National Art Education Convention 2014!

On March 31, Melinda Donelan (Red Oak art teacher) and I presented at the National Art Education Association's annual national conference.  We met some wonderful people and learned how to expand our profession with workshops and hands-on experiences.  
We gave two presentations;

Contemporary Artists and Augmented Reality: Demonstration of Integration and Creation of Contemporary Art Through Self-reflection

Today’s art educators often revert back to lessons on traditional western masters, because that is what we feel comfortable teaching. Today’s artists experiment with a variety of mediums and settings, as well as working in an environment that is technologically advanced and culturally diverse. 

In this workshop, elementary and middle school teachers were challenged to incorporate contemporary artists in their curriculum. Attendees were provided with lessons that focused on artists such as James Rizzi, a New York-based pop artist; Aminah Robinson, an Ohio-based artist who experiments with found objects; Serene Bacigalupi, a young New York-based artist who recycles old paintings; and additional pop artists, such as Jim Dine and Peter Max. 

Following the background and application strategies, teachers created their own Serene-inspired recycled artwork.

Art and Social Media:  Supporting innovative teaching by incorporating emerging social media into art curriculum.

Social media plays a significant role in the lives of folk and outsider artists. We have access to tutorials, galleries, and live chats with artists through social media.  Pinterest and Etsy have made it easy for artists to share their work, but how can we as art educators utilize these platforms with our students?  Elementary through high school teachers discussed the roles social media plays in art education.  We discussed the relationships between folk and outsider art through social media platforms and how art organizations utilize social media for public attention. Participants shared how modern day access to social media offers the opportunity to use technology to foster a sense of connectedness, in the same way the folk arts connect people to their community and culture.