Portraits of Courage
While I was teaching at a public
middle school several years
ago, our school was faced
with an epidemic of bullying
and student marginalization. The staff
developed several schoolwide campaigns
aimed at addressing the problems. In my art
class, I asked my 8th grade students to construct
life-sized installations of bullying and
anti-bullying scenarios inspired by the work
of artist Kara Walker. They used traced
silhouettes
of their own bodies on black
paper to tell personal stories.
One student, Breanna, spent several days
sitting at her table, isolated from the other
groups (which was typical for her). Eventually,
I asked if she had any ideas for the
project. “Yeah,” she said, “but I don’t think
you’ll let me do what I want because it’s not
like everyone else’s.”
“Try me,” I said.
Her idea was worth the wait. She wanted me
to help her trace her silhouette the way she usually sat,
singularly slumped over and hidden in plain sight in the
hallways. It was a striking idea, and after the silhouette
narratives were installed by the students around the
school, Breanna’s ended up being the most expressive and
personal of the entire class. I was embarrassed that I had
first assumed she wasn’t engaged in the project. It was a
teaching moment for me to learn that students who feel
marginalized sometimes need additional time to process
and feel comfortable sharing.
In the first week of the project’s month-long display,
the installations were vandalized almost daily. This school
had a recurring issue with bullying behaviors, leaving many students in constant states of tension,
reaction, confrontation, and marginalization.
However, my art students remained determined.
Several of them volunteered to make repairs to
the installations at the beginning of class each
day. By keeping the pieces safe and cleaning
them up, our class sent a message that we were
not going to be silenced.
As time passed, these installations became a
revered part of the school culture and began to
make an impact on students’ attitudes toward bullying and being marginalized. The destructive reactions toward the installations waned and eventually stopped completely. My students were able to create a deliberate pause in the school culture through their persistence. And although the pause wasn’t planned, it became powerful evidence of the project’s impact. You can’t change a school’s culture overnight, but these symbols helped unify students behind a cause and begin a new culture of acceptance and belonging rather than conformity and bullying. Our culture, whether we realize it or not, values homogeneity or “sameness.” Students who “fall between the cracks” socially or academically may withdraw, self-segregate, or be bullied. Students who identify as a minority, whether by race, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender, socio-economic status, appearance, or other qualities, may be unable to move past the trauma of not feeling accepted. These students may be failing not only academically, but also in realizing their own creative potential.
make an impact on students’ attitudes toward bullying and being marginalized. The destructive reactions toward the installations waned and eventually stopped completely. My students were able to create a deliberate pause in the school culture through their persistence. And although the pause wasn’t planned, it became powerful evidence of the project’s impact. You can’t change a school’s culture overnight, but these symbols helped unify students behind a cause and begin a new culture of acceptance and belonging rather than conformity and bullying. Our culture, whether we realize it or not, values homogeneity or “sameness.” Students who “fall between the cracks” socially or academically may withdraw, self-segregate, or be bullied. Students who identify as a minority, whether by race, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender, socio-economic status, appearance, or other qualities, may be unable to move past the trauma of not feeling accepted. These students may be failing not only academically, but also in realizing their own creative potential.
Students see almost everything through an
autobiographical lens. Art projects that are centered
on authorship, voice, and redesign offer
students a distinctly more creative, choice-based,
and individualized learning platform. With the
creation of those targeted silhouette
narratives made in
response to significant student
social issues, my students were
able to represent themselves as
important authors actively
invested in sharing their
perspectives
and promoting
new ways of thinking. —Lisa Lenars
From Activism to Craftivism
Student after student filed into my art
classroom, twitching with excitement, asking
some variation of, “Are we working on the
yarn bomb today?”
Their excitement was exactly what I’d hoped for after
introducing these 5th graders at Partridge Elementary
School in Missouri to the concept of “craftivism” and
social justice. Craftivist and author Betsy Greer defines
craftivism as “a way of looking at life where voicing
opinions through creativity makes your voice stronger,
your compassion deeper, and your quest for justice more
infinite.”1 When our school district announced that
diversity would be our strategic focus for the 2017–2018
school year, I realized that a large-scale, joint art project
would be a great way for my students to learn about
this issue.
To start, my students and I discussed what types of art
projects we might do to incorporate diversity and social
justice. The majority voted for the idea of a yarn bombing.
A form of fiber graffiti, the practice of yarn bombing
gained popularity during the early 2000’s. Adorning
public spaces with knit or crochet is a gentle way to reclaim an area or bring attention to a cause. In this case, our cause was unity. We hoped our carefully stitchedtogether knit and crochet pieces of all sizes, shapes, and colors would reinforce the concept that people of all
races, ages, genders, and abilities can contribute to the greater good of society. As one of my 5th grade boys observed, “A yarn bomb is a perfect way to celebrate diversity because it comes in so many different colors and sizes. It can represent all of the different people in
the world.” We determined the installation site would be the front grounds of our school, including five large trees and two hand railings. An early problem arose: How can we do a yarn bomb when most of the students don’t know how to knit or crochet? It takes a while to become proficient in either of these crafts. We worked around this by finding secondhand afghans in thrift stores and other places and taking them apart. We also asked family and community members for donations. A steady stream of yarn, knit, and crochet pieces began to come in.
public spaces with knit or crochet is a gentle way to reclaim an area or bring attention to a cause. In this case, our cause was unity. We hoped our carefully stitchedtogether knit and crochet pieces of all sizes, shapes, and colors would reinforce the concept that people of all
races, ages, genders, and abilities can contribute to the greater good of society. As one of my 5th grade boys observed, “A yarn bomb is a perfect way to celebrate diversity because it comes in so many different colors and sizes. It can represent all of the different people in
the world.” We determined the installation site would be the front grounds of our school, including five large trees and two hand railings. An early problem arose: How can we do a yarn bomb when most of the students don’t know how to knit or crochet? It takes a while to become proficient in either of these crafts. We worked around this by finding secondhand afghans in thrift stores and other places and taking them apart. We also asked family and community members for donations. A steady stream of yarn, knit, and crochet pieces began to come in.
In the meantime, a few students who did know these
crafts began teaching the others how to finger knit or knit
and crochet with needles. As the students worked, they
considered pattern, color, and repetition with diversity
in mind. Discussions of ethics and justice wound their
way through the project. “Is yarn bombing legal? Could
we get in trouble for installing a yarn bomb?” These
questions motivated research into the legalities and
purpose of craftivism.
I also watched my student artists become scientists as
they asked questions and formed hypotheses. Could it be
harmful to trees to cover sections of them with knitted
and crocheted fabric for an extended period? What will
happen to the yarn if it rains or gets wet and freezes?
Our research revealed that both acrylic and organic yarns
would hold up to midwestern weather, at least for the
duration of the installation. Students concluded that it would be healthier for the trees, as well as more
comfortable for themselves, if the installation took
place in the spring.
With support of the administration, each 5th
grade student took part in installing the project,
which we called “Yarn Bomb for Diversity,” on May 21, 2018, shortly before the end of the school year. The large, colorful display quickly caught the attention of students, staff, families, and community members. To the delight of my students, their project was also featured twice in the district newsletter and photos were posted to the school’s social
media accounts. Far from ending at the studio door, arts education should challenge students to view themselves as important members of society. Arts can foster the development of creativity, cross curricular borders in meaningful ways, and contribute to the development of skills needed to be happy and productive citizens. In our case, my students felt that the collaborative aspects of this project contributed greatly to its success. They said the different yarns, patterns, and colors emphasized the strength of diversity and, perhaps most importantly, in the words of one student, “It was fun knowing that we were doing something . . . to make the world a better place.” —Sheryl Lamme
which we called “Yarn Bomb for Diversity,” on May 21, 2018, shortly before the end of the school year. The large, colorful display quickly caught the attention of students, staff, families, and community members. To the delight of my students, their project was also featured twice in the district newsletter and photos were posted to the school’s social
media accounts. Far from ending at the studio door, arts education should challenge students to view themselves as important members of society. Arts can foster the development of creativity, cross curricular borders in meaningful ways, and contribute to the development of skills needed to be happy and productive citizens. In our case, my students felt that the collaborative aspects of this project contributed greatly to its success. They said the different yarns, patterns, and colors emphasized the strength of diversity and, perhaps most importantly, in the words of one student, “It was fun knowing that we were doing something . . . to make the world a better place.” —Sheryl Lamme
A Mosaic of Belonging
Early in my career, I was
appointed principal at a small
public school located in a
remote First Nations community
in rural British Columbia.
Many of the students and their
families distrusted the education
system, in large part because for
years—and only a generation ago—
community youth had been forced
to attend a residential school. Many
of the grandparents and guardians of
my students had been forcibly taken
away from their families and required
to abandon their traditional culture
and language.
The idea of feeling connected to
the local school was foreign to many
of these families. Not surprisingly,
nothing in the school’s public spaces
or displays symbolically connected
the school with the surrounding
community.
I knew something was needed to
bridge the cultural gap between
the school and the community.
Art can help solidify feelings
of belonging because it helps
youth make sense of the world
and express their feelings.1
Seeking to link the backgrounds
and cultures of all our
students and create a sense of belonging for everyone, I worked with artists such as Marina Papais, a Canadian mosaic artist, to create a schoolwide mosaic project that would become part of the building’s entryway. Since then, as I’ve worked in the administration of several schools, I’ve organized other art projects that integrate First Nations symbolism. In each,
I’ve seen the power of such installations to create a sense of welcoming for the community.
students and create a sense of belonging for everyone, I worked with artists such as Marina Papais, a Canadian mosaic artist, to create a schoolwide mosaic project that would become part of the building’s entryway. Since then, as I’ve worked in the administration of several schools, I’ve organized other art projects that integrate First Nations symbolism. In each,
I’ve seen the power of such installations to create a sense of welcoming for the community.
To build the mosaic, all participants—students,
teachers, parents, and community
members—were given a small piece of glass.
They could draw whatever they wanted on the
glass; in this way, the ideas and individuality
of each person were celebrated. We worked
with students to generate ideas for their glass
stones. In workshops I conducted throughout
the school, students brainstormed ways in which
we could enhance a sense of belonging. Each
student shared one thing that was important to
him or her; this could then be what the student
put on his or her glass stone.
Once their stones were completed, the students
could put them into the
mosaic wherever they wanted,
finding their way in the community
art project just as
they might in our real community.
Older students
then filled in the areas
around each person’s glass
stone to create the overall
picture, integrating ideas
such as the colors from the
First Nations medicine wheel.
The finished project was a 5’ x 5’ glass mosaic of more than 550 stones. The mosaic was mounted at the school’s entrance in time for National Aboriginal Day on June 21, 2016. We held an assembly to celebrate the installation of the piece, with First Nations dancing and drumming performed by the students. The ceremony helped to recognize our coming together as a community and remind all participants that their ideas were valued. In the ensuing months, students could be seen bringing friends and family to the mosaic, even after school hours, to point out the glass stone he or she contributed. Students seemed to understand how their small stone helped to create a larger whole, something lasting and welcoming. As one student reflected, “It feels like a part of me is going to be in the school forever." —Mikel Brogan
The finished project was a 5’ x 5’ glass mosaic of more than 550 stones. The mosaic was mounted at the school’s entrance in time for National Aboriginal Day on June 21, 2016. We held an assembly to celebrate the installation of the piece, with First Nations dancing and drumming performed by the students. The ceremony helped to recognize our coming together as a community and remind all participants that their ideas were valued. In the ensuing months, students could be seen bringing friends and family to the mosaic, even after school hours, to point out the glass stone he or she contributed. Students seemed to understand how their small stone helped to create a larger whole, something lasting and welcoming. As one student reflected, “It feels like a part of me is going to be in the school forever." —Mikel Brogan
