Transforming Our Space through Public Art
Source: www.smcm.edu
Topic: Graffiti
Sort Desciption: Compelling graffiti art references pop. culture, subcultures, and social structures. that are indicative of a specific time and ...
Content Inside: Volume 7, No. 2, April - May 2007 Inside: SPECIAL FOCUS: Looking Back, Looking Forward Listening to the Past Twain’s Wit and Wisdom St. Mary’s Goes Green continues on P h o t o s b y J e n n i f e r F o s s e l l O ’ S u l l i v a n W hen I walked into class dur- ing the spring of 2006, my students were involved in a heated conversation about images cre- ated on the plywood fence in front of the Goodpaster Hall construction site. To give some background, the College’s Construction Mitigation Team organized a competition in which groups and individuals were invited to submit de- signs for portions of a mural. The winners were assigned a section of the 244-foot wall. While these individuals and groups were excited to participate, most of the mural was still incomplete as the semester drew to a close. Meanwhile, some students To Make a Mark Transforming Our Space through Public Art by Carrie Patterson, Assistant Professor of Art A plywood construction wall became a site for student creativity and serious discussion about the nature of public art and how we represent the stories of our community. • River Gazette were upset by the competition, declaring that the creation of public art should be open to everyone. The controversy brought home to me why I love to teach drawing and painting: it inevitably brings students to the realiza- tion (and reminds me) that life cannot be separated from the art that we make. In fact, discussions about art often lead to discussions about politics, culture, history, science, philosophy, and religion. And as we become critical viewers of images, our preconceived ideas about the world become immediately apparent. Later that semester, a group of students decided to hold a paint-a-thon, inviting people to come paint on the wall. It was these images, created during the paint-a-thon, which became the subject of the debate in my classroom. Some students were excited by the activity, while others were outraged that ...
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