July 31

July 31  Rader pp. 200-210 (Chapter 9); Lampert pp. 263-68 (Chapter 25)
             And Kate Lyman: The Trial (pp. 140-143)

Wow--the Summer II is almost over. I am so very happy that I got to read these marginal histories of artists galvanizing for social and cultural changes. I will be looking at your sites this weekend. I'm at the gallery all day today again and tomorrow evening is First Friday. I will try to take some pics and post them on here--How's that?

Some reactions to your posts: Lynn asked about the Tejas Native Sculpture. I will reply below so everyone can have a say as well. Blair's comment about AIDS is interesting. New AIDS cases are rising the most in young gay men. Here in Lubbock, STIs are very high per capita. Andrea posted about how it seems all of Lyman's lessons go smoothly. What I would like to remind all of us is that her essays document all of the cautions and precautions she did as a teacher, and what incidents/reactions she choses to write about. What I get from her essays are that teaching about anything "real" is almost exhaustingly painstakingly  difficult to create and manage. Often, she wonders if she is a good teacher. And is even doing the right things--when from my perspective she is courageous, visionary and how I should be as a teacher. Lyman always considers what to tell administration. She is never given support--she builds, develops and maintains it--so when she does run into trouble, she has created community allies--that makes administration back down at times. And Lynn, thanks for the Sherman Alexie quote--was that his grandmother? Great quote. 

July 30

July 30  Rader pp. 191-200 (Chapter 7); Lampert pp. 252-62 (Chapter 24) 
             And Kate Lyman: AIDS: You Can Die From It (pp. 149-153)

Wow!!!! What a joy/pleasure/honor to read your posts from yesterday. Mostly because of your nuanced and engaged responses. So, let me get to a few. First off, I became inspired to write a paper on creating change in curriculum by simply making artists we teach reflect the demographics of a school and then what that can mean for teachers, students and learning. It's how I am going to teach students in Art 3360, our introductory class, about engaging students and learning--make the curriculum reflect their lives.

Blair posts that she was embarrassed about some previous judgments and posted that we weren't taught that much (or the latter may be my thought on that). $60 is a deal for anything Native-made. Some of the art/jewelry at the Governor's Palace where Natives-only sell, go for hundred and thousands. It's one way locals can make livings by selling art. And much of that art traces back to Natives relearning crafts to sustain their communities. When I was referring to the HOWE statue, I was intending how we all have seen similar examples somewhere in our lives--that that particular one--sorry if that was confusing. Lynn posted "How do we help preserve culture[s] respectfully?" Great question. Daniels' memory of playing with a slot machine with Indian-motif. Lynn posting again "How do we keep from homogeneity--from losing identity?" I might add that many of us don't even know much about our identities. 

I am glad many of you find Kate Lyman's pedagogical courage and strategies impactful. 

July 29

July 29  Rader pp. 183-90 (Chapter 9); Lampert pp. 242-51 (Chapter 23)
             And Kate Lyman: From Snarling Dogs to Bloody Sunday (pp. 119-125)

Good morning. 9.15 am. As I am posting, it is slowly raining outside--simply delightful. Also delightful, believe it or not, was the Rader reading for today--183-190--about public art. I am going to lead with that post. A few comments about yesterday's posts:

Sarah's post of her idea of creating a mural of deployed parents is very cool in my opinion. Blair posted about when is art finished? was interesting to me. When I taught elementary art in the 80s (don't laugh), I bought a four-part filmstrip series (where there is a beep to tell you to turn to next image) that was called Shoe-view of Art through History, something like that. You looked through the history of arts/mostly paintings looking at shoes that were represented. What I remember was the narrator said that in the very famous Arnolfini Wedding portrait (google it) the artist left the man's shoes unfinished--that there is evidence the artist did not know how to finish the shoes. When is something finished? Could it be that it never is and that everything is temporary? From my perspective as an old man, nothing hangs around or sticks for very long--records, music, buildings, people, rivers--everything seems to be in states of constant flux--that really goes against how I was taught about everything.

Sarah posted she was surprised at subject matter at 2/3 grade age--that's why we are reading Lyman. I was always interested in important things as a kid and teen. Adults seemed to hedge away from anything that was important to me. Lyman is an example of how to begin to bridge those important ideas of students and bring or allow them into the classroom. My WARNING is that all of your colleagues will think you are crazy and inappropriate. That is usually the first, second, third and fifty-eight response. LOL

Andrea's post got me to thinning about in the early 90s when I was a grad TA and teaching an art class for non-art majors (people who were going to be elementary classroom teachers, not art teachers). One female student had her husband assume poses that females do in magazines--like lying on his back with a leg in the air; and she photographed him. Sadly, even in my view, he looked ridiculous--and the bigger question ofr me was why did women not look ridiculous assuming those poses? That's what the Rader article is all about today, what happens when we become immune to what we see and how we see it? Do I see the misogyny? The racisims? Etc. And, it's never comfortable realizing that I participate in cultural racisms, sexisms, etc., especially when I remain silent. 

July 28

July 28  Rader pp. 141-50 (End of Chapter 6/Beg. of Chapter 7); Lampert pp. 235-41 (Chapter 22)
             And Kate Lyman: Girls, Worms, and Body Image (pp. 107-111)

Hope you all had a good weekend. I'm thinking of two posts by Blair that many commented on. One was that she has Indians from India in her school. India has over 1.1 billion people, imagine all of the contemporary and historic artists it has as well. Also, I like the idea posted that Blair gives students choices and input. As Rethinking Our Classrooms says, the best discipline is a good curriculum--and the best curriculum invites the lives and expertises and interests of students. 

I have also noticed that no one is commenting on the Rader book questions. So, for tomorrow, let's skip ahead in it and start Chapter 9, reading pages 183-190. The last two chapters take it back to art. I sense literary analysis is not that interesting to everybody. I would encourage you to check our a Sherman Alexie Film--Smoke Signals--it's a totally different pace and theme than Hollywood films. Or any one of the other ones mentioned if available. 

So--reading change for tomorrow--Rader 183-190--don't forget. 

Also, if I haven't mentioned it yet, if you have never heard of or seen or read The Guerrilla Girls, google www.guerrillagirls.com

July 25

July 25  Rader pp. 131-40 (Chapter 6); Lampert pp. 224-234 (Chapter 21)

A few updates. You all should have received invites to Dropbox for the Kate Lyman articles. I thought we would read one each day next week. They illustrate how an elementary teacher has taken some of the issues we have read about and turned them into pedagogy/teachable moments. I think you will enjoy them.

I hope these literary chapters from Rader haven't alienated you a reader, but this is how literary criticism is written about in academe. And he is quite accessible. I am hoping that if poetry wasn't that interesting to you, that the movies will be. But poetry is a method or medium that is like reading for art's sake--and all of the poetry examined here is all about historic and contemporary identity and place. 

Keep in mind that museums don't sell work, they store it. Galleries sell work. When I asked about positive portrayals of Native Americans in media or cultures it reminds me that especially in movies, white people often see Indians as one group--not their differences; many whites are not interested in the lives or histories of Natives, much less how things are represented. Many whites seem to be very interested though in their own interests--if that makes sense, from what we have read.

Rader repeats, over and over, the privileges of being white in this culture; and having access to money--being middle and upper classes. 

Keep in mind, that by this upcoming Monday, I asked you to send us addresses, so we can peek at your blog or site under construction. On Monday, I am asking that you leave feedback to each other--there is space for comments. 

I hope you are enjoying most of the reads; I am learning a lot about the histories of art and artists.  

July 24

July 24  Rader pp. 121-30 (End of Chapter 5/Beg. of Chapter 6); Lampert pp. 211-223 (Chapter 21)

We only have nine class days remaining. Where does the time go?

First off--just a reminder that by Monday, can everybody give us their addresses to look at ideas or the beginning of your project? It's a work in progress and will probably end that way--no need to completely finish something. There isn't the time. I hope that helps a few of you who may be perfectionists. Sarah asked if you have to use blogger--no. Use another online site. I just thought we are using blogger and it is free. I understand how blogger isn't working with a few iPads. I don't know if that is a platform issue--does Chrome work better with iPads? I don't know.

About our readings. I am noticing that fewer and fewer are commenting on the Rader book. Don't let literary criticism and analysis scare you off. Especially as we are reading about poetry. I just plod along and read it, ask questions, and underline. I try to ask more open-ended questions, but please respond to those as well. He gets back to films with more pics shortly. 

I am noticing how nuanced the writings are--whose side/s do I/we take? And how understanding and siding may have to do with similar issues we have experienced in our lives. That's the beauty of a democracy. Finding many reactions and feelings in one story. Cheech MArin's book, Chicano Visions (2002), is a great little find. And cheap now--on Amazon for .89--though there is $3.99 shipping. It's only about painters, but a great resource book.

I was intrigued with Lynn's ratio of what to include based on contemporary stats. What might an art curriculum or museum show listing look like if it better represented current demographic stats? Lynn posted that she "almost" named a poet in an artist list. Let's think about that for a moment: Do categories and the ways we have been trained restrict us from telling our truths and/or even being creative? (I would venture to say yes). 

July 23

July 23  Rader pp. 111-20 (End of 4/Chapter 5); Lampert pp. 199-210 (Chapter 19)

Thanks for yesterday's posts. Lots of histories and stories embedded in posts. melanie posted about the "disconnects people make to do certain things." And/Or what knowledge is not known that allows people to jump to certain judgments and actions? Sarah posts about how dark many of our histories are. It got me to thinking about the updated version of the movie Hairspray with John Travolta and Queen Latifah. One of the main characters yells out "Everyday should be Negro day!" I often quote that now to the "shock" of friends and colleagues. We should be more shocked at what we don't know about our histories. 

I use an introductory exercise from a book edited by Susan Cahan and Zoya Kocur called: Contemporary Art and Multicultural America (1996). Under Part 4: Integrating Curriculum and Experience, Chapter 7: American Identity; Lesson 1: Immigration and the United States: Who Are We? is a suggested activity:

1. Divide class into pair(with teacher included as part of a pair if needed).
2. Have students take turns conducting interviews with each other working from the following list of questions or similar questions they develop through class discussion:
A. What is your name? Do you know the meaning of your name?
B. Where ar your parents from?
C. Where are you from?
D. Do you know or use any languages besides English?
E. Do you have relatives in other countries?
F. How long has your family lived in the United States?
G. Why did you family originally come to the United States?
H. What did they encounter when they arrived?

Many students know very little about their own backgrounds. We discuss what surprising things we learned of each other. If it helped us better understand classmates. If we were interested in knowing more about our backgrounds. What we might learn about interviewing a parent or close relative. Similarities we have in common. 

Other ideas in the lesson are to brainstorm and have class build reasons people come, voluntarily or not, to the US. And also consider: have reasons changed for emigrating to US; what are some specific circumstances; what similarities exist no matter what the ethnicity; what differences; how does economic and historical circumstances of different countries make immigration experiences to US unique for different peoples; were earlier migrations of Europeans to US motivated by different sets of circumstances?

It also goes into John Ogbu's distinctions between groups who came to the US voluntarily and groups forced to come here. Artists highlighted/used are: David Avalos, Juan Sanchez, and Yolanda Lopez (pp. 234-236) 

Using interviews to collect data to then think about art projects was key. 

I continue to use this in face-to-face classes to set the tone for the often difficult topics that occur when I teach. It gives us all an avenue to wonder about our pasts. Who am I? Where did I come from? What did my relatives experience? How does that connect to other's experiences? Etc.