The images I created for this project were compiled of an image I drew on paper (The fist holding the paintbrush), which I then scanned into a PNG image, and created a poster surrounding the image in Adobe Illustrator.
Activism in Art in the 21st Century
Abstract
In my research, I focused on the history of activism in art, the hesitations involved in bringing it into the classroom, and how to apply it in classroom settings appropriately. I also will discuss examples of artists that can be shown, such as Banksy and the Guerrilla Girls, both of whom make bold anonymous statements on social activism to convey their messages to the public. I also will discuss the unsureness in teaching art activism in the classroom, and how to address this so it can be appropriately taught. The importance in teaching this is to not push biased political opinions but educate and inspire students to discover what they are passionate about socially.
Application of Research
Activism in art education has come to the forefront in the past few decades. With “Black Lives Matter,” “Times Up,” and the “Me Too Movement” all emerging in the past few years, it feels as if the call for social justice activists is loud and clear (Illouz, 2020). Art can be an educational vessel for students to address said issues and express themselves further by diving into these topics and creating artwork surrounding them. But how do we properly address, tackle, and teach this in the classroom? In this paper, I will be touching on ideas from educators, and inspiration taken from art activists on how to help best teach activism in art in the classroom.
Activism in art surely is nothing new, but it is undeniably taken on new forms as the year's pass and technology advances. The first example that I found to be impactful is The Guerrilla Girls. The bold group of women congregated in New York in 1985 and have been calling out inequality in the art world for decades (Tate,2004). Their work is recognizable and straight to the point, all while being anonymous (Tate, 2004). They choose to keep their art anonymous to keep the focus on the work itself and go by the names of female artists that have passed, such as Frida Kahlo and Gertrude Stein (Tate, 2004). They work to expose racism and sexism in the art world, examples being their Met Museum piece on feminism, “Do women have to be naked to get into the MET?” (Tate, 2004), and another pulled from one of their political posters, “An art collector who buys white male art at benefits for liberal causes, but never buys art by women or artists of color.” (Tate, 2004). These are intense statements made that grab the viewer's attention and create conversation. The goal of art activism in the classroom is just that; To captivate the viewer, make them think about the topic at hand, and discuss amongst their peers.
A more common example of activism in art that we can see day to day is street art. Whether it be the infamous and anonymous Banksy making his political statements worldwide, or local artists making their voices heard through their hometowns’ brick walls, these works of art are sure to make you stop and ponder the messages conveyed (Millington, 2020). Social media has also proven to be a great tool for discovering new art and inspiration, as we have seen in the past year during a global pandemic (Suwito, 2020). “If we want higher education to have an impact, students need to learn how to absorb experiences from events happening in their environment and channel them into meaningful initiatives. Digital art activism is a great way to help them do this” (Suwito, 2020). The younger generations get a lot of their information and inspiration for their passions through social media, and I genuinely believe this is something we should further research and explore.
How to Implement in a Classroom Setting
This can be achieved by making meaningful student connections. Getting to know students and what drives them, their backgrounds, and communities, and allowing them to participate in student-led practices (Dewhurst, 2010). Hurst continues this breakdown into simple guidelines, “Collaborative, reciprocal, and contextual planning, (and) Relevant Reflection” (Dewhurst,10-11, 2010). Albeit there are hesitations on diving into teaching activism in art. The most common concern is that social justice art can come off as biased political conversations (Darts, 2008). While this is often looked at as not appropriate in classroom settings and can be intimidating to navigate, the main goal is to not push a certain viewpoint (Campana, 2011). Rather, to educate and inspire, and keep the classroom discussion open and unrestrained for students' creativity and passions to flow freely.
Conclusion
Activism shown through art is both inspiring and necessary in our current times. As art educators, our role is to stay unbiased in the classroom and give students the tools they need to be successful. Educating students on sensitive social and political topics from facts and research can allow them to explore their own creativity and construct meaningful art that intersects with their passions. Showing artists that have used their voices through artwork can help spark creativity, along with showing how social media can be a positive tool for success and learning. We are faced with times that are stressful and emotionally exhausting, and the arts will always be there to beautifully amplify artists' voices and emotions. After extensive research on this topic, I believe that the need for activism in art for the younger generation is incredibly necessary. Being prepared to teach this in the classroom is both effective and necessary, as we strive to let younger generations have their voices heard.
References
Aryani Suwito, K. (2020, September 25). Art and online activism amid the pandemic: lessons from around the world. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/art-and-online- activism-amid-the-pandemic-lessons-from-around-the-world-140161.
Bastos, F. (2010). Editorial: What Does Social Justice Art Education Look Like? Art Education,
63(5), 2-3.
Campana, A. (2011). Agents of possibility: Examining the intersections of art, education, and activism in communities. Studies in Art Education, 52(4), 278-291.
Darts, D. (2008). The Art of Culture War: (Un)Popular Culture, Freedom of Expression, and Art
Education. Studies in Art Education, 49(2), 103-121.
Delacruz, E. M. (2003). Racism American style and resistance to change: Art education’s role in the Indian mascot issue. Art Education, 56(3), 13-20.
Delacruz, E.M. (2009). Art Education Aims in the Age of New Media: Moving Toward Global Civil Society. Art Education, 62 (5), 13-18.
Desai, D. (2020). Educating for social change through art: A personal reckoning. Studies in Art
Education, 61(1), 10-23.
Dewhurst, Marit (2010). An inevitable question: Exploring the Defining Features of Social
Justice Art Education. Art Education, 63 (5), 6-13.
Dewhurst, M. (2012). Walking the Talk of Art and Social Justice Education. Studies in Art
Education, 54(1), 88-90.
Freedman, K. (2000). Social Perspectives on Art Education in the U. S.: Teaching Visual Culture
in a Democracy. Studies in Art Education, 41(4), 314-329.
Hudson, A. (2020). Learning from a young indigenous artist: What can Hip-Hop teach
us? Art Education, 73(1), 18-22.
Hunter-Doniger, T. (2018). “But he looks like me. I never saw an artist look like that”: Making
connections to social justice through art. Art Education, 71(1), 17-19.
Illouz, E. (2020, June 27). The key issue Black Lives Matter and #Metoo have in common. Haaretz.com. https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-the-key-issue- black-lives-matter-and-metoo-have-in-common-1.8949081.
Millington, R. (2020, July 8). Activist Artists- 11 Famous Protest Examples.Ruth Millington. https://ruthmillington.co.uk/11-famous-protest-art-examples/.
Oliver, K. (2020). Contemporary photographic practice as a critical pathway toward visual
literacy. In In A. D. Knochel, C. Liao & R. M. Patton (Eds.) Critical digital artmaking in art
education (pp. 123 – 136).
Stewart, Edward O. (2012). Toward a Democratic (Art) Education: A Response to Michelle
Kamhi. Art Education, 65 (3), 48-54.
Tate. (1990, January 1). 'Guerrilla Girls' Definition Of Hypocrite', Guerrilla Girls, 1990. Tate.
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/guerrilla-girls-guerrilla-girls-definition-of-hypocrite- p78817.
Travis, S., Stokes-Casey, J., & Kim, S. (Eds.). (2020). Arts Education in Action: Collaborative Pedagogies for Social Justice. University of Illinois Press.
In my research, I focused on the history of activism in art, the hesitations involved in bringing it into the classroom, and how to apply it in classroom settings appropriately. I also will discuss examples of artists that can be shown, such as Banksy and the Guerrilla Girls, both of whom make bold anonymous statements on social activism to convey their messages to the public. I also will discuss the unsureness in teaching art activism in the classroom, and how to address this so it can be appropriately taught. The importance in teaching this is to not push biased political opinions but educate and inspire students to discover what they are passionate about socially.
Application of Research
Activism in art education has come to the forefront in the past few decades. With “Black Lives Matter,” “Times Up,” and the “Me Too Movement” all emerging in the past few years, it feels as if the call for social justice activists is loud and clear (Illouz, 2020). Art can be an educational vessel for students to address said issues and express themselves further by diving into these topics and creating artwork surrounding them. But how do we properly address, tackle, and teach this in the classroom? In this paper, I will be touching on ideas from educators, and inspiration taken from art activists on how to help best teach activism in art in the classroom.
Activism in art surely is nothing new, but it is undeniably taken on new forms as the year's pass and technology advances. The first example that I found to be impactful is The Guerrilla Girls. The bold group of women congregated in New York in 1985 and have been calling out inequality in the art world for decades (Tate,2004). Their work is recognizable and straight to the point, all while being anonymous (Tate, 2004). They choose to keep their art anonymous to keep the focus on the work itself and go by the names of female artists that have passed, such as Frida Kahlo and Gertrude Stein (Tate, 2004). They work to expose racism and sexism in the art world, examples being their Met Museum piece on feminism, “Do women have to be naked to get into the MET?” (Tate, 2004), and another pulled from one of their political posters, “An art collector who buys white male art at benefits for liberal causes, but never buys art by women or artists of color.” (Tate, 2004). These are intense statements made that grab the viewer's attention and create conversation. The goal of art activism in the classroom is just that; To captivate the viewer, make them think about the topic at hand, and discuss amongst their peers.
A more common example of activism in art that we can see day to day is street art. Whether it be the infamous and anonymous Banksy making his political statements worldwide, or local artists making their voices heard through their hometowns’ brick walls, these works of art are sure to make you stop and ponder the messages conveyed (Millington, 2020). Social media has also proven to be a great tool for discovering new art and inspiration, as we have seen in the past year during a global pandemic (Suwito, 2020). “If we want higher education to have an impact, students need to learn how to absorb experiences from events happening in their environment and channel them into meaningful initiatives. Digital art activism is a great way to help them do this” (Suwito, 2020). The younger generations get a lot of their information and inspiration for their passions through social media, and I genuinely believe this is something we should further research and explore.
How to Implement in a Classroom Setting
This can be achieved by making meaningful student connections. Getting to know students and what drives them, their backgrounds, and communities, and allowing them to participate in student-led practices (Dewhurst, 2010). Hurst continues this breakdown into simple guidelines, “Collaborative, reciprocal, and contextual planning, (and) Relevant Reflection” (Dewhurst,10-11, 2010). Albeit there are hesitations on diving into teaching activism in art. The most common concern is that social justice art can come off as biased political conversations (Darts, 2008). While this is often looked at as not appropriate in classroom settings and can be intimidating to navigate, the main goal is to not push a certain viewpoint (Campana, 2011). Rather, to educate and inspire, and keep the classroom discussion open and unrestrained for students' creativity and passions to flow freely.
Conclusion
Activism shown through art is both inspiring and necessary in our current times. As art educators, our role is to stay unbiased in the classroom and give students the tools they need to be successful. Educating students on sensitive social and political topics from facts and research can allow them to explore their own creativity and construct meaningful art that intersects with their passions. Showing artists that have used their voices through artwork can help spark creativity, along with showing how social media can be a positive tool for success and learning. We are faced with times that are stressful and emotionally exhausting, and the arts will always be there to beautifully amplify artists' voices and emotions. After extensive research on this topic, I believe that the need for activism in art for the younger generation is incredibly necessary. Being prepared to teach this in the classroom is both effective and necessary, as we strive to let younger generations have their voices heard.
References
Aryani Suwito, K. (2020, September 25). Art and online activism amid the pandemic: lessons from around the world. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/art-and-online- activism-amid-the-pandemic-lessons-from-around-the-world-140161.
Bastos, F. (2010). Editorial: What Does Social Justice Art Education Look Like? Art Education,
63(5), 2-3.
Campana, A. (2011). Agents of possibility: Examining the intersections of art, education, and activism in communities. Studies in Art Education, 52(4), 278-291.
Darts, D. (2008). The Art of Culture War: (Un)Popular Culture, Freedom of Expression, and Art
Education. Studies in Art Education, 49(2), 103-121.
Delacruz, E. M. (2003). Racism American style and resistance to change: Art education’s role in the Indian mascot issue. Art Education, 56(3), 13-20.
Delacruz, E.M. (2009). Art Education Aims in the Age of New Media: Moving Toward Global Civil Society. Art Education, 62 (5), 13-18.
Desai, D. (2020). Educating for social change through art: A personal reckoning. Studies in Art
Education, 61(1), 10-23.
Dewhurst, Marit (2010). An inevitable question: Exploring the Defining Features of Social
Justice Art Education. Art Education, 63 (5), 6-13.
Dewhurst, M. (2012). Walking the Talk of Art and Social Justice Education. Studies in Art
Education, 54(1), 88-90.
Freedman, K. (2000). Social Perspectives on Art Education in the U. S.: Teaching Visual Culture
in a Democracy. Studies in Art Education, 41(4), 314-329.
Hudson, A. (2020). Learning from a young indigenous artist: What can Hip-Hop teach
us? Art Education, 73(1), 18-22.
Hunter-Doniger, T. (2018). “But he looks like me. I never saw an artist look like that”: Making
connections to social justice through art. Art Education, 71(1), 17-19.
Illouz, E. (2020, June 27). The key issue Black Lives Matter and #Metoo have in common. Haaretz.com. https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-the-key-issue- black-lives-matter-and-metoo-have-in-common-1.8949081.
Millington, R. (2020, July 8). Activist Artists- 11 Famous Protest Examples.Ruth Millington. https://ruthmillington.co.uk/11-famous-protest-art-examples/.
Oliver, K. (2020). Contemporary photographic practice as a critical pathway toward visual
literacy. In In A. D. Knochel, C. Liao & R. M. Patton (Eds.) Critical digital artmaking in art
education (pp. 123 – 136).
Stewart, Edward O. (2012). Toward a Democratic (Art) Education: A Response to Michelle
Kamhi. Art Education, 65 (3), 48-54.
Tate. (1990, January 1). 'Guerrilla Girls' Definition Of Hypocrite', Guerrilla Girls, 1990. Tate.
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/guerrilla-girls-guerrilla-girls-definition-of-hypocrite- p78817.
Travis, S., Stokes-Casey, J., & Kim, S. (Eds.). (2020). Arts Education in Action: Collaborative Pedagogies for Social Justice. University of Illinois Press.