Use Contemporary Art to Empower Students to Become Advocates for - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Use Contemporary Art to Empower Students to Become Advocates for Social Justice Barbara Suplee, The University of the Arts Maria Stevens, Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ Henry Moore in a Sheep Meadow, Red Grooms (2002)

Contemporary Art…What is it? • Contemporary art is being created NOW • Artists are generally living and working • Much of today ’ s contemporary art is conceptual • It can be alienating, controversial…but • Not all of it is controversial

Hand Art, Mario Mariotti (2000) Blue Rose, Wangechi Mutu (2007) Heartfelt, Sean Kenney (2009) Tar Beach , Faith Ringgold (1991)

Does it belong in your Classroom? YES! • Promotes dialogue, divergent thinking, and creativity • Helps students to think about equity, social justice • Motivates them to become agents of change

Focus of most art rooms

Mastery Learning Step-by-step, teacher-directed instruction

The Results Promotes CONVERGENT THINKING , following directions

Mastery Learning Step-by-step, teacher-directed sketchbook assignment Step-by-step, teacher-directed sketchbook assignment

The results Promotes CONVERGENT THINKING , following directions

Divergent vs. Convergent Thinking Promotes multiple solutions/ideas vs. a single solution/idea

We need both! 21st Century Skills (www.p21.org) 2014 National Visual Arts Standards (NVAS)

How can we promote Divergent thinking? Self-Directed Learners, Goal Setting, Personal Reflection?

Maria Stevens Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) 700 + Students (72% Minority Enrollment): Grades 9-12

Martin Puyear

Martain Puyear: Memory and Form Project

Discussion : Questions , questions, questions?????? Why do we understand them? Banksy- Armored Dove of Peace Vic Muniz- Pictures of Junk Ai Weiwei- Sundflower Seeds Martha Rosler - Bringing the War Home

Contemporary Artists Christo /Jean Claude- Surrounded Islands 1983 Kara Walker- Darktown Rebellion Andy Goldsworthy Jason Decacaires Taylor- Vicissitudes -2007

Naqoyqatsi (/n ɑː k ɔɪˈ k ɑː tsi/ nah -koy- kah -tsee ), [1] is a Hopi word meaning "life as war.” This 2002 film is directed by Godfrey Reggio and edited by Jon Kane, with music composed by Philip Glass. It is the third and final film in the Qatsi trilog Eighty percent of Naqoyqatsi uses archive footage and stock images manipulated and processed digitally. The film “ Naqoyqatsi” deals with an array of human experiences throughout time that make references to many global concerns such as • world hunger • natural disasters • animal extinction • war, politics, • violence • injustice • technology versus nature

SOCIAL COMMENTARY LESSON: Student Research Ms. Lengauer / Name:___________ Due:________ NAQOYQATSA Research Assignment Format : Typed 12 pt. font Centered title Name, date, teacher and class period on upper left Works cited attached Part 1: Researching the Film : Research the film NAQOYQATSA. Answer the following questions in full descriptive sentences/ paragraphs. (minimum 4 sentences per paragraph. 5 points per paragraph) 1. Who was the film produced and created by? Who produced the musical score? (Give pertinent background information for each). 2. What does the title NAQOYQATSA mean? What language is it derived from? 3. Research and describe the Qatsi trilogy. For the preceding films, list the titles, what they mean, and the overall theme of each film. 4. In two full paragraphs or more, describe the content of the film NAQOYQATSA. What was the intent of the film? (Be sure to include a description of how nature and technology are being used to comment on humanity.) 5. Describe how stock footage was used in this film. 6. What were some comments made by critics? How do you think the film impacted its audience? ____________________________________________________________________________

STUDENT RESEARCH Part 2. Research the following specific works of art and artists. For each, include an image, the title, and the medium. ( 3 points each) • Marisol Escobar LBJ • Robert Arneson General Nuke • Pablo Picasso Guernica • Ai Weiwei Sunflower Seeds • Banksy Armored Dove of Peace • Vick Muniz Pictures of Junk • Joshua Allen Harris Installations • Martha Rosler Point and Shoot , from the series House Beautiful Bringing the War Home • Judy Chicago The Dinner Party • Barbara Kruger I Shop Therefore I Am Choose two works/ artists from the list above who intrigue you most. Describe in two paragraphs for each artist (10 points per paragraph, 4 paragraphs total for this section). Include: Some background information of the artist The title of the piece, and medium The political or social concepts that inspired the work The artist's intention in making this work

Generating Ideas…… Before viewing the film Naqoyqatsa students were given a “response sheet” where they had to list any social commentaries or other insights on humanity that they feel were being communicated in the film……

Divergent Thinking: Developing and Exploring Ideas

Production: Giving Ideas Form and Meaning

Liang Zhao – Sr.Ms. Lengauer – Mixed Media Sculpture “Clash with Mother nature” Mankind continues to push the limits …..,building skyscrapers taller than ever. We continue to destroy Mother Nature and what she provides for us on this planet. Deforestation, over fishing seas, polluting our only air supply and water, abusing the earth. As a result we can expect constant occurrences of natural disasters. Strike Upon Mankind

Kerbin Rosario – Jr. / M. Lengauer – Mixed Media Sculpture “The Clothes We Wear” Many people think that the clothing they wear is machine made and that human labor has been completely taken over by industrialization. In several middle eastern, northeastern and southeastern Asian countries, horrible tactics of human labor are still used in order for chain stores and companies to reach success through mass production. Sweatshops are placed all over Asia in countries such as China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. Employees work from sunrise to sundown in extremely horrible conditions every single day and face physical, verbal, and mental abuse daily. Female employees are usually raped or sexually assaulted as punishment for working too slow or messing up a garment. Male workers get spat on and beaten to a pulp for minor mistakes. Children as young as the age of 4 are made to work in sweatshops because of their small fingers, making the production rate of clothing speed up. These people face all these struggles and only make about eight cents an hour. Many chain stores such as Victoria’s Secret, Hollister, H&M, and Forever21 are dependent on sweatshops in order to release new clothing every 2 weeks. I hope this piece creates an awareness of the horror of inhumane treatment of humans. Sisla (Child in Punjabi)

Danielle Wimberly – Sr. M. Lengauer – Mixed Media Sculpture “Liquid Silver” Water has become privatized by the wealthy and powerful in the government and in many places around the world. Flint, Michigan is a prime example of this issue. The fact that people do not have control of their water and its cleanliness shows a terrifying glimpse into the future of the battle for resources. The water is represented as silver to demonstrate how valuable the water is to companies and how it is also vital for humans to live. Primary Distribution

Artist discussing problems encountered in creating work of art and how she solved them.

Artist discussing problems encountered in creating work of art and how she solved them.

Divergent Activities From This Lesson • Research paper • Discussion of artists and meaning of the work • Worksheet #1- response sheets • Worksheet #2 - generating ideas • Worksheet #3- Project proposal with facts & sketches • PRODUCTION • Reflection sheets • Group critique sheets • Critiques and presentations

Use the New (2014) Visual Arts Standards

Focus on 4 Areas Pre-K-12

Through concept-based inquiry and investigation of Creating 15 Enduring Understandings (Big Ideas), the new Presenting “ standards essentially ask students to step back and Responding consider art and its Connecting connections to their world– to think about art, culture, and history, in general ” (Stewart, 2014).

PAEA Lesson Plan Template http://paeablog.org/become-a-member/lesson-plan-template/

It’s all about their stories! ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡

In Conclusion …to promote students’ deeper understanding of art, themselves, others, and their world, use: * Concept-based Inquiry* Student-centered Instruction Independent Problem-solving Self-directed Learning Journaling List-making Free Association Collaboration Self-reflection Self-assessment *Contemporary Art*

Thank You! • Questions? • Comments?