Exhibiting Student Art

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Exhibiting Student Art

• more than just pretty pictures

Please dont judge me
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Whos talking?

• Experts in the field of art education have
  published a number of books on the topic. 3 of
  the most recent are
• Exhibiting Student Art The Essential Guide for
  Teachers. David Burton (2006).
• Student Art Exhibits New Ideas and Approaches.
  Bill Zuk and Robin Dalton, Editors (2001).
• The Educationally Interpretive Exhibition
  Rethinking the Display of Student Art. Kelly
  Bass, Elliott Eisner, Lee Hanson. Teresa Cotner,
  and Thomas Yacoe (1997).

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What are they saying?

• These books sum up projects and research that
  explore the importance of
• The real purpose of exhibitions not just
  showing the pretty or technically proficient
  pictures.
• The concept of using exhibits vs. just
  looking at them.
• The students role in the exhibition process - a
  shift to the student as curator model vs. the
  teacher directed or gallery model.

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A historical perspective.

• Art education was originally introduced to the
  public school curriculum in order to teach
  utilitarian skills based on the needs presented
  by commerce and industry - training students for
  work in industry as manual workers, craftsmen,
  and jobs in the applied arts.

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The curriculum

• Focus on geometric drawing, drawing from
  observation, and decorative drawing.
• Exhibits at this time showed off the best
  technical drawings.
• In addition, artwork was used to decorate the
  school and/or to commemorate holidays or special
  events.

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In other words

• Good art the faithful reproduction and
  illustration of nature or plaster model casts.
  (Zuk and Dalton, 2001)

1st place
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and

• At girls schools, pretty art testified to the
  good taste and careful instruction that the girls
  received. (Zuk and Dalton, 2001)

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so

• Until the 1950s, this is what people expected
  from art education in schools Creativity,
  problem solving, personal voice, etc. had nothing
  to do with it.

CAN YOU HEAR ME?
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The more things change, the more they stay the
same.

• The world has changed, roles of men and women
  have changed, industry has changed, education has
  changed but
• We still like art that looks pretty, shows
  technical skill and allows the environment to
  speak to the current season or topic of interest.
  
• Students are still judged by the products that
  they create and teachers by what they inspire,
  hence exhibits that display only the best work.

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Get with the program.

• The gallery model still has a place in art and
  education. There is value in impressive exhibits
  that use student artwork selected based on skill
  and technical merit.
• However, art education is much more than pretty
  pictures. In order to prove it, art teachers must
  rethink they ways in which they exhibit student
  art.

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So, what does a good exhibit look like?

• An exhibition should be a learning and teaching
  exhibition meant to show the involved process of
  art making, to show ways that one can explore
  particular issues through art, and to show how
  one can manipulate media and ideas. (Zuk and
  Dalton, 2001)

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Give me more.

• In addition to artwork, exhibits can include
• Visuals to help illustrate to the viewer what
  the artwork is based on.
• Writing in the form of artist statements,
  research, poetry, quotes anything related to
  what the students were learning and reflecting
  on.
• Text to help explain the project, background
  information, and the related goals, including art
  and other SOLs.

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Dig It!
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Goal!

• Students should be very aware of what they are
  learning and how an exhibit of their work
  reflects that learning.
• Parents they should be encouraged to understand
  the cognitive and creative relevance of school
  learning, not just circulate though and
  exhibition to find their childs work. (Zuk and
  Dalton, 2001)

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Come on now, its just an exhibit of school
art.

• Sometimes, art for arts sake is OK but
• An exhibit has the potential to educate students,
  teachers, parents, administrators, and the
  community.
• An exhibit should be an excellent example of the
  relationship between classroom practice and
  public presentation. (Zuk and Dalton, 2001)

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Defend until the end.

• Why not make a case for art education every time
  a student work is publicly displayed? Why not
  help our professional peers understand what
  students of all age groups and grade levels can
  learn during art instruction? Why not demonstrate
  and illustrate the strong theoretical foundations
  that support the case for art education in all
  schools? (Bas, et al., 1997)

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Authentic assessment

• Exhibiting epitomizes authentic assessment in
  art. Done well, exhibitions organize what
  students have learned and created in a deliberate
  manner that can be experienced, appreciated, as
  well as understood by other people. (Burton,
  2006)

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The ways of display
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I. The display art of children

• Students come to school with inherent exhibition
  skills the same skills that they use at home.
• Doors, door frames, walls, surface areas,
  mirrors, bulletin boards, windows, floors,
  ceilings, furniture, clothingare all exhibit
  spaces that children use on a daily basis.

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Gallery owners program

• The same types of exhibits that are found at home
  can be created in school.
• Students rent spaces and are responsible for
  creating a personalized exhibit.
• The act of creating an exhibit becomes the
  focus not necessarily artwork.

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What is art?

• Placemats, shopping bags, x-rays, playing card
  constructions, figurines, Legos, umbrellas,
  wearable art, portable shows.
• Students learn about design, and the fact that it
  is everywhere.
• They develop their own definition and
  understanding of aesthetics.

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Collections

• Every show is an example of kids involvement
  with their visual word. Walls become public
  celebrations, validating an area of kids
  collections. (Bas, et al., 1997)

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II. Students as curators

• Usually, the teacher takes on the responsibility
  for
• Theme development
• Exhibition design
• Exhibition installation
• Publicity
• Events and assessment

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Why so?

• When students takes over these tasks, they learn
• More about the curriculum
• To make connections through context
• To accept feedback
• Social dynamics
• Respect/responsibility
• The art of exhibiting
• The importance of the visual environment

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III. Art on the fridge cool!
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Does allowing the art to act as mere decoration
devalue it?

• Not if the heart of the home is taken advantage
  of opportunities for dialogue.
• Dialogue curriculum to be able to look at and
  talk about art. (Bas, et al., 1997)
• Send home statements and questions related to the
  art to allow for the dialogue to continue at
  home.

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Now, lets get real

• These alternate types of exhibits take much more
  time than one in which the best is simply
  selected and hung.
• So, should each exhibit look like this? No. The
  point is that there are many ways to exhibit
  student art. Teachers should not get stuck in a
  rut. Exhibits should be carefully considered and
  planned around a theme selected from a choice of
  many.

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Woo hoo!

• Exhibiting art is now part of the newly revised
  Virginia Visual Art Standards of Learning!
• Since the purpose of art education is not just to
  create work for selection into an exhibition, the
  definition of student art exhibition needs to
  be redefined by art educators, students, parents,
  and school administrators.

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Think about it

• Works of art are not the whole of art they are
  the rare peaks. The finished product in an art
  class cannot adequately represent the process and
  the knowledge gained. (Arnheim, 1969, p. 295)

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Virtual exhibits

• HCPS
• Adams ES - Artsonia
• Hungary Creek MS
• Deep Run HS
• Godwin HS

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Big business

• The art of exhibiting is not limited to schools.
  There is a whole industry related to the way that
  the public interacts with the information that an
  organization puts on display.

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As you visit schools

• Take the time to notice the exhibits that have
  been created in the hallways and in the
  classrooms.
• All content area teachers display student work.
  How are they doing it? Are the exhibits
  effective? Do they include the student voices?
  Will students continue to learn as they view the
  exhibits on a daily basis? Will parents be
  encouraged to learn about the program/lesson?
  What did you learn?

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Thank you!
I sure hope they understand me a bit better