Community Engagement in the Arts

As a class project, this blog will serve as a compilation of all work completed throughout the semester.

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Thoughts About Arts Education/Youth Engagement Panel

After hearing the diverse work being done in the Berkshires to engage different micro-communities through the arts, the theme of education as a crucial component endures. All three panelists, Jane O'Leary, Ronna Tulgan Ostheimer, and Kevin Coleman, include education in the work they do through the Playwrite Mentoring Project, The Clark Institute, and Shakespeare and Company respectively. While their work is predicated on engaging youth through the arts, at the center of each of their initiatives is education. From having kids make art, to working with troubled youth to create plays, this work reminds me of the community engagement strategies I presented in class which focus on using art to teach as opposed to teaching art. I think art in and of itself is a means to educate and engage communities of varying ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Education is a central element to any community and art can act as a medium expression and exploration that fosters greater intrinsic motivation. I appreciate the unique way Jane and the Summer for Kids Act program she helps run, enables children to write, cast, and perform their own plays teaching them a variety of skills in a fun and empathetic environment. I particularly like that the program accommodates various needs by employing therapists to work with the kids in the program and help foster an open, welcoming environment. While community can be broadly defined as a group of people sharing place, affinity, or interests, a key component is missing--education. Throughout history, individual communities and societies developed around their system of education, whether that was the teachings of Confucius, the learning of household chores, the art of a trade, or the learning of language and art. So it is no wonder, education remains to this day, a central component in engaging different aspects of the community in conglomeration with art.

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Responding to Christine Hazzard

One theme Christine Hazzard brought up and provided myriad examples for was that education is a foundation for community engagement. This concept has been at the forefront of my mind since the beginning of the semester, and I think her presentation conveyed everything I have been trying to articulate in my previous posts. Through her work with Berkshire United Way, Christine has helped their mission to improve early childhood literacy, educate and help teens with substance abuse and teen pregnancy, and to educate the community on financial stability.

Through the use of community-based education, Berkshire United Way has embarked on an education initiative predicated on serving the community and their specific needs. Noting that Christine’s definition of community engagement is “discussion at various levels” including one on one, small groups, and even a national level, I her work is an exemplar of community engagement. She focusses on listening to others, and building programs around their needs as expressed, rather than their needs as determined by outsiders.

Overwhelmingly, Christine’s presentation resonated with me because she focused on the central element of education, which I believe to be pivotal in community engagement. Her work with children, teens, and adults is proof the communities are built around the education system and there is a serious need for better education in many communities. I think one of the most important elements in creating a vibrant community is educating the population and ensuring all members of the community have equal access to literacy, health education, and financial education.  

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Reflecting on Shirley Edgerton

An accomplished woman, Shirley Edgerton brought a lively and passionate account of her work with youth and community engagement through the arts to class last week. While her overall presentation deeply resonated with me, one aspect that truly struck a chord was how this step team developed from a child’s idea and was enabled through the support and encouragement of the adults in the community. I love that this was not just another program started by adults to try to meet the needs of the youth. Rather, this group sprouted from the mind of the community it serves, and was then given the necessary supports to grow and thrive.

When engaging the community, it is so important to start with the people a program, event, etc. is trying to serve, and have them identify their own needs. This is an essential element in the design thinking process as it relates to community engagement, so I think it is wonderful the Ms. Edgerton’s presentation reflected this. While she was not outwardly utilizing the design thinking process, it is clear that this youth organization is the fruit of a similar process. By first identifying the potential in one child’s idea and then avidly working to help it come to fruition follows this problem solving technique.

Overall, Ms. Edgerton reiterated a common theme, which is to listen to others and do everything you can to enable and support people. Her work is truly admirable and I hope to someday have such a positive impact in my own community.

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Design Thinking

Largely predicated on the original theories of John Dewey, design in the 21st century is a “new liberal art of technological culture” (Buchanan, 1992, p. 5). Design thinking is. therefore, an integrative process that seeks to solve problems through innovative methods that transcend myriad disciplines. Dewey claims “knowledge is achieved by a new kind of art directed toward orders of change” and is therefore no longer achieved by “direct conformity of ideas with the fixed orders of nature” (p. 7). The goal of this method is to promote audience participation in reaching conclusions rather than serving as “passive recipients of performed messages” (p. 12). 

Buchanan (1992) articulates an example of design thinking in action in a retail store. Managers were unable to figure out why customers were having trouble navigating the store. No matter how big they made the signs throughout the store, people were still unable to navigate the store well. When a design consultant suggested to observe the “flow” of the customer’s experience, they were able to conclude that the location of the products was the issue, not the size of the signs. 

What this example depicts is this idea of moving beyond the typical confines of a particular discipline, considering new perspectives, and being open to new ideas. Effectively,the retail store was able to improve navigation by looking at the layout from the customer’s perspective rather than their managerial or business perspective. 

Design thinking is a process. There is no one definition. No one use. Its novelty stems from the fact that it can be used to solve problems afflicting countless occupations. While there is so much more to this method than delineated above, the most important takeaway is that design thinking is limitless. 

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Blogging About Blogs: Response to Doug Borwick

http://www.artsjournal.com/engage/2012/05/audience-development-vs-community-engagement/

http://www.artsjournal.com/engage/2015/08/lessons-from-a-grocery-chain/ 

http://www.artsjournal.com/engage/2015/09/farmer-and-the-cowman-redux/ 

In these three posts, Borwick reflects on his own developing understanding of the relationship between business and community engagement. Setting the stage with a clear parallel drawn between audience development and community engagement, his discourse develops to show both ways in which this relationship can be fruitful, but also the deep-rooted tensions in it. 

As Borwick aptly defines, audience development is an internally focused, short term endeavor in which the objective is gaining numbers and fulfilling the goals of the organization. In contrast, community engagement is an externally focused, long term effort to develop relationships and meet the needs of the community. This distinction recognizes a theme that developed out of Randy Fippinger’s message: community engagement is about a lasting impact. 

Both Borwick and Fippinger recognize the distinction between a successful event that draws a crowd and successful community engagement that fosters lasting relationships. But what Borwick furthers in other posts is this concept of bridging the two and enabling successful business to also be central to community engagement. Using the example of a grocery store, Borwick exemplifies the possibility of businesses reaching out to the community, asking what they need, and then providing more than just a service that benefits their profit margins. 

Finally, Borwick recognizes his emerging appreciation for inter-relationships and the many benefits of using multiple frames of reference to reach the same end goal. Overall, he has established a clear distinction between marketing and engagement but is able to recognize that the tensions between these two fields do not completely hinder the formation of a bridge between the two. Community engagement has an enduring, positive impact on the people but can come about through unlikely means. 

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Responding to Randy Fippinger

Randy Fippinger came into our class with incredible success stories as well as his newest endeavor in which he is currently knee-deep in planning. While many aspects of his presentation resonated with me, the one theme that stood out the most was the importance of the lasting impact on the community after a project is over. Using “Trash Dance” and “Served” as examples, he expressed his and Allison Orr’s main concern with what happens in the community after the main event. This resonated with me most because it shows a true care and concern for the community in which they sought to engage. Putting on community engagement events needs to be about more than just bringing people together one time. The purpose of these projects is to cultivate a vibrant community and thus their lasting impression is essential to their actual success. Community engagement is not something that just happens at a specific time in a specific place. While events are a great way to share an experience, the best types of community engagement have a lasting vitalization that transcends time and space. This is applicable in the field of education because it is imperative that the work we do to engage students in the classroom cultivates lasting motivation to learn. Essentially, one activity is not enough to encourage engagement throughout life, and honestly neither is one class. It is a collaborative effort and needs to transpire throughout the education system

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“Community Engagement” vs “Social Practice”

One theme from Michelle Daly’s presentation that truly resonated with me was this idea of “social practice” instead of “community engagement”. Michelle defines social practice as “identifying an issue in a community and engaging artists to spur more of a conversation around that idea.” What resonated with me was this idea of gathering individuals together to have a conversation about a problem that affects the greater community. I am not an artist, and it is sometimes hard for me to understand their work and the unique perspective they bring to the table. I can, however, respect their work and efforts to engage the community through something they are passionate about. I can see myself applying this concept of social practice throughout my life, just substituting artists for teachers, photographers, hikers, etc. By conversing with the micro communities I am involved in, we can solve issues in the community by using our collective ideas, strengths, and passions.

Being part of a community is more than just residing in the same space or sharing the same interests. It is about coming together, engaging in conversations, and improving the world around us. There are so many problems that afflict a vast array of micro communities, which in turn impacts the greater community. If we can use our passions, share ideas, and open our minds to different possibilities, we can actually have a positive impact in our communities. I think it is imperative to communicate and collaborate to build a vibrant community.

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Community Engagement, Art, and Education: Part II

Mural Project: Another unique use of the arts in school to promote community engagement is the mural project at Salendine Nook High School. After winning the School We’d Like competition in Zurich, students from Salendine Nook reclaimed their halls with student artwork in the form of street art murals along the halls. Students from every grade participated in this project with the assistance of a local artist who taught them how to take their ideas from their minds to the walls using different styles and techniques of street art. The school also reached out to the local college to help with resources and tools to complete the project. Now, they hope to share the students art with the rest of the community because, as Pippa Burgess, assistant headteacher at the school, says, “We want to send a message to our community that actually our kids are fantastic.” (https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/zurich-school-competition/teacher-blog/2014/aug/05/street-art-learning-community-engagement-school-corridors).

This student-driven project involved myriad aspects of the local community to create an education environment students can claim all their own. Students were able to use the competition money to liven up the halls with inspirational artwork and at the same time engage the community in the project. From the assistance of a local artist and the community college to the promotion of this project into the community, Salendine Nook is an excellent example of using education and art as a means of community engagement. I chose this example because it required support from all levels of the community including students, administration, the community college, local artists, and the funding provided by the Zurich Municipal and the Guardian. It is an astounding example of the creative force youth can have given the opportunity.

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Community Engagement, Art, and Education: Part I

The field of education contains a vast array of teaching techniques, curriculum designs, and school structures—sometimes it is hard to keep up. One of the best things about all these ideas, however, is that they’re being shared. Today, there are very few questions that can’t be answered with a simple Google search. Which is exactly where I started for this assignment: How can community engagement, arts, and education come together? In less than one second, Google retrieved 1,900,000 results. Choosing only two examples of community engagement strategies using the arts through an academic platform was hard. One common thread in many of these articles was the idea of arts integration.

Arts Integration: In recent years, public schools across the nation have seen major budget cuts and the arts programs have suffered the most. With the threat of losing federal funding if students did not pass standardized tests, schools and teachers, have put greater emphasis on core subjects and let “secondary” subjects fall to the wayside. Recently, however, arts have made a comeback through an integrative process that uses art as a tool, rather than a separate class that “eats up time”.  Schools in Utah have seen great success with this integrative method promoting the concept of turning STEM into STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Math) by adding an art instructor to the classroom to supplement the core teacher’s curriculum. At Bridger and Ellis Elementary Schools in Logan, Elsie Brundage, an secondary arts educator, says, “It’s a great approach, because students are learning better how to apply a scientific formula or to apply something you learn in math. When you apply knowledge, it starts to make sense. This is how you do it in the real world.” (http://www.utahbusiness.com/educating-innovators-using-arts-education-to-complement-core-and-stem-curriculum/).

Arts integration is more than just about improving students’ learning and understanding of core subjects. It is about fostering creative thinking, promoting innovation, and reinvigorating the youth of America with a sense of culture often disregarded in the pursuit to raise test scores. While this program immediately encourages community engagement within the schools, it also spreads throughout the greater community as students bring their creativity, innovative methods, and critical thinking into the workplace. Programs across the U.S. are proving the importance of art in education as a tool for learning, an effective means to engage students in their own education, and to promote a lasting impact on engagement within the community. While there are many different programs utilizing this method, I chose this example because it is a high school setting and clearly demonstrates academic achievement through the arts as well as engagement in the community.

Another great example: (https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/01/13/how-integrating-arts-into-other-subjects-makes-learning-come-alive/).

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Response to Leni Fried's Workshop

On Tuesday we had the pleasure of not only hearing about Leni's community engagement project but also experiencing it for ourselves. From creating our own buttons (now pinned to my backpack) to riveting reusable bags, the entire class was engaged in her creative workshop. Not only was this a fun way to learn about her project, it was also an effective method in promoting our engagement in the future Maker Space in North Adams. What stood out to me most was the hands-on nature of her project. It would be one thing for her to make all these bags and then sell them to local stores. Her initiative, however, has the community involved in the creation, distribution, and use of these bags. Not only is this an effective means to save the environment, it is also an incredible way to use art and creativity to bring people together. Beyond her "bag project" is this greater investment in which she is renovating an old, abandoned building into a space for the local community to come and create, innovate, and share their work with others. Her short video--creative in itself--really captivates her goals for this new space as a place for everyone to utilize and enjoy. This project is a great example of the broad concepts we have been discussing in class about engaging our communities through the arts. What I really like about Leni's project is the different types of people it attracts. From artists to engineers to environmental activists, her initiative draws people together who may not have crossed paths without their involvement in this.

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Define Community Engagement

Community engagement is when a group of people who share some aspect of being come together in a forum that allows for interaction amongst them. This common aspect can include, but is not limited to, interest, belief, goal, affinity, space, place, etc. The forum can include, but is not limited to an event, the internet, a group, a school, etc.

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The Arts in Berkshire County

This past week Julia Dixon shared her insight as an artist, creative economist, and Berkshire resident. Four key points she spoke about include Creative Inspiration, Cultural Tourism, Downtown Revitalization, and Creative Economy. While many themes emerged throughout her presentation, one that resonates with me is on drawing creative inspiration from your surroundings. With the example of Herman Melville drawing inspiration from Mt. Greylock to write Moby Dick, I started to think about the myriad ways in which people draw inspiration from their surroundings and how universal this concept is. 

You don’t have to be an artist to be inspired. Moreover, creativity and that which inspires it is not always artistically driven. For example, an innovative method to solving a problem can be inspired by nature, mere happenstance, or your surrounding culture. While creativity is often associated with art, it can take many forms, which is why this stood out to me. I would not really consider myself an artist, but I am able to find creative ways to solve problems and draw inspiration from many facets of life. Thus, this theme resonates with me as universally applicable. 

Overall, Julia’s presentation was effective in providing concrete examples for abstract concepts. Creative inspiration is just one of these concepts that stood out to me because I could directly relate to it. While my avenue in differs from Julia’s initial explanation, giving each concept personal meaning better enables me to understand her point. I look forward to learning more about her experience and attempting to draw connections to this art driven course even though it is not an area with which I am most familiar.

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Arts and Inter-Community Connection

“It is time to fulfill our promise and responsibility as artists and as change agents: to help people see and understand each other in new ways, connect their common humanity, and to tell the story of a bright and prosperous future available to all.” (Laura Zabel, 48)

While this is a call to arms for all artists, it is important to note that all people should use their individual talents and passions to achieve this noble ambition. Community is built on a combined effort, and it is important that artists, caregivers, workmen, and others with special abilities use the things they’re good at to better their living environment. Engaging the community is everyone’s responsibility because it cannot exist to only serve the individual. 

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Arts and Inter-Community Connection

“By bringing people together and building new understanding across differences, art can provide the pathway for increased empathy in an imaginative and effective way.” (Laura Zabel, 40)

If there is one thing this world needs, it is more empathy. We live in a time where differences continue to drive us apart instead of bring us together. If art can promote unity within diverse communities then it is a critical asset to current and future endeavors. It is imperative that we utilize every means of creating equality, promoting understanding, and engaging the community. Art is a powerful tool, and we must use it.



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Arts and Inter-Community Connection

“The country’s future depends on inter-community connection: the promise of increased understanding between people who may have little in common on the surface.” (Laura Zabel, 39)

A better future lies in our ability to come together within our communities to better the places we live and promote positive change. The arts are one means through which this ambitious goal can be achieved. It is an effective medium to unite people with a common purpose and utilizes a collective creativity that enables better problem solving and builds community.

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Nina Simon--TED Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIcwIH1vZ9w

In this TED Talk, Nina Simon expresses her passion for reviving museum culture in U.S. society. While her focus is changing museums, there are broad concepts she addresses applicable to various aspects of engaging a community.

One of the first points she makes is encouraging active participation by making the community a co-creator. This was of particular interest to me because I am an avid proponent of collaborative efforts, particularly those that compile creative ideas into a cohesive project. This concept stretches far beyond her mason jar project. Creative collaboration can take myriad forms and is a tool that should be utilized in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, the classroom, the workplace, and communal spaces like parks. 

Another point she makes that resonates with me, is the importance of creating the opportunity for conversation. Museums are a place that provoke deep conversations about art, history, and other elements of culture not typically discussed. I believe the best ideas are those born out of conversation, and any place, space, or event that can invoke such discussions are those worthy of time and attention. 

Lastly, she talks about the importance of giving someone a tool and encouraging them to use it. This struck a chord with me because a major goal of an educator is to teach skills and provide students with the tools to think and learn, but more importantly encouraging them to use these tools. While her emphasis is on giving her community the tools to engage in their local museum, this concept is applicable to countless other aspects of life. Thus, she is taking these broad ideas about creating an engaged community and applying them in a concrete way. 

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Arts & America: 1780-2015

“Understanding the history of a field gives the field power--it is like understanding the nature of the road, and being able to see everything that went into building it. The fits and starts of arts-based community development are reflective of the fits and starts of American society . . .” (Clayton Lord, 32)

Before reading this article, I rarely considered the historical role of art in the community or its innate absence in the fabric of American Society. In comparison to the great European painters and sculptors, the Ancient Greek theater productions, or the musical styling of African and Latin American cultures, America truly lacks in original art. While I can recognize a great need for art in American culture, I wonder if the very foundation of our republic inhibits greater artistic development. Our “great American values” are heavily predicated on success through monetary means and being the very best in our chosen profession. Does America make room for the arts? Will we in the coming years? Can we make up for historically inept policies that rarely promote art as a valid form of success? I think these are extremely important questions to discuss, because if our very foundation promotes industry and mass production over creativity and individuality, where does art fit in in the 21st century? Do our communities see the value in art-based community development? Honestly, I never really did--until now.