In 2022, I began to reassess how I present curricula to all my students. I wondered if the artists I was introducing reflected who they are in their identities and why it is important to bring diverse perspectives and processes into the art room. Besides lessons, projects, and activities, how can I continue to engage and empower them? In what ways can I continue to spark conversations about what art means today?
Frank with the mural Thankful by Lindsey Cherek Waller in downtown Wausau, Wisconsin. Photo by Mary Lou Mayr.
Contemporary art has been an integral part of my teaching practice. I define it as a representation of what is happening right now. It does not always have to result in something we see, such as a work of art, an exhibition, or an artist talk. It can be about what we can feel inside, empathize with, and relate to.
Tapping into the local art community, using social media platforms as springboards, and infusing my studio practice with how I communicate and connect the world of art with my students has provided examples of how artists use their voices, identities, and ideas to share their narratives. As art educators, we provide our students the space they need to be who they are, making our classroom culture welcoming and inclusive.
Art Today
In 2022, I began to reassess how I present curricula to all my students. I wondered if the artists I was introducing reflected who they are in their identities and why it is important to bring diverse perspectives and processes into the art room. Besides lessons, projects, and activities, how can I continue to engage and empower them? In what ways can I continue to spark conversations about what art means today?
In This Issue
Contemporary art is as open to interpretation as an abstract painting. When two people look at the same painting, they leave with two different responses informed by their life experiences and personal connections. Contemporary art is about storytelling and how artists communicate their stories to the world.
In the elementary lesson “Masterpiece Mashups” (p. 17), Leigh Drake introduces a unique way of pairing historical and contemporary artists to pique students’ interest and encourage them to create juxtaposed artworks. Tapping into background knowledge of art history and broadening student perspectives allows them to compare artists to gain a better understanding and create new visual compositions.
Brigid Horgan’s middle-school lesson “Sculpting the Everyday” (p. 29) delves into the work of two contemporary sculptors who create larger-than-life sculptures based on everyday objects. Students think about what art is and what it could look like in their own lives.
At the high-school level, Dannielle Arneson’s “The Visual Assemblage of Rhythm and Music” (p. 34) takes her students on a journey into the world of music and sculpture. Rhythm, tempo, color, texture, and structure play a role in the inspiration to create a song’s companion—a found-object sculpture.
Art is a powerful vehicle for self-expression, healing, and relationships. How we define it and the examples we share can have an impact on our students’ lives. How do you engage with contemporary art and artists in your classroom?
This issue focuses on various interpretations of contemporary art and what art means for students today. Young students investigate their connection to the natural world and print with leaves, elementary students combine elements from historical and contemporary artworks to create a new work of art, middle-school students explore the large-scale sculptures of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, high-school students channel contemporary themes into a self-portrait photo composite, and more.
