Bare Bones Art || Building Community through Arts Experiences

National Art Education Association

Building Community through Arts ExperiencesAuthor(s): Alice ArnoldSource: Art Education, Vol. 47, No. 3, Bare Bones Art (May, 1994), pp. 47-51Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193476 .

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Building Community

ThroughAtS ExDeriences

A NEED FOR COMMUNITY

N ever has society been so fractured and fragmented. Never has so much stress been placed on families, and never has the need for strong support networks (Baker, 1990) been so great. Derek Bok (1990), former President of Harvard University, cites a "twenty year trend among college freshmen towards valuing self-centered

aspirations at the expense of more altruistic goals." Evidence like this suggests that societal structures of family and community need all the support they can get.

In response to this need, businesses and the corporate sector are searching for ways to lend support to the communities that they serve, and simultaneously universities are looking to those communities for service opportunities that will benefit their students in holistic ways. Business and educational groups can team together to strengthen communities and work to give students of all ages a greater sense of unity and belonging.

The concept of "community building" is new, but community building is based on many old

BY ALICE ARNOLD

Teachers and students explore works in Wellington B. Gray art gallery MAY 1994 / ART EDUCATION



ideals of commitment and responsibility. It takes leadership from both the business sector and the university to make this concept of shared responsibility work, and to create societal bridges within the community.

"Community building" brings a diverse group of people together in structured and semi-structured environments with a set of common goals. It requires a commitment of time and effort and does not happen automatically. It must be modeled and taught.

BUSINESS: A CATALYST FOR COMMUNITY

"Artfest 92" was an "art happening" that supported a sense of community by bringing a diverse group of people together to share their time, talents, and ideas. The "Artfest" event was sponsored by McDonald's corporation, the quick-service restaurant chain. It was co-sponsored by a cooperative of one hundred McDonald's restaurants in eastern North Carolina, and by East Carolina University. One owner of several stores in the Greenville, North Carolina, area, said that his goal for the day was to give back to the community some of what the community had given to McDonald's.

The "Artfest" idea was developed by the local McDonald's owner/operators of eastern North Carolina to supplement North Carolina schools' limited art education budgets and encourage participation in the arts among young people. The theme "Redefining Ourselves Through Culture and Academics" was positive, yet broad enough to allow for personal interpretation.

A public relations firm, Price McNabb, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was employed to help bring this event

Above: Visiting artist Robert

Graham talks with high school

students

Right: High school students at

work during "Artfest 92"

ART EDUCATION / MAY 1994



to fruition. They laid the ground work and became the hub for the events that brought everyone together. They coordinated the efforts of the Afro- American artist, Robert Graham, who provided the inspiration for the day of art making. They sent many flyers to high school art teachers in the Greenville and Jacksonville area and contacted the local newspapers and television stations. The public relations firm purchased all the art supplies and

picked up McDonald's breakfasts from an area restaurant. They also contacted a faculty member at East Carolina University, who agreed to act as University liaison for the day. Eight University art education majors volunteered a block of time during the morning to meet and greet the high school students and assist with the day's activities.

On Saturday, November 14,1992, about forty high school students and their teachers came to the campus of East Carolina University, in Greenville, North Carolina, for a morning of inspiration, exploration, and art- making-"Artfest 92." Some school groups traveled for over an hour before they reached the Jenkins Fine Art Center, which was the location for events that lasted all morning.

Businesses that achieve long term success often have a history of reaching out to the communities that support them with services and products that enhance their image (Peters & Waterman, 1982). McDonald's has a history of marketing that is upbeat, positive, and future oriented. "Artfest 92" became a way for McDonald's to show support for the community by supporting artists and art education in a variety of ways. The event become a "win-win situation." Everyone who participated gained from the encounter.

THE COLLABORATORS Robert Graham

The Afro-American artist, Robert Graham, was selected by the P.R firm as a role model for the students who attended the "Artfest" event. Mr. Graham, a professional artist who lives and works in Greensboro, NC, was asked to share his story with many high school students over a period of weeks. Students have a strong interest in personal stories (Egan, 1986), and particularly the stories of individuals from the communities in which they live.

In the weeks before the "Artfest," Mr. Graham gave slide lectures in the public schools of nine Eastern North Carolina communities about African-

MAY 1994 / ART EDUCATION N

The concept of "community building" is new, but

community building is based on

many old ideals of commitment

and responsibility.



American artists and their art work. Students identified with him as a person and an artist. They became interested in his perspective and what it had to offer them. By the day of the "Artfest," the students were looking forward to more contact with their new teacher.

Through discussion of the imagery in several of his paintings, Mr. Graham provided inspiration for the art production activity that occupied the lion's share of the morning. He lent a new perspective, one that was engaging and possibly "more real" than the academic routine of the high school art room. He talked about his work and how each painting had evolved. As an award-winning artist, he gave authenticity to the activities of the day. The artist-in-residence experience was new for many students and lent excitement to the learning process.

THE UNIVERSITY TEAM An Assistant Professor of Art at East

Carolina University and eight art education majors acted as hosts for the "Artfest" event. University students welcomed the high school students and their teachers from surrounding counties. The art education majors acted as guides and mentors for the activities of the day.

Three large classrooms were opened for the morning so that everyone had plenty of room to work. McDonald's donated everything from morning juice and rolls, to a bountiful quantity of art supplies. It was a luxurious activity, in terms of the quality of the materials and the relative freedom from time constraints.

The exchange of ideas between all of those present served as a strong

Ultimately, communities are

forged on a day- by-day basis and

through events that

invite open participation.

platform for learning. The art education majors, in particular, became more familiar with the challenges of teaching art in the public schools as they engaged in dialogue and careful observation.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

Several high school teachers responded to the flyer sent to the schools, which alerted them to the "free hands-on workshop for area high school art students." The teachers called the Raleigh office of the P.R. firm and made reservations for their group. They too were willing to volunteer their Saturday to provide an experience for their students that was different from the usual classroom experience. No one knew exactly what to expect. Just getting to the university became a challenge for one car load of students, who had a flat tire along the way. But

their enthusiasm returned once they began the art making process.

During the morning, the teachers had time to share ideas and concerns with each other as their students worked independently, but many elected to join their students. Mr. Graham worked on a collage while many students worked on acrylic paintings. Everyone was free to pursue individual ideas. McDonald's had provided the theme, "Redefining Ourselves Through Culture and Academics," but just how that theme was interpreted was open-ended.

A midmorning trip to the Wellington B. Gray Art Gallery on the second floor served many purposes. It took the students out of the classroom setting and gave them a chance to see quality art. Because the annual faculty show was still up, the students were introduced to the art work of most of the professors in the School of Art. The scale of the gallery and art work held many messages about the seriousness of art for academic majors and about art making as a life goal. Mr. Graham and students discussed their interpretations of the images found in the gallery, and learned from each other about the many ways that art works can be interpreted and judged.

The atmosphere was both relaxed and serious, as everyone became a student and worked in a collaborative fashion. Motivated students shared ideas and meanings, as they pursued their own vision of excellence. New relationships were forged and a greater sense of belonging was fostered.

THE AFTERMATH Outcomes of the Workshop Growth may be described as

commitment to a set of goals and the risk-taking behaviors needed to meet those goals. The "Artfest" event gave all

ART EDUCATION / MAY 1994



participants an opportunity to engage in risk-taking behaviors around a set of loosely structured learning goals.

Everyone's consciousness was raised about the myriad ways that the arts community of eastern North Carolina might come together in the future and work together for productive ends. There is so much to be learned from experience-rich activities such as the "Artfest 92" event.

Without the catalyst that the business sector provided, the event would not have occurred. And without the hard work of many teachers and students, it would not have been the enormous success that it was.

RETRIEVING COMMUNITY THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS

The sociological literature of the last decade is full of urgent calls for a return to community. There is overwhelming agreement by educational leaders that a commitment to community is vanishing.

The study by Robert Bellah (1985), Habits of the Heart, points to a pervasive loss of community in contemporary society. Bellah suggests that communities that once were a binding force in American society, are now being replaced with "lifestyle enclaves" that encourage separation, isolation, and a deep sense of loss.

Bellah's general theme of "loss of community" and the need for its restoration in contemporary society have been echoed by the work of Ernest Boyer (1987) and Derek Bok (1990). In College: the Undergraduate Experience in America, Boyer makes the point that college students should be exposed to experiences that mirror the kinds of experiences they will have once they graduate. He calls for a

curriculum that is highly integrated, so that students are able to relate current learning to the bigger picture of their lives and careers.

Boyer encourages educators to help bridge the gap between the schools and the community at large by finding, restoring, and using those bridges that are there. He feels that a strong emphasis on practical experiences- those based in the practices found in the schools-will better prepare students for the challenges of work.

Derek Bok agrees with Boyer. Both feel that it is the role of contemporary universities to act in loco parentis, guiding the lives of the young people that they serve. There is little doubt that the goals and aims of universities are under scrutiny and reform. New goals are gradually replacing old, and priorities are in a state of debate and flux. Bok describes the dilemma: These trends underscore the needfor universities to provide a sound moral education in the broadest sense of the term-that is, to help students adopt higher ethical standards and a strong sense of communal and civic responsibility. But what should universities do-indeed, what can they do-to respond effectively to this challenge? (Bok, 1990, p. 62)

Bok feels that universities can provide strong leadership in the development of student responsibility. Volunteering to serve in the communities in which the students live is but one definition of responsibility. To have students learn independent of grades and merit reports, and to have them lead autonomous lives that have a strong sense of value and purpose is a step toward the "ethical standards" that Boyer and Bok envision.

For art educators, the question becomes: How can we garner our energies and talents to help bring about

the return of a sense of community where we live and work? Ultimately, communities are forged on a day-by- day basis and through events that invite open participation. Some community events are one time efforts while others have a larger scope, an ongoing agenda, and greater benefits. The conduit toward community building is volunteerism and hard work.

It is important to remember that there is a latency factor to community building efforts. Rewards may come years later and may be manifest in non- tangible attitudes and beliefs that are difficult to see or measure. For the student who returns home from a day of making art the reward may simply be a stronger sense of self worth and direction.

Alice Arnold is Assistant Professor, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina.

REFERENCES Baker, D. (1990). "Git real": On art education

and community needs. Art Education, 43(6), 41-49.

Bellah, RN. et al. (1985). Habits of the heart: Individualism and commitment in American life. NewYork: Harper& Row.

Bok, D. (1990). Universities and the future of America. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Boyer, E.L. (1987). College, the undergraduate experience in America. New York: Harper & Row.

Egan, K. (1986). Teaching as story telling. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

Peters, T.J. & Waterman, RH. (1982) In search of excellence: Lessonsfrom America's best- run companies. New York, NY: Warner Books.

MAY 1994 / ART EDUCATION l



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