Intro to Art Education Class Blog

[artseducation2025]

One thing that I'll always take away from this class and carry forward with me is that art is a conversation. Throughout the semester we explored so many different artists, mediums, and ideas. Some of my favorite lessons/topics that we talked about were: incarceration and Jesse Krimes, the day we all made different themed board games based on different artists, learning about issues at the U.S.-Mexico border, and the day that we all made collages reflecting pieces of our identity.

But besides the structured lessons, topics, and activities, what I enjoyed most about the class was how much everyone opened up and shared about their background and why they were taking the class, whether or not they considered themselves an artist, how that might have changed throughout the semester, and what art education means to them. I really enjoyed seeing the different personal artistic practice presentations each week and learning about how my classmates incorporate art into their lives: from baking cakes to photography and painting miniature models, to post-it note doodles and anime glass paintings, everyone had such a unique way of expressing themselves.

One last thing I wanted to share was this piece I made for the class where we each made a quilt square representing an aspect or aspects of our identity. I titled mine, "The Hand of an Artist."

I want to keep making art and keep having conversations with people about important topics in the world through art and artmaking.

Thank you Professor Gutierrez-Vicario for a lovely semester and for making your classroom such an open and welcoming space for everyone. :)

— Samihah Sirajul-islam

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Art Ed

When I registered for this class honestly, I didn't know what this class would be about. I was a little worried since I don't consider myself an artist. but honestly be part of this class has teaching me a lot. I really enjoy being part of Professor Gutierrez class, she is an amazing professor, she understands, and she care for her students. I really appreciate her feedback and positive comments. when the activity was about to draw especially portrait for me was a challenge since I'm not good in that area. I enjoy each assignment from this course since this was a part that I learned from each one of them. I learned that art is not what you see in a work art, art is everywhere, and represent a purpose.

This class gave the opportunity to a museum which was a visit that I try to do it for a long time, but I did not have the opportunity to do it. but I explored the museum in the museum activity. One of my favorites assignments of this courses was able to learn about artists. in my mind most of professors in painters or artists always focused on da Vinci, Picasso or other important in that time. But be part to learn about these important artists that represent something the drawing is something else. Each artist has a purpose in their drawing so, this is very important for example Favianna Rodriguez who was the person that I had for my assignment. leaning about her art was great, her job with immigration is great. This course does not just explore art, is something else, it exposes what is happening is our community, our world.

So, Professor Gutierrez thank you for your support for always be guide and so helpful, you inspire us with your purpose. I wish the best of luck in your path.

All the best,

Elsa Holguin :)

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ART 15500

I remember when I was registering for this art class, I was really worried, thinking it would be hard and that my professor was going to be strict. But it wasn't the case, I really enjoyed this class, I learned so many different things that I wasn't even aware of. Out of all the lessons and activities that we did, one of my favorite activities that we explored in art class was creating our personal collage, which was in week three. Before this activity, I would think about art as painting, sketching, and perfect drawings. However, this project completely changed the way I view art and creativity. The collage lesson showed me that art can be created in so many different ways. Instead of focusing on perfection, the focus of this activity was more on self-expression and creativity. During the lesson, we learned that collage is an art created by giving different materials onto paper. We were able to use anything we wanted, like magazine cutouts, photographs, and fabrics, to represent who we are as a person. I enjoyed this lesson because there was no right or wrong way to create this collage. And when we went around looking at other people's collages, everyone else was so different, that the beauty of this assignment was how everyone is unique in their own ways. Also, the part where we had to present it to the class, we were basically using pictures, shapes, and words to tell stories of ourselves through art. I feel like this made the lesson very meaningful in a way.

Another activity from this class that I enjoyed was the museum one, because it helped me see art differently outside of the classroom. Before the visit, I was overthinking how boring it would be because I never saw the fun in museums, but the trip showed me that museums can be fun and very inspiring. When looking at the artwork up close, I loved the colors and the texture used. What I liked most about the museum was all the variety they had. The museum had sculptures, paintings, photography, and mixed-media art. I learned that art is not just about painting perfectly or having the most perfect drawing, there are many different ways to create art and express emotions and your ideas.

Overall, I enjoyed this class, it was such an amazing experience. From the start, I never felt uncomfortable or out of place, everyone was so welcoming and supportive, and I always felt like I belonged in the classroom. One of my favorite things was how the professor made everyone feel included and encouraged us to share our ideas and creativity without feeling judged. There was never a wrong answer, which I loved. The way she taught her class and her dedication motivated me even more to continue wanting to become a teacher myself. The professor connected with students, supported everyone, always had a positive attitude, and was ready to teach. It reminded me a lot of my high school art teacher. Taking this class brought back that same feeling and reminded me why I want to work in education in the future. This course was one of the best I've taken in CCNY. It inspired me and gave me that motivation about becoming a future teacher and creating that same kind of safe and welcoming environment for my own students one day.

Erianni Castillo 💕

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Being in this class has teached me a lot about art. But not about how to draw, but about the meaning behind it. I really enjoyed all of the lessons in this course, but the one I really enjoyed was the lesson about public art. I really enjoyed this lesson because it is amazing how there are different types of art anywhere, from a mural on a street, to a building, to a museum. To people advocating for change in a public art of #NoKidsInCages to graffiti on a building 5POINTZ in Queens, these different types of art reach different types of people. From the murals shown in this lesson, the one that stood out to me the most was the memorial to George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This stood out to me the most because of this tragic event, people from all over the states got united to fight for justice, to fight for the lives that were taken. They wanted everyone to know that black lives matter. With this, making the mural of George Floyd, made everyone realize the injustice that was made on someone innocent and that everyone needed to stay united to overcome this.

From all the amazing activities we did in this class, the one I felt the most creative doing was in lesson 10, which was to create a miniature sculpture based on what we learned about the border or immigration. I really enjoyed this activity because from things like an empty water bottle, a cereal box, and some wires, we were able to make something beautiful that represented what is happening at the border. We also thought about the lives that were taken due to the border and the people who were there to help those in need. For this activity, I have a friend who used wires and a cereal box to create the border. It was really amazing because it showed that from two random objects she made something beautiful and powerful. 

Overall, Professor Marissa Gutierrez-Vicario is an amazing professor who puts all her energy and amazing attitude to the course even in difficult times. She was always attentive to everyone and made sure everyone understood the lesson before she moved on to the next. She treated everyone with respect and kindness. It was very lovely to meet and be a part of Professor Gutierrez class. I will always remember this class for teaching me to see every little thing as art.

Yerianly Garcia🩷

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Art in education and beyond

The topics discussed in this class, my fellow classmates and Professor Gutierrez-Vicario, are now memories I will carry and cherish for a long time. This was my first class in my college career focused in my major and from the first day, I felt I was in the right place. Learning about the different ways art can be used, whether it be through education, social issues, to raise voices of those who may not be heard often or loudly enough, or as a form of self expression like we saw through all of our own artistic practice presentations were really wonderful lessons in and of themselves and I can only hope more people can hear and learn about. I found that learning about different artists through presentations from my fellow classmates was also an excellent way for us to not only practice educating, but to do so intentionally, while focusing on an artist's impact on different communities and in our classroom. Being able to dive deep into the artist my partner and I made my presentation on, Vik Muniz, was a process I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did nor did I expect it to be as impactful as it was. Through my research, I came across this quote by Muniz that I felt challenged and changed the way I think about art.

"Things look like things, they are embedded in the transience of each other’s meaning; a thing looks like a thing, which looks like another thing, or another. This eternal ricocheting of meaning throughout the elemental proves representation to be natural and nature to be representational." - Vik Muniz

I really felt the impact of this quote for a couple of weeks following my finding of it. I felt it especially when I visited the MOMA PS1 museum, as an assignment for a separate class. I feel so lucky to have read this quote when I did because it allowed for discussions among peers that were thoughtful and introspective.

This is only one example of the countless, significant messages/lessons I will carry with me on my journey, following this course. One other aspect I greatly appreciated from this class was the collaboration we had on various assignments. Personally, and truthfully in the past I have found working in pairs or groups to be a bit dreadful and often times intimidating but this class has changed the way I feel about collaborative work entirely. I think it is essential to note, that this class would not be a fraction of what it was without my fellow classmates and I being allotted and encouraged to have open and free discussions on matters that were sometimes heavy and for that I thank Professor Gutierrez-Vicario immensely alongside my fellow students.

I found this photo on my camera after I passed it around during my presentation. Thank you to whoever took it, I will cherish it forever.

Wishing you all peace and success in your future endeavors

Isabella Balarezo

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Lessons Beyond Art

Going into this class, I honestly did not know what to expect. I have not taken an art class in years, so I thought it would mostly just be small creative projects and activities. But throughout the semester, I realized this class was way deeper than I expected. It was not just about art itself, but about storytelling, culture, emotions, and talking about real issues through creativity.

One thing that really stood out to me was our lesson plan project. My partner and I created a lesson for younger students where we picked a topic from many of the ones we learned about throughout the semester like immigration, bullying, incarceration, and identity and turned them into something creative and engaging for kids. Instead of just teaching through lectures, we wanted students to express themselves through art and activities. I honestly liked this project a lot because it felt like real teaching experience and showed how art can make difficult topics easier for younger students to understand.

Another thing that really impacted me was hearing my professor talk about her experiences at the Mexican border. Listening to her stories honestly stayed with me even after class ended. I feel like a lot of people hear about immigration online or on the news, but they do not really understand how dangerous and emotional those situations actually are for real people. Hearing about my professor putting herself in those situations and witnessing everything firsthand really touched me and opened my eyes more to the reality of it all.

The conversations we had about incarceration also really stood out to me, especially when my professor shared experiences from working at Rikers Island. I liked that this class allowed people to openly share their thoughts and perspectives because it made discussions feel real and meaningful instead of just something from a textbook. You could tell people genuinely cared about the topics we talked about.

Overall, this class changed the way I view arts education. Before this semester, I mostly thought art classes were just about being creative, but now I see how art can also educate people, tell stories, and start conversations about important issues. This class honestly opened my mind a lot and made me appreciate how powerful creativity can be in education.

Before ending this post, I really just want to thank Professor Marissa Gutierrez. She was more than just a professor teaching about art. You could genuinely feel how passionate she is about what she does every class. The way she spoke about art, her experiences, and the people she met throughout her journey really opened my eyes to perspectives I never really thought deeply about before. She also created a classroom where students felt comfortable sharing their own thoughts and experiences without judgment, which honestly made the class feel very personal and meaningful.

You can tell she truly cares about her students and about the impact art can have on people. Hearing her stories, seeing her own artwork, and learning from someone so passionate made this class something I will genuinely remember long after the semester ends. I personally am not studying art education in school, but I still found myself connecting deeply with a lot of the lessons and conversations we had throughout the semester. Even outside of art education, I want to carry many of the things we learned in this class into my own future career and interactions with students. I think this class taught me the importance of understanding people’s stories, perspectives, and experiences rather than just teaching information. I am really grateful I got to experience this class and learn from such an understanding and inspiring professor. Thank you Professor Gutierrez. You will always be an inspiration for how I hope to teach students about art and creativity in the future.🩷✨

With love,

Eva Atwa Spring 2026

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More Than Just an Art Class

It’s not just because we were assigned to write a blog post that I’m saying this, but this class truly was the highlight of my semester. Going into this course, I honestly did not know what to expect. I had not taken an art class in years, not since middle school, so stepping into this environment felt unfamiliar at first. But from the very beginning, this class felt so welcoming and inspiring in a way I did not expect.

Transparently speaking, I never really put much thought into the deeper meaning of art and what it can offer to an individual, a community, and a culture. Before this class, I mostly viewed art as something visual or creative but throughout the semester my entire perspective changed. The activities we participated in, the incredible artists we learned about, and the meaningful discussions we had all showed me that art carries stories, emotions, history, identity, and connection. Every class felt intentional. I know many of the conversations and lessons from this course will stay with me long after the semester ends.

When I think about my favorite assignment or activity from the class, it is honestly difficult to choose because I genuinely found joy in all of them. However, if I had to choose one, it would definitely be the museum assignment. This assignment allowed me to step into a space that I was never very fond of before. Ignorantly speaking, I used to think museums and exhibitions were boring because I was not seeing them for the full experience and meaning they offer. The exhibition I visited was ¡Wepa! Puerto Ricans in the World of Comics and it honestly felt like a breath of fresh air. Seeing Puerto Rican and Latinx stories represented through comic art felt empowering and comforting at the same time. It was beautiful to witness how culture, identity, and storytelling could all exist together in such a creative and impactful way. I know moving forward I will visit more museums/exhibitions.

Another moment from this class that deeply moved me was learning about No More Deaths, the humanitarian organization based in southern Arizona. This topic stayed with me in such a bittersweet way. It was heartbreaking to know that this is the reality of our community, about the realities migrants face and the lives that have been lost but at the same time it was incredibly powerful to see how Alvaro Enciso honors those individuals through his work. His art carries compassion and remembrance. As someone who holds faith very close to my heart, seeing this kind of work touched me deeply. What made it even more meaningful to me was knowing that even though Alvaro himself is not religious, he still chooses to honor and respect the lives of migrants with such care and dignity. Shout out to Professor Marissa Gutierrez Vicario for being apart of the story and creating an impact. 

Before closing, I want to give a huge shoutout to Professor Marissa Gutierrez Vicario. Her intentionality, passion, and energy radiated throughout the classroom every Wednesday. She created an environment where students felt comfortable expressing themselves and learning beyond just assignments. Throughout this semester, I picked up qualities from her that I hope to carry into my own future career as a teacher. Her patience, passion, and intentionality are qualities I am incredibly grateful to have witnessed firsthand. I know future ART 15500 students will walk away feeling just as inspired as I did.

Sending love & light to Professor Marissa Gutierrez Vicario in all of her future endeavors.

One word check-out: BLESSED.

— Victoria Paulino 💚

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The Right Choice

Coming into this last semester of my undergrad degree, I had some decisions to make. I am a future educator, and I have come to realize that the profession requires a variety of skills.  On one hand, I could take some more math or science electives to reinforce the past four years of study. On the other hand, I could expand my range by enhancing another branch of my skill tree. In the end, I chose to do both.

During the early days of the pandemic, I discovered or reawakened my creative passion, and I taught myself [with the help of YouTube] to airbrush and build models. Spending hours at Blick, Michaels, and in my homemade airbrush booth was a great distraction before I decided to begin my journey as a career changer and enrolled in school to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering. This new chosen path required a new level of focus that I had yet to experience, which is really saying something, as I've been chasing novel experiences for a bit now.

I became hyper-focused on learning the math that I would need to succeed in this new venture. That took all of my attention, and outside of my parental and domestic duties, everything else faded into the shadows.

That was a long introduction. I will try to get the point now. I hoped that a class like this would allow me to rediscover [again] my artistic soul. I was correct! Narrowing down a favorite activity will be difficult, but in the spirit of completion, I will try.

Our printmaking exercise wins the gold because I was completely unaware of the existence of this art form before I was introduced to it in this class. I liked it so much that it became the focus of our final lesson plan.

I really did enjoy all our activities, as they were all novel to me as a novice to art education. Initially, I was worried that I would not have the creative chops to dive into some of the exercises and would be stuck, pencil or paintbrush or pastel in hand, staring at a blank canvas. This class showed me otherwise and really boosted my confidence in my ability to find inspiration in a short time. I am actually quite proud of myself on that one.

Before I forget, eternal thanks to our instructor, Marissa Gutierrez-Vicario, for introducing me to Dr. Chris Emdin’s work. I’m not religious and aren’t a believer in luck; however, sometimes inexplicably, you are placed in the right place around the right people, at a proper time to find something that you hadn’t realized that you were looking for.

Urban STEM education has been my trajectory since I decided that science education was where I belonged. Listening to Dr. Emdin’s philosophies on pedagogy brought a sense of hope and comfort that was much needed and opened me up to an entire social sphere of like-minded educators that I can gravitate towards and hopefully, one day join and contribute to.

Thanks for the introduction, Marissa. Peace, blessings, and prosperity in all your future endeavors. I hope our paths cross again sometime in the future.

-Kevin Dillon-HoChoy spring 2026

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I was really moved by the No More Deaths project and Alvaro Enciso’s work that we talked about in Week 10. The No More Deaths project tracks something that is often overlooked and accounts for the people who went missing and who may have not been counted in other statistics. There are likely more missing people near the border than anyone can track and because it is so criminalized to cross, there is little aid nearby. Seeing how many people lost their lives and how much their lives are overlooked is very impactful. Enciso’s work marking migrant deaths near the border is really powerful as well and I can imagine how emotionally striking in person it would be to see. The immigration process in America can be extremely dehumanizing and those who die in their journey are often not memorialized or spoken about at all. I really like how Enciso’s work focuses on memorializing a person and their death and aims to preserve the memory of people who are often overlooked or seen as just a statistic or political debate. I think this work is really important and powerful and anyone who could see this project in real life would change any conservative opinions they might have regarding immigration law. The process of crossing the border is extremely treacherous and nobody’s first option and I think that it’s hard for me to understand how little people care about the human experience aspect of it and only dwell on politics. People sacrifice so much to try to cross the border into the US and from the different projects, we can see how often they lose their lives doing it. To understand all of this loss and sacrifice and understand how vital it must be to attempt to cross is difficult to imagine. I cannot empathize with people who treat people crossing with no empathy and criminalize and dehumanize them when its proven to be such a dangerous journey where people strip your humanity, in life or death.

I really liked the activity we did about immigration where we viewed art about the border and also the question, what would you take if you suddenly had to leave home, was posed. I was moved by seeing my classmates pieces of art that they created. We were able to use different mediums for this and I was really impressed with everyone’s creativity. I loved a piece I saw using wire to spell out a message and also emulate what a barrier, like a wire fence or bars, might look like. I also really liked a students work I saw where they created a portrait of sorts of themselves, to represent that the item they’d prioritize taking in an emergency is their hijab. I didn’t consider before a response like that to the question and thought the way they constructed the portrait was really creative. I personally made a mini representation of a home inside of a small bottle, in a way to show how home can sometimes be taken with you and exist somewhere within, even if it’s small or not your original home. I also saw things painted, made of clay and constructed with wire and was surprised by the variety of mediums people used to create a story.

-Lucy Johnston

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Melanie Yanza

In this class we have learned a lot of things, from issues that can break your heart to others that can warm your heart. But the main thing is that we learned about issues that are happening in the world that are important but, to me, are not talked about as much as they should be.

The main one that stood out to me was incarceration. Yes, on TV and on the news you see, “Oh, that person is being put in prison for life” or “15 years,” but after that news is there, it’s gone. You don’t really know what happens to them or what people go through inside the cell. People in prison decide to become artists in their own way. Some, I would say, made their own art with the tools they had. The suffering and the depression that people go through is something we learned about, and some artists used art as a form of letting go and taking their depression and sadness away.

So really, after this lesson I realized that art is everywhere, and art mainly comes from emotions. You do not necessarily have to be good at drawing. It is more about what affects you and what feels real to you, what you believe in, and what is right to you rather than just drawing because you like it. Honestly, in the future this way of teaching and using art is such a creative idea, mostly because I am a physical learner. I loved this class and wish I have classes like this in the future .

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Danielle Sukhan

This class was nothing like I expected it to be. Normally I'd anticipate a lot of writing about art forms and different artists and what they have to offer to a classroom but I was pleasantly surprised. This class was very hands on and all the students interacted with one another in a positive way. Our class truly felt like something special, other classes, in person or not, students stay to themselves and don't say much, but here we got to know each other which made presentations so much easier. One of my favorite things that we have made was the collage from old books and magazines, I chose to make mine on my journal. Now that my journal is personalized I will be continuing to use it even after the course.

[artseducation2025]

Moni Sultana

Starting this class as an art student had me excited since it meant I got to do more classes related to my major which used to be art education. Professor Gutierrez made this intro class to art education welcoming to all different types of students who were taking the class whether or not they were artists or not. From my perspective as a previous art education major I’ve personally enjoyed the topics and activities used to really open more room for discussion on social changes and activism that connects back to art or some craft. It was really refreshing to see how my classmates engaged and were brought out of their shells to really discover how art education plays a key role in our lives and society-not just for not just the professor repeating the point of the point of this class.

One of my favorite art education activities was this specific activity on September 16th, It was a Poster Cut-Out Identity. The activity was structured to create a poster with cuts-out of magazines with anything to represent you, your identity, interests, and some type of art medium you use/ have experience with using. At the end of this you share your poster around with your peers and discuss details of your poster and certain meanings of it. I’ve personally enjoyed being carefree during this activity and really just expressing myself and adding images that represent my values and stances as well. Sharing my poster and talking to my peers about their poster was like I learned a new side of my classmates personality or interests as well.

One of my favorite artists we’ve talked about in class was Bisa Butler, an textile artist that creates portraits and represents black women and black excellence through her familial grandmother and mother side with traditional quilt-making. Through fabric and thread she stands out by wovening forgotten stories and photographs by making statements on groups of marginalized people or black people as well. Her body of work is composed entirely of vibrantly colored and patterned fabrics that celebrate and represent positive narratives of Black life. Her main focus to best portray the subject/person’s based on those materials and their lives in a good light helps bring a sense of humanity and positivity as well. The more I look into her works I've noticed brings to life personal and historical narratives of Black life and invites viewers to look closely and think deeply about the potential and purposes of portraiture.

Overall, I found the activities and lessons in this class engaging, informative and memorable. What made it memorable was the discussions I've had with the professor and classmates really made my day despite the breaks I'd constantly take while being fully aware of the long duration of this class. The laughs or references I’d make with my peers or the professor would be the highlight of my day. Also, It was good to dive deep into serious topics such as activism and types of discrimination and historical context behind a certain artist or art piece that doesn’t shy away from the harsh truth. But with each lesson, the artist, and activity learned something new while still allowing me to express myself creatively.

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Three Months, Fully Lived -- Elvis Montilla

It’s honestly kind of wild how much there was to take away from just three measly months. This class showed me that it’s not about how long something lasts, but how present you are while you’re in it. Intro to Art Education became a space where time didn’t feel counted or measured — it felt lived in. Looking back now, I realize how much can grow when intention, openness, and care guide the experience.

The first day stays with me the most. There was something electrifying about it — laughter in the air, smiles brightening the space, and an immediate sense of ease. After a long stretch of what had felt like survival, that room felt like a moment of reprieve. A breath. A reminder that learning can feel human, joyful, and shared. From the very beginning, the class made space for warmth and connection, and that energy carried through the entire semester.

One of my favorite memories from that first day was laughing with Shari and Yini over a drawing we made together. One of the rules on the board was about how small changes can make a big difference, and we represented that idea by drawing me with and without my eyebrows. It was simple, funny, and somehow perfectly on point. That moment captured the spirit of the class — thoughtful without being heavy, creative without pressure. I want to genuinely thank Yini and Shari for that moment, because it grounded the day in laughter and made the lesson feel real in a way that stuck with me.

Another moment that meant a lot to me was getting the chance to play my music for the class. Sharing my song Six Months was an honor, but also a deeply vulnerable experience. That song comes straight from my core — it holds emotion, memory, and honesty. Letting people sit with it, listen closely, and receive it felt powerful. What stayed with me most was realizing that the feeling I put into it didn’t stay inside me — it made it out. It connected. Knowing that something so personal could be held by others is something I’ll always carry with me.

The art I created throughout the semester became another way of understanding myself. The green and blue collage I made represents me in a calm, grounded way. Those are my two favorite colors, and together they reflect balance, growth, and reflection. Putting that collage together felt like assembling parts of myself with intention, allowing things to exist without needing to explain or justify every piece.

The radiating lines image of myself, inspired by Rico Gatson, pushed that reflection even further. The outward movement of the lines felt symbolic — a reminder that identity isn’t contained, but expressive and expansive. That piece made me think about how art can be deeply personal while still reaching beyond the self, moving outward into shared space.

By the end of these three months, it became clear how much this class offered me — not just artistic tools, but moments of presence, connection, and creative confidence. It reinforced the idea that when time is approached with care and intention, even a short span can leave a lasting imprint.

And last, but most certainly not least, this class also gave me something I never could have planned for. Somewhere along the way, I met the love of my life. Life takes many twists and turns, and it so happens that this class was a turn toward something greater than what I initially thought I was walking into. In more ways than one, this experience was healing. Thank you, truly — thank you.

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Asfia Maisha

At the beginning, I was sure this was gonna be another one of those classes that’ll just pass by without meaning anything to me. It’ll be a quick semester with a quick grade. But I was so wrong. This ended up being one of the best classes I’ve taken so far in college. It ended up being so much more meaningful and artistic than I expected. The most important thing that made this class so worthy is because of Professor Gutierrez. From the very beginning, she always made sure everyone was comfortable and engaged. She is always looking out for everyone and so understandable. I am so grateful that this class was such a breath of fresh air. Although it was unfortunately almost 3 hours long and early in the morning, this class slowly woke you up and by the time the class came to an end, you walked out of there with a clear mind. 

Each class, there was always something new and fun to try out. We always started the lessons with a creative do now. I honestly looked forward to those the most. And it got even better when it came to doing the main activity. I always had a chance to express myself through these activities, whether it was about me or my culture. I also grew to actually like doing group work. I think it was mostly because I had such wonderful classmates, I always felt welcomed in this space. One thing that surprised me the most is that I never felt nervous to do presentations in this class. If you know me well, you know that I am terrified of presentations, I stutter, I lose my breath, my hands start shaking. But in this class, I know no one is ever judging me, sure I might be nervous, but I’ve never felt more confident in any other class in my life. I am so thankful for the welcoming vibe this class has. I always felt supported and encouraged to bring out the best in me and the activities in this class did exactly that. 

One activity I enjoyed was from week 4. We were told to create our own game in groups using the materials we had. My immediate first thought was that one episode from Spongebob where Patrick creates his own chaotic game. I kind of got inspiration from that and I decided to use the game Dress to Impress from Roblox as a foundation for the game my group created. It was such a unique experience, and I felt proud for incorporating our class lessons into it so well. Being able to bring our own ideas and creativity and sharing it with the class felt like we were bonding. I was able to share my idea of this game and my classmates were able to share their art that closely resonated with them. Another activity that I deeply enjoyed was my personal artistic presentation. Although I was pretty new to creating pipe cleaner flowers, I felt proud to show my first bouquet. I was also really excited to share my creativity with my classmates, I looked forward to how my classmates would do creating a mini rose. Everyone did really well, and I think I did well presenting it to them. Other than my own presentation, I was amazed by how many talents are in one classroom. I was so fascinated by the amount of creativity that was booming in other people. I mostly enjoyed Elvis’s and Shari-Jo’s presentations, their abilities were really eye opening. 

Overall, this class taught me why art education is so important. It’s not only about creating something that’s visually appealing, but it’s about expressing ourselves and connecting with others. I am very grateful for the environment Professor Gutierrez created for this class, it felt very safe and reassuring. This course will always resonate within me and remind me of the kind of educator I would like to become. Thank you everyone for such a wonderful experience!

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Denisse Jimenez

I went into this class with certain expectations, but the experience turned out to be even better than I imagined. From the beginning, the environment felt welcoming and supportive, which made a big difference in how comfortable I felt expressing myself through art.

The professor truly did her job, and that is what matters most. She made everyone feel welcomed and comfortable, almost as if there were no wrong answers in the room. This created a space where creativity could grow without fear of being judged. The assignments she gave were always interesting and fun, and they encouraged us to play with our creativity rather than feel restricted by it.

One activity I especially enjoyed was creating our own lesson plans. This was my first time ever doing a lesson plan, and I am grateful for that experience. It helped me understand the basics and gave me the gist of how lesson planning works. Being able to bring my own ideas to the table and share them with others made the activity even more meaningful. It felt like we were getting a glimpse of what it will be like when I become a teacher.

This was a class I genuinely looked forward to. Every time I attended, it gave me a chance to step away from other challenging assignments and focus on something creative and enjoyable. Thank you, Professor Gutierrez for all your hard work and for the strong support you gave us throughout the semester.

[artseducation2025]

Arriel Truluck

As a returning student to this class, it turned out a lot better than the last time I tried to stay inthis class. At first, I was worried that the second time wouldn't be a charm, but it turned into both a learning path for someone who would like to teach and for someone exploring new ways to be an artist. I found doing the activities based on the artists very interactive, and made students come out of their shells to create, collaborate, and share what they've created. Two of my favorite activities came from Week 7, where we created bags that can hold special items using limited resources to learn about immigration, and Week 8, where we learned about Chip Thomas and the idea of public art.

Week 7: Immigration is the migration from one place to another due to family, finances, or the socio-economic/political environment that affects a person's life from continuing to stay there. Youwouldthink that they're able to bring everything, but no. During critical times like war or evacuation, people don't have time to pack. Or even when it's not critical, they can't take everything from home to their new place. They carry minimal items with them, as few as 1 or 2 things. I created a purse from those packaging wraps you'd see when you get mail, with some pipe cleaners as holders. I wouldn't imagine myself taking heavy-handed things. I would imagine that it would've been a very difficult thing to gather something quickly with little time. This lesson is similar to Mealie's presentation, where we created mini suitcases and drew two items of what we'd bring.

Week 8: Public art is artwork created for the public eye for everyone to see, and transforming a community's environment, whether it can be positive or negative. Murals have a much deeper impact, in my opinion, because the wall is a giant canvas that has drawn artists from many fields, mainly muralists and graffiti artists. What I liked about Chip Thomas's work is that he advocated for the communities within the Navajo Nation while working as a physician and in the national health service. He created murals that brought narratives to life because it was important to him to keep the memories of the Navajo people alive. This also applied to the uranium miners who passed away due to the toxic radioactive environment.

To wrap this up, I enjoyed learning about how artists can advocate for their communities from topics that impact all of them (immigration, incarceration, marginalization, climate change, etc.), and the activities were a good interactive approach to understanding why or to simply ease your mind before the lesson starts. I enjoyed my time with my classmates and with Professor Gutierrez-Vicario. Thanks for a great semester :)

[artseducation2025]

Yarimar

I enjoyed how this class was more meaningful than I expected. I liked how it focused on learning about different artists that I didn’t know before and also how each of us were welcomed to express ourselves through art in our own way. I also appreciated how professor Gutierrez-Vicario  made the class feel fun and low pressure. The Do Now activities were a big part of it. For example, we made drawings and also used many materials I was unfamiliar with. I think these  activities helped break the ice and also made art feel less intimidating, even when I didn’t feel confident in what I was doing. As someone who didn’t grow up taking art classes, this course was a bit challenging for me at first. Even though it was simple like drawing a head, it felt hard. But over time I realized that the class was not about being “good” at art but about trying and expressing yourself in your own way. 

One of my favorite assignments was my presentation about Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, especially her project “Stop Telling Women to Smile”. This project stood out to me because it shows how art can directly respond to everyday experiences that are often ignored. I liked how Tatyana used public spaces instead of galleries. This forces people, especially men who may be part of the problem, to confront the messages in the same places that harassment happens.

By the end of the semester, I started to feel more comfortable participating and showing my work even though it was not perfect. This class helped me see art as a form of expression rather than something that has to look a certain way.