did so as a result of conversations that were sparked following the horrendous tragedy that our nation witnesses all too often.
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Recently, I organized an after-school art club around implementing service-learning projects in our community. Service-learning is a style of participatory learning that encourages students to meet community needs through organized projects that simultaneously promote student and community development.
This past year, I was determined to introduce my students to more contemporary artists. During my research, I became intrigued with artists who work collaboratively, such as Red Grooms and the Ruckus Construction Company. Red Grooms is a sculptor who uses wood, nails, papier-mâché, paint, and a team of other artists to create amazing installations. Studying his work and methods inspired me to create a room-sized papier-mâché art installation with my students.
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Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG) is a museum dedicated to preserving the work of artist Isaiah Zagar and sharing it with the community. Each year, PMG offers several workshops that provide the opportunity to work alongside Zagar. One workshop allows a small group of people to learn Zagar’s mosaic techniques while creating a public mural in the streets of Philadelphia.
Art All-State (AAS) brings high-school juniors from across Massachusetts to UMass Dartmouth for an intensive two-day collaborative art-making experience, working with teams of professional artists to create installations that explore contemporary themes using limited materials and time.
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The Sumi Ink Club is a collaborative, socially engaged participatory drawing project that fosters human interaction, sustains community connections, and promotes reflection and dialogue. Los Angeles-based artists Sarah Rara and Luke Fischbeck started the Sumi Ink club in 2005 as a way of getting to know their new neighbors.
