Environmental Art and Looking Ahead to the Spring Semester

 

Agnes Denes

Wheatfield- A Confrontation (1982)

Hello All!

Last week I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Evans' Art Appreciation Class. Overall I think that it went really well! The program that I created focused on art and the environment. We looked at some examples of land art and had a really thoughtful discussion of Andy Goldsworthy's Walking Wall. The work of Ana Mendieta can be very challenging, but in our discussion of the body and the environment the students were able to have a very engaging conversation as they worked through and tried to understand the work. Finally, we had a very productive conversation speaking about Agnes Denes Wheatfield- A Confrontation (see above) when speaking about environmental activism. The program ended with me asking them to write a response to one of these work, some of which I was able to read outloud. All of the responses were so incredibly thoughtful and I was so impressed with them. 

During the program, I found myself slowly relaxing as I realized that this was something that I could actually do. I felt like I had a handle on the material, that the students were engaged, and I found myself enjoying the conversation. It did not feel like a chore and I stopped feeling nervous. Instead I found myself to be excited and relaxed during my time with them. 

Having a program on Zoom was difficult. Not being able to see the students made it difficult to make sure that I was letting everyone who wanted to speak. After the program I feel like I learned how to better phrase questions and which types of questions the students would better respond to. Questions that asked them to call upon their own experiences tended to be more successful. The more art historical analyses/questions did not work as well, so I realize that I need to be careful to take off my art historian hat at times. Going forward I have a good idea of things that I would like to change. 

It was nice to have a safe space to try out this program and to see how something like this can work virtually. I was able to figure what did and did not work. In addition, I think that the success of this program will give me some confidence going forward as I continue to lead programs and conversations. 

As the semester comes to a close I am looking forward to all of the experiences that I will get to have in the Spring. Stefanie will be teaching a class next semester that I may get to be involved with, I am working on developing some public programs for UNT students, I will have opportunities to continue to network, and I am excited to work on the CVAD Galleries/Texas Fashion Collection exhibition that will go up in the Summer. It will be a busy semester and I am thrilled to continue to work with Stefanie and continue to learn and grow as a museum educator. 

I hope that you all have a great holiday!