Learning with others allows artists to learn about others

                To me, the best part of art is perception and perspective.  When creating art, after a piece is finished and presented, it no longer belongs to the artist. The control part of the piece is no longer in the artist’s hands; it is whatever the viewer believes it to be.  The artist gets the recognition but more importantly the experience of creating the piece.  This is more intense when working with a group or other cultures because you’re creating something bigger and they have even less control. 

                When working in a group to have better control of a piece, an artist has to gain understanding of the views and perspectives of the other artists.  What a beautiful learning opportunity.  In the article Creating Public Art Through Intergenerational Collaboration by Mel Alexenberg and Miriam Benjamin, they spoke of a collaborated art project with artists of varying cultures.  The Legacy Thrones art project was created by the hands of elders of different cultures.  They discovered that they shared values and beliefs as well as a better understanding of each other’s cultures. 

                The Legacy Thrones in Miami are three separate thrones each very different.  An unknowing passerby may walk by these pieces each resembling a different cultural. However, to these elder’s they will see three different thrones that represent three different cultures but all share similar values and stories of hardships and triumphs.  

These pieces were created through collaboration and collaboration leads to an expansion of knowledge and understanding.  It creates a lack of control to an artist which creates an element of surprise when viewing the finished piece.  Each group learned about each other’s cultures as well as they all shared the experience of learning to work with clay together. Learning with others allows artists to learn about others.  It also creates something that the community is proud of as a whole and leads to a more cultural aware group of people.

Alexenberg M. & Benjamin M. (2004). Creating Public Art Through Intergenerational Collaboration. Art Education. 13- 18.