Impacting a

Community Space
with Art

ARE6641 Contemporary Issues in Art Education

Critical Intervention/Personal Action Plan
Spring 2017
Due: March 26, 2017
Casey N. Smith
Research Brief
In the twenty-first century we have access to an endless amount of information on diverse
cultures from around the world. Through the use of the internet an individual can learn just about
anything they would want or need to know about a culture differing from their own. We are even
supplied with an unending source of news from across the globe and yet other cultures and
minorities are under-represented in our own communities.
Tom Borrup is a visionary in creative community building, the founder of Creative
Community Builders, and author of The Creative Community Builders Handbook: How to
Transform Communities Using Local Assets, Arts and Culture. In an excerpt, 5 Ways Arts
Projects Can Improve Struggling Communities from his book he discusses how individual
artists can lead significant change in their community (Borrup, 2009). Organizations such as
museums, galleries, art institutions, art organizations and art councils have rarely any
opportunities to make a real significant change in building culturally diverse programs in their
areas. Borrup mentions that, The art of promoting constructive interaction among people in
public spaces has been nearly forgotten in many communities (Borrup, 2009, para 7). There has
been a loss of connection between neighbors resulting in a lack of diverse representation in the
community. Some would say there is even a lack of civic engagement. One of the reasons
diversity is absent or obscured could be a result of what Bill Moyers calls Master Narratives
(Moyers, 1990).
In, Dismantling a Master Narrative: Using Culturally Responsive Pedagogy to Teach the
History of Art Education the authors discuss how master narratives are ideologies and history
that is being written and told by people in positions of authority often times Caucasian males
(Acuff, Hirak & Nangah, 2012). These master narratives shape our understanding and
knowledge of history however they are limited to an extremely small view point ignoring the
diverse cultures that also played roles in history. These master narratives rarely evolve to
include minorities or other cultural influences. Due to this lack of diverse cultural history
education students also often lack an understanding or interest in cultures that are different from
their own today. While multicultural education emerged in the 1960s to help break down these
master narratives and bridge the gaps there is still a disconnect between people from differing
cultures in todays society. In the article, Multicultural Art Education and Social
Reconstruction author Patricia Stuhr discusses the many approaches educators can take to
incorporate multiculturalism into the classroom. While each approach exposes students to
diversity in different ways the ideas of cultural diversity are not reaching out into the community.
In Principle I of the Guidelines on Intercultural Education produced by the United
Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) it states that schools should
serve as a, centre for social and cultural activities, both for educational purposes and for the
community (UNSESCO, pg. 34). School projects especially within art education are able to
play vital roles in boosting the prosperity and acknowledgment of diverse cultures within a
community. Dr. Felton Earls, a Harvard professor of public health, discovered through his
research that one important factor impacted the health and well-being of individuals and
communities more than anything else and that was the, capacity of people to act together on
matters of common interest (Borrup, 2009, para 5). Projects providing opportunities for
individuals in a community to come together and interact with one another create a positive
impact not only on well-being but it also provides them with exposure to the diversity that is
within their own community.
Borrup explains that artists are being consulted and are collaborating with architects,
engineers, and city planners more and more to design public spaces in the hopes of creating a
shared experience, community dialogue, and cultural connection among community members
(Borrup, 2009, para 9-29). Creating community-based art projects for students in art education
curriculums is an excellent way to assist in breaking down master narratives. They create an
opportunity for community members to connect with one another and expose students to the
diversity within their own communities. Community-based art projects that revolve around
diversity will provide students and community members with an opportunity for social
interaction, celebration of multicultural diversity, as well as public revitalization. These projects
can instill pride and a sense of belonging, encourage creativity and an appreciation for art. They
also give students a chance to learn about collaboration, exhibition spaces outside of galleries,
and different styles of art that are often used outside of the fine art world such as; street art,
graffiti, public murals, and public art installations. These projects can assist in improving artistic
skills in students but also communication skills as they express diversity through their art and
collaborate with other students and community members to complete their art projects. Through
community-based art projects minorities and multiculturalism can be better represented in
society and the issues of absent or misrepresentation of those cultures can be exposed.
 The Charleston Art (chART) Outdoor Initiative & Gallery located in Charleston, South
Carolina aims to provide public programs and activities that will encourage public awareness,
participation and appreciation of the visual arts. They also strive to engage in the public
revitalization of Charleston through art. By working with this organization art educators in
Charleston can provide opportunities for students to collaborate with individuals in the
community to create public art pieces revolving around diversity. Students will explore issues
dealing with diversity and develop an art piece as a way to express them. They will have the
chance to explore their community for a public space fitting for the project at hand. They will
collaborate with one another as well as individuals in the community to convey their message on
diversity and how it relates to their community. By using community-based art projects in an art
curriculum and collaborating with the Charleston Art Outdoor Initiative & Gallery students and
community members will be gaining exposure to the many diverse cultures that exist around
them.
Summary of Project
By displaying art in a community space that represents diversity students and community
members are expose to and encouraged to learn about the diversity making up their communities.
An art instructor will conduct class discussions on diversity. These discussions can range
from issues on absent or misrepresented cultures and minority groups, to exposing the students to
the diversity of their own community. The instructor will introduce the students to the
organization Charleston Art Outdoor Initiative & Gallery and the work that they do. Students
will be instructed to work together as a group to create a piece of art work dealing with diversity
to be displayed in a public space. The instructor will also conduct class discussions on types and
styles of art displayed outside such as; street art, murals, graffiti, and public art installations. The
instructor will present artists and works of art as examples. The students will create sketches of
their ideas and then work together to form a single cohesive piece of art work. Cohesion in the
piece can come from the use of a particular style, idea, color pallet, etc. The instructor will
provide guidance and feedback as the students collaborate with one another in constructing a
single piece that represents their agreed upon message. The instructor can even provide
examples of ideas concerning diversity such as depicting different races or different locations
from differing cultures. The project could even depict different objects that could represent
diversity.
 With the supervision and support of the instructor the students will collaborate with the
Charleston Art Outdoor Initiative & Gallery to locate and organize a public space appropriate for
their piece. Possible venues can range from parks and playgrounds, schools, emergency services
buildings, and privately owned businesses. The students will examine the space to learn the
dimensions and possible obstacles they will need to maneuver in the space. Students will be
required to use skills they have learned in the classroom such as composition, scale, value, view
point, horizon lines, and many more.
Sharing and publicizing the project will also be a vital piece. With the supervision of the
instructor students can use a variety of resources to share and promote their project with the
community. Online resources are an excellent tool for this such as; Facebook, YouTube, blogs,
and even the Charleston Art Outdoor Initiative & Gallerys website. The use of any of these
sources will provide the students an opportunity to gain technology skills that are vital in their
world today as well as learn about how the technology they are already using can be used in new
and different ways.
The students will complete the piece using the proper paint for outdoors. This may take
the students multiple days. A public event can be arranged to reveal the art, acknowledge their
hard work, and to present their message to the community. Through this project students will
gain an understanding of exhibition spaces outside of galleries, different types and styles of art
often used outside of the fine art world, and a chance to learn and hone multiple skills. It also
provides them with the opportunity to learn about collaboration with other artists. The project
can instill pride, a sense of belonging and an appreciation for art. Students will also come to
understand how art can be used to convey a message. The project also promotes an awareness
towards diversity and provides an opportunity for a community to come together to celebrate
their diversity. It encourages social interaction and creativity while also providing public
revitalization.
References:
Acuff, J. B., Hirak, B., & Nangah, M. (2012). Dismantling a master narrative: Using culturally
responsive pedagogy to teach the history of art education. Art Education, 65(5), 6-10.
Allen, Jonathan. (2013, August). St. Andrews PSD gets a new coat of paint. Charleston Patch.
Retrieved from http://patch.com/south-carolina/charleston/st-andrews-psd-gets-a-new-
coat-of-paint
Borrup, Tom. (2009, January). 5 Ways arts projects can improve struggling communities. Project
for Public Spaces. Retrieved from http://www.pps.org/reference/artsprojects/
chART Outdoor Initiative & Gallery. Retrieved from
https://www.facebook.com/pg/chARTinitiative/about/?ref=page_internal
Creative Community Builders. https://creativecommunitybuilders.com/
Moyers, B. (1990). Exposing the master narrative: teaching Toni Morrisons the bluest eye.
Feminist Teacher. Retrieved from https://feministteacher.com/2010/04/13/exposing-the-
master-narrative-teaching-toni-morrisons-the-bluest-eye/
Mural Arts Philadelphia. https://www.muralarts.org/about/mission/
Shin, R. (2016). Gangnam style and global visual culture. Studies in Art Education, 57(3), 252-
264.
Social Work Degree Guide Staff. (2014, November). The 25 most amazing community arts
projects. Social Work Degree Guide. Retrieved from
http://www.socialworkdegreeguide.com/25-most-amazing-community-arts-projects/
Stuhr, P. L. (1994). Multicultural art education and social reconstruction. Studies in Art
Education, 35(3), 171-178.
The Charleston Art Chart Outdoor Initiative Gallery. http://chartoutdoorinitiative.com/
The Mid-America Mural Project. http://midamericamuralproject.blogspot.com/p/project.html
United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Guidelines on
intercultural education: Principle I, II, and III. In UNESCO Guidelines on intercultural
education (pp. 31-37). France: UNESCO. Retrieved from
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001478/147878e.pdf
Urban Artworks. http://urbanartworks.org/