from VCCA Journal, Volume 8, Number 2, Fall/Winter 1993, 21-28
© Copyright 1993 VCCA Journal
It is vitally important to engage community college educators and students in an understanding of art as a natural human phenomenon. At Southwest Virginia Community College, Arts Across the Curriculum, a Virginia Funds for Excellence grant project, has provided the medium for accomplishing this goal.
Making the Arts Accessible
Upon first hearing about the project the response of many has been, "Oh yes, that's like Writing Across the Curriculum, isn't it?" Well, yes and no. At the outset in a Writing Across the Curriculum project, both instructor and student are familiar with the nature of writing, have had experience writing, and hold the very real potential and possible aspiration of becoming writers themselves. In fact, faculty participants are often accomplished, published writers when they become involved in the program. None of the above factors (when one substitutes the words art or artists for writing or writers) are commonly true with regard to the initiation of an Arts Across the Curriculum program.
Consequently, the introduction of such a program--particularly in a rural, more isolated environment--must be thickly woven from inviting and non-threatening threads that engage participants in discovering their individual capacity to perceive and understand aspects of the arts. We have found that in our relatively limited cultural environment most participants begin with a very low self-esteem with regard to their "grasp" of the arts.
A week-long seminar before the start of fall semester became our vehicle at SVCC for beginning this process of eye-opening among our faculty participants. We were fortunate to have consultants at our seminars representing varied areas of expertise from the Teacher Resource Center of the Saint Louis Art Museum (Pam Hellwege); the Curator's Office of Johnson & Johnson's Corporate Art Collection (Michael Bzdak); and the San Francisco Coalescence of the Arts and Sciences (Leonard Shlain, author of Art & Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time, & Light). These consultants proved to be excellent facilitators for discussion and debate and provided the catalyst for understanding two important principles of developing an arts-integrated curriculum,.
Finding Parallels Between the Arts and Other Disciplines
One of these concepts realized through AAC is that people from different disciplines have numerous ideas and concerns in common, and by sharing them "across-disciplines" they are able to gain new perspectives and insights on old knowledge. For example, Dr. Shlain's lecture expounding the theory that artists and scientists have been moving on parallel tracks in their exploration of time, light, and space for hundreds of years prompted an "Ah ha!" response among our science and math faculty participants when they looked at reproductions of Cubist works of art. In these works, they discovered Picasso's portrayal of a sequence of events and a cacophonic bundle of perspectives as a melded image of one moment of experience exactly as Einstein had imagined in the application of his theory of relativity. Conversations in the seminar turned to the aspects of the arts as an alternative means of interpreting reality, as a means of exploring familiar turf from a new vantage point, and as a key for unlocking new doors to previously single discipline-based content by placing it in a new context.
Dialogue was stimulated further during the seminar by the displays of poster-size National Gallery of Art reproductions filling the walls of the "gallery" room that was our setting this year. Instructors of nursing, child care, radiology, ceramics, welding, physics, math, electronics, engineering and painting found common ground for discussion on the mysterious turf of "modernity," taking their cues from the unspoken language of Munch, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Picasso, Kollwitz, Kahlo, and Monet, among others, on the walls.
An example of putting into practice this theory of integrating the experience of one discipline with another came about on one occasion in November of 1992 when history instructor Bob Tomlinson and an art instructor took their students to Richmond for a weekend. The group as a whole explored both history and art museums; the history students noticed the narrative and formative nature of many early American art works in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the art students noted the use of art works in the documentation of the human presence and experience in history at the Museum of the Confederacy, the State Capital Building and Jefferson Davis' White House.
But a more poignant "joining of the ranks" was discovered in the public art works of the streets in the statues lining Monument Avenue and in the bronze figures forever raising the sails of commerce at the James Center. For our students, larger-than-life sculptures became visual symbols of the human endeavors documented in the written word of their history books.
Utilizing Vocabulary for Linkages in Language
The second principle for developing an arts-integrated curriculum is that people can share and make use of related ideas and concepts between disciplines if provided with the tools of a common vocabulary. Pam Hellwege of the Saint Louis Art Museum brought this concept to our attention during our first seminar when she distributed two or three "art vocabulary cards" to each participant, giving them a few moments of opportunity to "trade-off" words they didn't like or felt uncomfortable with. Participants were then told to take time to discover the meaning of their words, either by asking Pam for the definition or by utilizing another knowledgeable source. They were informed that they were responsible for knowing the meaning and application of their words. The remainder of the session was spent in viewing slides of varied well-known art works, with participants being asked to state their word when they felt it applied to the art work being viewed. Examples of the words used were asymmetrical, high intensity, warm color, angular, chiaroscuro, monochromatic, etc. During the process of discussing how certain words described certain lines, colors, shapes, textures and composition of the art works, participants began to relax and take possession of their new-found knowledge. Acquiring an expanded vocabulary gave them the ability to discuss knowledgeably and insightfully the art they were viewing, and in doing so, they gained access to the art and the artist's process of creative problem solving.
An expanded application of this process ensued during this year's seminar. Participants were first asked to choose three words (from a table displaying about fifty choices) that were applicable to the content of each instructor's particular discipline. All the words offered had meanings that could also apply to the arts, such as economy, flow, mass, illusion, monumental, proportion, subconscious, tension, and solidity. After participants viewed the slides and learned art related meanings of chosen words, the instructors explained the application of their words to the slide as well as to their discipline. This activity gave them a foundation for exploring relationships between art and their own areas of expertise.
Applied practically in the classroom, this use of related vocabularies worked well in the context of an American lit class (Eng. 241) last year. Instructor Warren Harris explains the exercise as follows.
From time to time, I showed the classes large (poster size) reproductions of various works of art which I felt might have some similarities of feeling to pieces of literature we were reading, but were not literally representing anything in the written material. I then asked the students to work in groups, discussing what writings we had recently read which they felt might be similar in some respect to the picture or pictures, and then to report to the class on their ideas. I asked that they pay particular attention to tone and feeling in both the literary piece and the picture, and include in their comments such aspects of the picture(s) as color, design, line, movement, and texture. These comments were to be related to particular passages in the literary piece which they felt evoked similar feelings, ideas, etc.
The student groups almost invariably produced thoughtful and insightful comments about the connections between the literary and visual pieces, achieving my main goal of focusing attention on and visually illustrating the tone of various literary works. Sometimes their comments brought out aspects of written texts which we had not discussed in class, and even some aspects which I myself had not considered before. Perhaps the most gratifying part of the exercise was the fact that the students considered it fun to do something involving literature and art. Also encouraging was that a few students inquired about getting a copy of a particular picture for themselves.
An example of an English 241 student's response to this exercise (in reference to a painting by Franz Marc) is as follows:
It shows a tiger perched in the middle of a circle with jagged edges all around. This reminds me of Moby Dick because it seems like everywhere the tiger turns there is danger, just like life . . . . I feel that the way it is painted is symbolic of our unconscious and what we don't understand.
Accessibility to the arts, mentally as well as physically, has proven in our experience to be the keystone of motivation in the engagement of students and faculty in the program. Participants must first be encouraged to take possession of an aspect of human development that is rightfully theirs. Additionally, the instructors must be convinced that utilizing the arts in relation to their discipline is a means of enhancing content rather then an intrusive obligation to fit more material into an already full area of study.
Expanding Awareness of the Arts
The subsequent step in our process of arts integration has been the building of awareness of the arts in our college community. This feature of the program has developed on multiple levels, the first being the expansion of such public offerings as art exhibits, student displays, and visiting artist demonstrations/presentations.
A gallery space has been created at our college in a room used as well for special occasions. People who would ordinarily not visit an art gallery find themselves engaged in viewing art in the context of attending a seminar or luncheon.
Furthermore, many of our exhibits have focused on themes that relate to areas of study in which our students are engaged. For example, an exhibit of reproductions of van Gogh works juxtaposed with modern day paraphernalia decorated with van Gogh imagery (such as mugs, T shirts and greeting cards) was of particular interest to certain classes last year. The economics students discovered the commercial value of mass produced, museum-sheltered imagery; French students engaged more actively in exploring the artist's appreciation of particular aspects of French landscape; and mental health students deliberated about the connection of van Gogh's epilepsy and manic depressive disorder to the energized, high intensity colors and brush strokes of his art work. A drama entitled Vincent was presented in a one man show by Dutch actor Klaas Hofstra during the time period in which this exhibit was on display.
Another benefit of our exhibits has been the opportunity for our students to discover within the art work a pride in their own heritage or ethnic background. Several exhibits have focused on African-American artists or quilters from our Appalachian region. A student visitor to our Contemporary African-American Art exhibit last February offered the following response:
Once I began walking around the room I realized that all of these paintings and drawings have the same characteristics. I asked myself, how can this be? They are all so very different. Then it hit me. The heritage and pride of a heritage that's what they all have in common. My eyes caught this idea right away, but my mind was captured by the bold contrasting colors and the distorted array of shapes. ...I will be glad to say that this particular art is surely one of the most exciting ever to be exhibited on this campus.
Examples of displays and exhibits that provided aesthetic experiences abound on campus. For instance, drawing students entered Idana Hamilton's computer lab last fall not to create art on the computers, but to create art with computers using plants as subjects. Idana's discovery that the co-habitation of plants and computers reduces static in the air led to the theme of linking the natural with the mechanical in art works composed by Drawing I students after preparing sketches from life in the lab. All of the finished pieces were displayed in the lab, and some will remain permanent fixtures.
Sculptor Dwight Jackson of Honaker brought the outside world in last semester when he backed a pickup truck into Gallery 304, unloaded a pile of sand into the corner of the room and spent a week transforming it into a work of art. The end result was a highly representational sculpture of a coal miner at rest, dinner bucket at his side and shoulders leaning on a bank of "coal." Visitors to the gallery were amazed at Jackson's attention to detail and his skilled shaping sand and water into a life-size figure.
Last spring, Patsy Hankins' OFT 40 Personal and Professional Development class incorporated viewing and interpreting artistic works into classroom activities. The class critiqued three art exhibits--Joni Pienkowski's "Malissia of Tom's Creek and Brush Mountain," "The World of Vincent van Gogh, Yesterday and Today," and "As Seen Through Our Eyes"--in the SVCC art gallery. The purposes of the critiques were to expand the students' horizon of visual arts, to determine if the students would regard the piece as appropriate for an office setting, and to teach them to describe a piece of work in the context of personal interpretation versus descriptive, non personal statements. The students also explored the use of color (primary and secondary) to express or influence moods, both in artistic works and in fashion ensembles. The textbook used in the course addresses one's need to condition oneself for growth by expanding one's sensitivity and studying new art forms. The OFT 40 class has endeavored to do this by integrating business into the arts.
Student debates, faculty discussions, and honors seminars have proven to be other viable avenues for building awareness of the arts. As with any topic of study, dialogue focused on issues and interpretations of art can only enhance the awareness of its participants. In that light, our program implemented various frameworks of discussion among student and/or faculty colleagues that would facilitate such an exchange of ideas.
For example, SVCC staff members discussed art outside the classroom in once-a-month informal gatherings on Friday afternoons during spring term. This dialogue focused on Robert Hughes' book and the PBS TV series The Shock of the New dealing with modern themes, materials, and techniques in contemporary art that have evolved out of the world's technologically changing societies.
Intellectual discussions also took place when students of philosophy, art history, and economics locked horns in debate last fall over the issue of "Government Funding of the Arts." Instructors Surles, Elmes, and Cross directed their students in research on the National Endowment for the Arts grant funding program and the various art projects and work funded in recent and past years by the NEA. Questions of censorship and freedom of speech emerged in debate from different vantage points: What percentage of tax dollars pays for "objectionable" art works? What is the value of art in society? And should creative expression be restricted by government? The audience even participated in this debate, which ended in true Socratic fashion when Brady Surles encouraged "closing questions."
Similarly, Tom McKnight's child care students took on art history students in a debate on "Back to the Basics Should Art be One of Them?" Pro side arguments from the child care class focused on the value of creative experiences in human development, while the con side argued the practical aspects of financial and time limitations in public schools.
The value of computer art compared to traditional art was debated between Bruce Judkins' computer information systems students and art appreciation students in November. Questions were raised about what really constitutes the creative process and whether a creative idea can be just as well expressed through a machine as by use of paintbrush in hand. Both sides were animated and informed, provoking audience response and broadened perspectives.
The Honors Seminar in the Humanities Division continued to consider themes related to the arts with a focus on romanticism last spring. During the fall semester of 1992, Tom Wolfe's book From Bauhaus to Our House was used as a foundation for discussion about modern architecture and the influence of the German Bauhaus architects on the glass-and-steel "boxes" that arose against the American city skylines fifty years ago. Students and faculty participating in the seminar enjoyed an afternoon at the William King Center with architect Harry McKinney discussing his innovative renovation of the center and his design for a new Abingdon medical building. The trip was topped off with a potluck meal at Warren Harris' home.
AAC faculty grant participants decided to mix business with art and eating on a Saturday in September when they met at the Starving Artists Cafe in Abingdon for lunch. Following lunch, they walked over to the Art Depot for a work planning session and a look at the gallery's current exhibit. Several instructors enjoyed both good food and art appreciation when they delved into Jackson Pollock veggie pockets and Leonardo daVinci Italian subs for lunch.
The final segment of our endeavor to raise awareness of the arts within our general academic community has focused on providing the experience of original art and live performance first hand to our students and staff. The afore-mentioned trip to Richmond as well as an annual trip to Washington D.C. highlighted by visits to the Vietnam War Memorials, the National Gallery of Art, and the Washington Cathedral provided positive growth experiences for participants.
Also specific areas of study have been enhanced by providing students with access to practicing professional artists. For example in November, students from Peggie Marrs' mental health classes and Ellen Elmes' art classes traveled to St. Alban's Psychiatric Hospital in Radford to meet with Butch Akers, a registered art therapist. The students were given a tour of the facilities as well as first-hand information on the therapeutic value of art in treatment and diagnosis of mental disorders.
By far the most dramatic attempt to open doors to the larger art world of American culture occurred last spring when thirty-three students and staff traveled to New York City during spring break to partake of the arts. The following description of the trip expresses one participant's enthusiasm about the experience despite the unexpected arrival of a New York "blizzard."
During "Spring (B-R-R-R) Break," 33 SVCC Students and staff took a chartered bus trip to New York City for a week of educational and cultural experiences.
Our arrival in NY for the "Blizzard of the Century" set the tone for this week of adventure. Despite high winds and dizzying snowflakes, we spent the first day touring Rockefeller Center, taking a behind-the-scenes tour of Radio City Music Hall, visiting The Museum of Modern Art and, for some, spending an evening with "Cats" on Broadway.
Day two brought a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, lunch in China Town, emotional immersion in "Les Miserables," and an evening view of Manhattan from the Empire State Building.
On Monday, the third day, everyone walked down Wall Street and had guided tours at the Federal Reserve Bank and the New York Stock Exchange, resting for lunch at "Broadway McDonald's" where we were greeted by a doorman and entertained by live piano concert music and computerized ticker-tape stock market averages. That afternoon an architect/tour guide boarded the bus and gave our group a thorough tour of skyscraper architecture in the Big Apple. The evening was capped off with a French dinner at "Le Madeleine" complete with escargot and goat cheese.
Tuesday included a tour and climb up into the Statue of Liberty and a visit to Ellis Island. A group tour and exploration of the Metropolitan Museum of Art filled the afternoon. The last day in NY took everyone in different directions for optional activities, but twenty people spent the afternoon at F.A.O. Shwartz, the Guggenheim Museum, and in the evening, a performance of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci (which unexpectedly starred Placido Domingo!) at the Metropolitan Opera House. Unfortunately, the unimaginable traffic jam that afternoon, caused by the parade and still snow-narrowed street lanes, prohibited us from reaching a behind-the-scenes-tour of the Met. But the snow had its advantages, the biggest being the humanizing influence it had on the unsuspecting New Yorkers!
In conclusion, one can only summarize the feeling of pride and pleasure experienced by our participants in creating a solid base for our long-range goal of making the arts an integrated part of our Southwest Virginia Community College environment. In the future, courses in arts integration on the elementary and secondary level will be offered to area teachers and administrators, an expanded gallery in a new community and health services building will open, and our arts program will likely be developed into an associate degree program. But in the meantime, we encourage other rural based community colleges to "grasp" what is rightfully theirs: an active appreciation, awareness, and development of the human potential to better understand our world through the language of the arts.
Ellen Elmes teaches art at Southwest Virginia Community College in Richlands, Virginia.