Skip to main content

Re-Imagining: The Arts in a Time of Reckoning

 Re-Imagining: The Arts in a Time of Reckoning

By Judith M. Burton


This article highlighted three major points for me:
- the sheer value of the Arts beyond dire times
- the breadth and depth of our abilities to provide for our society in the US
- the necessity of trauma and tragedy to wake us up and realizing that all deserve access to the advances of humanity

"It is, therefore, a deep psycho-social injustice that the arts play an insignificant role in the education of young people in K-12 schools, both public and private.   For in its absence we do disservice to the full functioning of the human mind, and to the creation and understanding of the complex narratives of culture. For the arts — all the arts — constitute languages of experience, each offering to the mind the resources for thinking deeply, imaginatively and critically."

This statement took my breath away because its just too true. The way I teach Social Justice in my classroom (which is a congregation of mostly black and brown students) is through self-empowerment and  the liberation of it. My students must know that they have the right to learn, love and grow in the advances of their present-day humanity. Our ancestors fought for their liberal expression of deep, imaginative and critical thought. We disservice our community when we cutoff the Arts and place it as a commodity only to be enjoyed by the bourgeois. And media gives us that perception, therefore it is within my power, as an Educator, to acknowledge the right to "understand the complex narratives of culture." 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Burton, J.M. Preface. Ch. 9. Early Adolescence: Ideas in search of forms

  Burton, J.M. Preface. Ch. 9. Early Adolescence: Ideas in search of forms This chapter gave a mixed assessment of children between the ages of 10-14 years old. My major take-away was how this period is an investigation of truth. Children are asking questions about themselves and the world around them. They are asking "serious" questions about life, connections, and hypocrisy. Due to the investigative mode (mindset) comic strips and doodling prove to be excellent forms of expression for thinking about topics, questions, streams of consciousness. Burton states that it is the "Stage of Reasoning" highlighted by Lowenfeld that is flanked by a shaky foundation of truth/reality and the need to use/relate to the culture and conditions of their circumstance.  The realization of multiple truths led me to my current unit for 8th grade. We are discussing topics such as race, privilege, (I don't know if "class" exists currently), and spirituality/religion. All to...

Developing Minds: Visual Events

  Questions: In the text, Professor Burton points out that "children at this age are thought to be at the height of their curiosity and imaginative powers," yet "stereotypic imagery, paucity of imaginative content, even disenchantment with the whole enterprise of creating art often emerges during this time." Why does that happen? How do these phases of artistic development relate to Art Therapy and its practices? Do therapists use the phases as a way to evaluate clients? How do the phases and need for therapy connect? Does the art show evidence of emotional phases children are in and does it offer tools for regulation that help with emotional needs and artistic development? Noticings: Professor Burton points out how materials guide what is being shown or the message. I wonder if that's the tactic of adult artists as well. Are there artists that showcase and express through material mostly?  Phases seem to go from "scribbles," to directionality, to encl...

The Arts and Re-Envisioning COVID-Era Schools

  The Arts and Re-Envisioning COVID-Era Schools By  Judith M. Burton