Community-Based Art Education Practices

The article “Three Initiatives for Community-Based Art Education Practices” by Lim, Chang and Song (2013), really highlights some of my own interests in incorporating working with the local community into classroom pedagogy and curriculum. The “Three Initiatives for Community-Based Art Education Practices” discusses the importance of going beyond the classroom walls by providing preservice teachers and students with the opportunity to create art making in an environment that involves the local community in hopes that, “students become connected to the outside world and are offered opportunities to change public’s attitude toward art” (Lim, Chang & Song 2013).

Multiple articles throughout the course have brought up the importance of community-base art education practices. After reading about the advantages of allowing students to become involved with the local community I have become interested in and have really fallen in love with this approach to art education outside of the classroom. Lim, Chang, and Song focus on providing opportunities for their preservice teachers to get involved in the local community, because preservice teachers that are guided in art making experiences that work with the local community are provided with and exposure to learning experience that many preservice teachers might not have prior to beginning their career or student teaching. Knowledge of the local community can present tons of opportunities  for an art educator no matter where they might be employed, whether it be in a school district, museum, art management position or etc. in order to keep art relevant in that community. This is important, because art can save a decaying city, keep students interested in their education, keep the arts funded in public schools, encourage pride in a community, and so much more. When I become a preservice teacher I hope I am exposed to an art making experience with school age students outside of the classroom in their local community.

I happened to stumble upon a blog that exemplifies the power of artists creating community art that aids people who are in need. I recently had an epiphany that developed into a personal desire to create artwork to works to serve the greater good, so for my own future practice as an art educator I would really like to inspire my students to create art that is for greater good of our planet, and when I stumbled upon this project I was drawn to it. The title of the blog post is called “SurVivArt Offers a Creative Look at Global Issues and Happiness” (Beitiks, 2013). The project is part of a series called SurVivArt that works to answer a question asked by the Heinrich Böll Foundation ,“What makes a good life?” The pieces exhibited in the article are by artists Kebreab Demeke and Nino Sarabutra . For the purpose of this blog post I am focusing on Kebreab’s work, because he created a sculpture that incorporates the local community and its school students. Kebreab examines the vessels that are used to carry water in Ethiopia, and created an installation with the jerrycans (containers for water and various objects) that were castoff and beat-up vessels of local families. In exchange for the families’ jerrycans Kebread provided them with clay pots. The artist involved the local school students and their parents to create the piece and ask that they also ensure the life of the sculpture that will be used to grow edible plants for the community. Kebreab Demeke’s involvement with the community in Ethiopia is an example of a local community art project that promotes art advocacy in the community and classroom that I would really like to be exposed to in my preservice teaching experience or create with my own students in the future.

Beitiks, M. (2012, January 30). SurVivArt offers a creative look at global issues and happiness. Retrieved from http://inhabitat.com/survivart-offers-a-creative-look-at-global-issues-and-happiness/

Reference List

Lim, M. Chang, E. Song, B. (2013). Three initiatives for community-based art education Practices”. Art Education. 7-13.

Beitiks, M. (2012, January 30). SurVivArt offers a creative look at global issues and happiness. Retrieved from http://inhabitat.com/survivart-offers-a-creative-look-at-global-issues-and-happiness/