By Carla E. Reyes, Adjunct Instructor: Introduction to Art Education
As aspiring educators, it is meaningful to think about the experiences we have had as students, and reflect on how they may have shaped us as learners, and as people. There was usually at least one teacher that made the classroom experience inspiring and something to look forward to. I can trace my own passion for the visual arts back to a particular middle school teacher with a great sense of humor and zest for life! What are the things that stay with us when we look back on our art education experiences, and how can we incorporate these characteristics into our own teaching practice?
As a proud alumna, and long-time cooperating/mentor teacher of the CCNY Art Education program, I am excited to be teaching the Intro to Art Education course this fall semester. Our undergraduate Education majors have begun the school year reflecting upon and illustrating their personal experiences in primary, secondary, and adult art educational settings, by creating original works of art in a variety of media. Incorporating the Elements of Art and Principles of Design, attention to craftsmanship, and creativity, students created work that ranged from drawing to painting to digital to mixed-media collage. The artists also shared “artist statements” discussing their visual narratives, and reflected on assessment methods for creative projects such as this when working with young art students. Featured here are some of our insightful and creative student works.
Alfrenery Luna, digital art:
“This piece is a representation of my art education experience for elementary school here in NYC, middle school in Dominican Republic, and university now. During elementary school, the school I attended encouraged students a lot to try new things and be very creative in general. I always loved drawing and getting to do art, so the point that the school had such a fun and interesting art education, and an art club, was amazing. In middle school, however, they were my worst years in my art education. Even though I would draw and practice my art outside of school all the time, especially since I used it as a coping mechanism, the only thing they had to offer in my middle school was art history. I went to a very very small private and poor school in the Dominican Republic. It made sense why they stuck to art history, especially since the “art teacher” was just a different teacher that taught bible studies and was just put to do the art classes, but it wasn’t at all fun. I think about it now how I could’ve put doodles all over my notebook because I used to do that a lot during class, especially that class, but sadly I forgot to. The last one is me in college here in CCNY. I drew myself with my portfolio bag from my first semester since that’s what has been the most notable class until now. Right now my art education class is very interesting and, honestly, very fun, which I can greatly appreciate.”
Areli Castillo, digital art:
“This piece was inspired by my own experience in Art Education as I grew up. There are little references in regards to different types of Art, like my older self being melded together by gold glue, like the Japanese Art Form of fixing plates with gold glue. The first panel was when I was in elementary school, I was full of life and my art was scribbles and colors. I would get messy and get ink on my face and my baby teeth were starting to fall out. I was happy and I felt like I would never feel shame about my Art. The third panel was my secondary school/high school. I felt I was being used for my Art, to make my authority figures look good. I felt I was never seen as a person, but a tool for winning. I felt like I was falling apart and my art showed that. I drew depressing characters, with a grey color scheme. The middle panel is who I am now, accepting the past and reclaiming my art/identity as a whole. My art involves both bright colors and grey overtones. I draw my feelings as real people, I still have perfectionist tendencies that I gained from my high school experience, But I still love my work, even if it’s not perfect. So the happiness in the middle panel is genuine, I made it!”
Karina Batista,“Future of Imagination,” mixed-media collage:
“…Working with various mediums such as acrylic, water color, oil pastel, and etc. That allowed me to develop a distinctive art style focused on color and lines. Initially I painted the canvas an ombré of blue and white hues to represent the sky. I then found myself on a hunt for a newspaper for a week to represent the collages made in elementary school… Throughout my education art experience I created an abundance of self portraits. I wanted my piece to be based on the idea of growth… Surrounding me I cut out a patterned dress, as well as trees from a newspaper and glued it framing the sketch. This reminded me of middle school and the numerous collages I did in searching for unique colors to make my piece… This piece wouldn’t be a self portrait without the literal symbolism of a frame. I then took air dry clay, molding it around the frame using my nail to give it some texture… I allowed myself to build on the ideal of a self portrait that allowed me to create a 3D piece that reflects on the mediums I used throughout my art education experience in cultivating art now.”
