educators
Arts Infused Education, Art Exhibition: Process[ed]
The Durham District School Board and Station Gallery present an Arts Infused Education Project, art exhibition: a new approach to learning.
Exhibited works were created by students in conjunction with the gallery’s Arts Infused Education partnership with the Durham District School Board: ArtsSmarts program. This partnership validates the importance of an arts experience as an effective tool for a well-rounded education.
This is the fourth Arts Infused Education collaboration with the Durham District School Board. This latest education program will engage over 60 students, the Arts Infused Education project continues to grow, and has now seen over 800 student participants, since the programs inception in January 2007.
Click here to view the live performance select student participants involved in the Arts Infused Education Project with the Durham District School Board and Station Gallery.
.
Arts Infused Eductation
What is arts infused education?
Learning school based curriculum, (i.e.: science, math, geography) leadership skills and building confidence through an arts experience... That's arts infused education. It’s an approach that engages students in not only learning about art - but learning through art.
This new education program at Station Gallery is supported by the Trillium Foundation and is implemented in partnership with the Durham District School Board. In 2007, the gallery coordinated over 450 students through a full day at Station Gallery exploring science and history curriculum through the Life of Water group exhibition and exhibition entitled Prohibited Areas & NonSites: Invoking Camp X & Pickering Works. Each visit included a curriculum related activity, an engaging Curator's tour and a hands-on art project, facilitated by professional artists at Station Gallery.
Arts Infused Education: Geography Series
February – April 2008
“We need to protect our land, the environment is our responsibility and we won’t surrender this property”, said a passionate student, surrounded by his entire Grade 7 class. “But a logging mill will bring jobs to your community and support new growth”, rebuttals another student – raising her voice to be heard among the buzzing of their classmates…
The gallery erupts again with excited young voices, as each group discusses the importance of land, over looking a large scale, geographical map. “If you think you’ve wandered into high level negotiations, you’re correct” announces Station Gallery’s Education Coordinator Deborah Nolan. Nolan continues, “But this setting is one that is surrounded by vibrant abstract paintings and mixed media works – in a gallery setting. Welcome to Station Gallery and our Arts Infused learning project: Making Your Mark: Mapping the Future”.
Station Gallery, in partnership with the Durham District School Board’s Grade 7 students, invited for a day at the gallery, exploring and learning their elementary school Geography Curriculum through a variety of hands on activities, like the high level negotiations of the land/property game described above.
After an initial self guided exploration of the exhibition entitled The Sublunary: Jill Boschulte and Janet Read, students were invited to talk about their impressions of the artwork, while Station Gallery‘s education team prompts student reflection and critical thinking through a series of questions and curator’s talk.
The mapping negotiations build on students’ new understanding of artwork in the gallery and directly link the exhibition to the Ontario Curriculum for Grade 7 Geography, in themes of Geographic Inquiry and Natural Resources. After a series of questions about the environment depicted in artwork, students were given a role to play in a fictional situation whereby a logging company plans to expand into a small coastal community. Students must negotiate with their classmates, now positioned as various representative groups to acquire land on a large scale map after being divided into groups. Students now work together as “the environmentalists”, ”the local community”, “the government”, “the indigenous community” and “the logging company”. Students form opinions, debate and sharpen their critical thinking skills through this activity, situated directly amongst the artwork they’ve just reviewed.
The negotiations continue, often overlapping into the designated lunch time. Some classes manage to divide their land squares until a compromise is reached - other groups passionately negotiate without reaching a resolution for their conflict. The students’ discussions resulting in yet another parallel to the real world that students will be entering – with negotiating and compromise top of mind.
Students are invited into the galleries lower level studios to create a mixed media piece with regional artist Rowena Dykins. Dykins challenges the groups to bring reflections of the exhibition into their paintings and drawings and uses geographic symbols and patterns as a theme for the students work.
Both teachers and students leave with smiles on their faces, and as one teacher commented “it’s really great to get students into a different environment, listening to different voices and learning in new ways.
To learn more about Station Gallery’s Arts Infused learning project, contact Education Coordinator Deborah Nolan.
What Teachers & Educators are saying about Arts Infused Education:
"The arts humanize the curriculum while affirming the interconnectedness of all forms of knowing. They are a powerful means to improve general education". Charles Fowler
"Art doesn't transform. It just plain forms". Roy Lichtenstein
Arts Infused Education - Useful Links: