“There’s no diploma in the world that, you know, declares you as an artist. It’s not like becoming a doctor, or something. Like, you can declare yourself an artist and then figure out how to be an artist.” This statement from Kara Walker (https://art21.org/watch/extended-play/kara-walker-starting-out-short/) hits home with my belief that any and everyone can find a way to be an artist. If you have the drive and the willingness to pursue what you want, it will happen. However, this belief would not have been able to install itself in my brain unless those before my time went through the struggle for equality, which is still a constant battle. One of my favorite statements I hear in my Elementary classroom is when a student says. “I am an Artist” or tells a classmate “You are a reeeeally good artist”, sometimes I hear them reply with “You are too”. I work extremely hard at the positive self-talk and exemplifying positive critical feedback. The fact that I work so hard at this is in contrast to In Identity & Art by Byrd when he writes that if you were not a white male artist you simply were not taken seriously. Especially “If they worked in a style dominated by men (Abstract Expressionism, for example), they faced the challenge of remaining in the in shadow of the men who got far more attention.” Luckily, “due to the work of historians and critics like Nochlin, this oversight has been corrected in recent decades as the work of underrated women has been reevaluated and popularized.” When I prep for shows I save aside work of students who not only went above and beyond on the requirements but also work of students that show deeper thought process or a unique self-style. I promote that not all Art needs to fit in this perfect pretty parameter, which I feel helps with the self-worth of my students with different levels of fine motor skills. Another part of the readings that really struck home was Mary Kelly’s statement in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaKXUVDSZdQ that “You can see the relations between men and women are very different of a younger generation and that men are very involved, often without credit, in childcare”. This really got me in the soft spot considering I am the bacon bringer in our family and my other half is a stay-at-home father and also a farm hand to my father. I am extremely thankful for this lifestyle and that Daniel is such a spectacular father. ResourcesIdentity & Art by Byrd
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