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Art Speaks Out Inside This Issue President’s Message .......................................................................................................... 3 Letter from the Editor ...................................................................................................... 5 2017 NYSATA Conference: Save the Date! .................................................................... 6 2017 Keynote Speakers .................................................................................................... 7 Albany Update From the Desk of Leslie Yolen ................................................................. 8 10X10 Member Exhibit Information ................................................................................ 9 The Book Mark: Book Review ........................................................................................ 11 The Book Mark: Art education and Social Justice Online .............................................. 13 Equality Created Through Feminist Pedagogy................................................................. 15 Teaching Art and Social Justice ...................................................................................... 18 Meet Sharon Ciccone ..................................................................................................... 19 The Making and Teaching of Art as a Social Act ............................................................ 20 Call for Contributors ...................................................................................................... 22 Integrating Social Justice ............................................................................................... 23 Fostering Social Activism ............................................................................................... 26 The Most Important Picture: Life through the eyes of Syrian refugee children .............. 30 Asking the Right Questions in Art Class ......................................................................... 32 Selling Socks in the Classroom ....................................................................................... 34 American Indian Arts and the Politics of Representation within Museums .................... 36 Discover National Youth Art Month! .............................................................................. 39 Inside/Outside: Young artists unite against bullying ....................................................... 40 Race Matters: One Community’s Road Map to Racial Consciousness............................ 44 The Memory Project Productions: Face-to-Face ............................................................. 50 Membership Matters ...................................................................................................... 53 NYSATA BOT Information ............................................................................................. 54 Executive Editor ................................................................................Martin Merchant Layout & Design Editor ...............................................................................Pat Groves Proofreader .............................................................................................. Jo Merchant Photos: Martin Merchant, Robert Wood, conference keynotes and article contributors. 1 . NYSATA NEWS - Digital Edition. Volume 45, No. 4, Summer 2017 2017 NYSATA Conference Platinum Sponsor Sand Sketching! Lesson Plan for Grades K–12 Make a stunning, permanent Marmotinto sand painting — with minimum mess! Modern materials make it easy to recreate the sand paintings commissioned by wealthy patrons during Victorian times. Apply “sand paint” to a canvas panel or ceramic tile using a plastic bottle or other tools — you won’t miss the mess! DickBlick.com/lessonplans/sand-sketching FREE lesson plans and video workshops at DickBlick.com/lessonplans. For students of all ages! materials for art education FREE SHIPPING on orders of $49 or more! Some exceptions apply. ® See page 672 Request a DickBlick.com FREE catalog! 2017 Alliance 800.447.8192 for Young Artists BLICK DickBlick.com/requests/bigbook Writers& 800•447•8192 DickBlick.com 2 NYSATA NEWS - Digital Edition. Volume 45, No. 4, Summer 2017 New York State AEA Newsletter Spring 2017.indd 1 3/30/17 11:54 AM President’s Message from Robert Wood “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead There is no doubt our world is overflowing with social creation of art as a social practice. Visual art educators can issues and concerns worthy of inspection, question, and engage students to participate in pre-existing social justice or comment. While many of these issues will impact our students service learning projects, often interdisciplinary in their in their adult lives, even students in early grade levels can school, district or community, or develop and launch their relate to, feel the impact of, and comment on some of the own from personal classroom origins. Students may create issues society presents. As art educators, we can search for works of art about events in home, school, or community life. ways to contribute for the betterment of our students and our They may draw upon and share personal experiences and society. Essential questions face us: How is what we do interests in creating visual and media artwork. Personal relevant in today’s world for today’s students? How does interests and experiences feed personal connection to meaning creating art enrich people’s lives? How does artmaking and purpose, strengthening creative ownership often leading contribute to the awareness and understanding to one’s life to vibrant and impactful artistic work beginning in the and the lives of others in our communities? classroom and growing to outside of school walls. A focus on social justice in art education weaves powerful connections to These and other related essential questions have become family and community cultural traditions. The arts can even the driving elements underlying a socially conscious shift in grow to shape culture and influence people’s lives, attitudes, national and state art education circles. From National Core and decisions. The processes by which people create and Art Standards in 2014 to new New York State Standards in interact with through artistic work can help them understand 2017, the soon-to-be curriculum in the classroom, the revised and challenge inequities in their lives and generate innovative Visual and Media Arts perspectives direct questions and solutions for sociocultural issues. understandings of preK-12 Art Education towards community and society, and foster artistic learning through examination of As educators, we strive to develop in our students the and response to social issues. ability to think critically, to observe our surroundings, and to think and respond in terms of personal and social context and In 2015, the National Art Education Association adopted impact. It is the cycle of artistic learning and work. The goal of a position statement on Art Education and Social Justice, teaching for social responsibility is not to promote a personal recognizing the potential of art education to raise critical agenda, but to foster in students an ability to think critically consciousness, foster empathy and respect for others, build and develop social consciousness. In serving each other we community, and motivate people to promote positive social discover, develop, and nourish ourselves. change. (NAEA, March 2015). NAEA advances this focus in the upcoming Summer Studio: “Design Thinking for Social In this issue of The NYSATA News, “ Art Speaks Out,” our Equity,” in which art educators and decision-makers across contributors focus on how developing awareness of social disciplines will work together as innovative, socially-conscious justice connects with our educational curriculum and change agents by exploring the benefits of imaginative design practices. I hope their insights will encourage you to continue thinking and sharing exemplary practices for education to to foster the rich education of our students to make them promote change. critical thinkers, discovers, collaborators, and discerning active participants in our society. I encourage you to examine Service and equity are at the core of Art Education for your own practice in new ways as you continue to refine and Social Justice. As students progress through a sequential art enrich your role as an art educator and leader in your school education program, their awareness can shift from a focus on and community. self to a greater awareness of community and others. Service learning is one approach to education in which social justice Respectfully in Service, is addressed through service with others, often in arts-based projects. The Arts can play a role in the struggle to move forward. Art making attunes people to their surroundings. Robert Wood Artists often engage with the issues of today, treating the NYSATA President 3 NYSATA NEWS - Digital Edition. Volume 45, No. 4, Summer 2017 About the News The NYSATA News publishes official announcements for named winner of the National Art Education Association NYSATA as well as commentary and research on topics that State Newsletter Award Category 3 in 2011, 2012, 2015, are important to art educators. The opinions expressed in 2016, and 2017. Chosen by a panel of visual arts educators editorials and articles are those of the authors and do
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