[NicoleP]

Hands on art making allows for people to connect both physically and thoughtfully with a work of art. Helping to produce that work enables individuals to think critically about the work and its meaning. They have to problem solve the intent of the work and the most effective way to convey their message while also considering aesthetics and other elements within the piece. In school I think hands on art making helps to capture students love of creating and engage them in deeper conversations spurred by the production of a central work of art.

[NicoleP]

I think everyone should have a role in the struggle for women’s equality. If men don’t have a role than how can we expect to see any change in how women are treated and viewed? Woman cannot gain the rights they deserve if this is a us vs them fight. We as a united society must recognize that women are not yet treated equally to men and that they should be. This simple recognition will help move us forward in the process of unifying men and women in a way that modernizes women’s rights.

[NicoleP]

If we believe that feminist art is about confronting the assumptions that hold women back within our society and presenting ideas and imagery that justifies not only their abilities but also their equality, than anyone can make feminist art including men. Just like anyone can make artwork that raises awareness about race, gender identity, and the many other areas of social injustice. I don’t believe feminism is a female only club. It is a belief that woman should have equal rights in society and that right now they do not. It is about strive to achieve a greater sense of understanding and action. Restricting feminist artwork to only women means that we are secluding men from the conversation and I believe that is the exact opposite outcome from what we are trying to achieve.

[NicoleP]

I think curriculum needs to allow for students to connect the artwork they are making to their own lives. Art doesn’t happen in a vacuum and neither should art education. Students should be creating artwork like artists do and this means responding to and reacting to issues that they feel are important. If the students aren’t invested in the artwork then it isn’t going to have as much meaning within their learning or within the world of art.

[NicoleP]

I am an art teacher and my curriculum does differ in some ways from how I was taught. There are elements within my curriculum that align with the pedagogy I experienced as a student but there are many more differences. My curriculum in much more focused on students having a voice within their art making. When I was an art student in 6th grade most of the classes projects looked very similar if not the same. There was a strong focus on developing skills and students did not have many choices. While I still want my students to learn technical skills, I don’t feel that this is the main point of art class nor do I think creativity and thoughtful expression should be sacrificed in order for these skills to be developed.

[NicoleP]

I think that art education, studio art, and art history need to be continually changing and adapting to the changes in the world. Studio art responds to and interprets the lives of artists, combats social issues, critiques society as well as the constantly moving world. Art history not only examines artwork created hundreds of years ago but that only 50 years ago. Art history also much continue to change in order to stay up to date with what is happening in the art world. Art education, which I see as a combination of the previous two areas, must also maintain a continual progression forward as new studio practices become introduced, technology advances, and history changes. Denying change within these areas means that we are not truly honoring them as we should.

[Author]

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