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MicheleJaquis,AssociateProfessorandDirectorInterdisciplinaryStudiesandtheArtistsCommunityTeachingProgramFall2016FacultyDevelopmentGrantReportMyFall2016FacultyDevelopmentGrantfundedmytraveltoNewYorkCitytoattendtheCollegeArtAssociation(CAA)Conference,February15th–18th,2017(withadayoneitherendfortravel),whereIchairedthesessionPedagogyofSocialandEnvironmentalJustice.

ThenightbeforeourpanelIhadthepleasureofjoiningthepanelistsforadinneratthehomeofDebJohnson’s,ExecutiveDirectoroftheCenterforSustainableDesignStrategiesatPrattInstitutewhofoundedthePartnershipforAcademicLeadershiponSustainability(PALS)ofwhichI’vebeenaFellowrepresentingOtissince2010.Itwasagreatwayforthoseofuswhohadn’tmetinpersontogettoknoweachotherandsetusupforacomfortableandeasy-goingdiscussionattheendofthepanel.Itwasalsowonderfulbecausethispanelwouldn’thaveevenbeenthoughtofifitweren’tformyinvolvementinPALS.

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Wepresentedinthemiddleofthelastdayoftheconference(SaturdayJanuary18th),sowehadamodestbutengagedaudienceofabout30orsopeople.Youcanheararecordingofthewholesessionhere:https://soundcloud.com/jaquis-2/pedagogyofsocialandenvironmentaljustice-caa2017

HereIamspeakingwiththepanelistsaswewaitfortheaudiencetoarrive,andbelowismyintroductorytext:

WelcometoourpanelonthePedagogyofSocialandEnvironmentalJustice.Thankyouallforbeinghere.MynameisMicheleJaquisandIamtheDirectorofInterdisciplinaryStudiesandArtistsCommunityTeachingProgramatOtisCollegeofArtandDesigninLosAngeles.Ialsoteachtrans-disciplinarystudiocoursesintheCreativeActionPrograminwhichstudentscollaboratewitheachotherandacommunitypartnerinordertoaddresspressingenvironmentalandsocialissues.OtisCollegerecentlyadoptedInstitutionalLearningOutcomes,oneofwhichisSocialResponsibilitystatingthat“Otisgraduateswillbeabletodemonstrateanawarenessofthesocialandenvironmentalimpactsofartanddesign,producecreative,sustainable,andethicalsolutionsintheirwork,andbringpositivechangetotheircommunities.”SoI’vebeencurious,howdoesthisreallyplayoutinpracticeandwhatcanwelearnfromwhat’shappeningonothercampuses?Thispanelsessionalsogrewoutofconversationsbetweenmyselfandtwoofthepanelists-JaneMarschingandHughPocock.ThethreeofusareFellowsinthe

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PartnershipforAcademicLeadershiponSustainability,whichJanewillspeakmoreabout.Forseveralyearsnowwe’vebeentalkingaboutputtingapanellikethistogetherwiththehopethatwecouldanswersomequestions:Whatnewpedagogicalmodelsareoutthere?Whatradicalexperimentshavespawnedinnovationandfailures?Whatnewapproachestoartanddesigneducationareneeded?Andultimately,howcanweencourageandempowerourstudentstobettertheirworldinthecontextofclimatechange,economiccrisis,andsocialandracialinequalities?OurcontextoverthoseyearsofconversationincludeddroughtsontheWestcoast,andsuper-stormsontheEast,bookendedbytheOccupyMovementandtheBlackLivesMattermovement.MycontextatOtisinparticularincludesbeingapartofoneofthemostdiverseartschoolsintheUnitedStates.76%ofourstudentsarestudentsofcolor.Itisanamazingenvironmenttoworkin.Inaddition82%ofourstudentsreceivescholarshipsandfinancialaid,withasignificantpopulationqualifyingforPELLgrants.AsaformerPELLGrantrecipientmyself,Iknowthatmeansweareservingstudentsforwhomcollegewouldnotbepossiblewithoutgovernmentfinancialassistance.NowwiththeTrumpadministrationinpower,ourcontexthaschanged,andIfeelasenseofurgencyandresponsibilitytomystudentslikeneverbefore,particularlythosewhoarefromthemiddleeast,orwhoareundocumented,oronfinancialaid,orwhosimplywhocareaboutclimatechangeandsocialjusticeissues.ThisconversationfeelsmoreimportantnowthanwhenIfirstproposedit.Wewillstartwithintroductionsofourfivepanelistswhowilleachgiveaten-minutepresentationabouttheworktheyaredoingattheirrespectiveinstitutions.Afterwhichwewillhaveabout30–40minutesforadiscussionandIwillinviteyoualltoparticipatewithanyquestionsandcommentsyoumayhave.Solet’sbegin.

JaneD.Marsching,MassachusettsCollegeofArt,“IncubatingChange:PedagogiesofSustainabilityinArtandDesignEducation”showedaseriesofimagesona6sectimerasshesharedarangeofsustainabilityinitiatives(curricularandco-curricular)happeningthroughtheSustainabilityIncubatoronMassArt’scampus.OnestrategythatstoodoutformewasthattheIncubatorencouragedfacultytoholdoneortwoclasssessionsinthespacemakingthemopentothepublicwiththepurposeofsharingsustainabilityknowledgebeyondtheMassArtcommunity–tyingintotheCollege’smissionasapublic,state-fundedcollege–theonlyartschoolofitskind.CarolPadberg’spresentation“TheMFAasEdgeSpace:Art,Ecology,Craft,CultureandPlace”presentedtheresultsofthefirstyearofHartfordArtSchool,UniversityofHartford’snewnomadic,low-residency,interdisciplinaryMFAprogram,whichislikeacombinationofOtis’CreativeActionandPublicPracticeprograms.Caroldescribedmuchoftheprogramasexercisesin“radicallisteningandwitnessing”inwhich“welearned”fromlocalexperts,implyingthatthefacultylearnalongsidethestudentswhileinthefield.HughPocock,facultyandfoundingCoordinatoroftheConcentrationinSustainabilityandSocialPracticeatMarylandInstituteCollegeofArt,spokeaboutclimatechangeasasocialjusticeissuein“ClimateChange,PoliceBrutalityandtheContemporaryStudioClassroom.”Hearguedthatsocialinjusticeisacausefortheenvironmentalcrisisandtheexploitationofpeopleandtheexploitationoftheearthcomefromthesameplace.Hequestionedifsustainabilityisawhiteprivilege,notingthattheNationalParkswerefoundedonawhitesupremacysenseofpurity.InthecontextofMICA,hedescribedmostlywhite,privilegedstudentsworkinginthesurroundingcommunitiesdefinedbypovertyandthekillingbypoliceofblackmen,likeFreddieGrey.

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AnneH.BerryteachesGraphicDesignatClevelandStateUniversityanddiscussedhowtoaddress“RacialDisparitiesinDesignEducation,”staringfirstbydescribinghow“visualsymbolsprofoundlyaffectpeople’sviewsofthemselvesandoneanother.”Shearguedthatdesignersandadvertisersneedtofocusonissuesofrepresentationandsocial/racialjustice,somethingInoticeourComArtsandDigitalMediamajorsthinkingaboutwhentheyminorinSustainabilityrecognizingthepowertheyhaveasmediamakerstoinfluencesocietyinapositiveway.Annealsooutlinedseveralpedagogicalmethodssuchasteamworkasculturalexchange,gettingstudentstodiscussandarticulatetheirprivilege,andprovidingvisualexamplesofdesignoutsideofwhiteEuropeanarthistory–suchasAfricanartifacts,architectureandfractalspatternsinhairsetincornrows.AudraBuck-ColemanisthegraphicdesignprogramdirectorattheUniversityofMarylandCollegePark.Herpresentationfocusedontwosociallyengagedpublicdesignprojectsthataddressedidentityissuesandhowimportantitistonotonlyassessstudentlearning,butalsotheimpactthisworkhasonthecommunitypartners.Shearguesforlongtermcommunitypartnershipsthathelpgenerateselfrepresentationandprovideenoughtimeforlongitudinalstudiesoneachproject’slastingimpact.TheQandAsessionafterwardswaslivelyandengagingandwehadtocutitshortinordertopackupforthenextsessiontogetready.

Q&Aafterthepanelpresentations.(L–R:me,JaneD.Marsching,AnneH.Berry,AudraBuck-Coleman,CarolPadberg,HughPocock.)

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IadditiontochairingmypanelonSaturday,Ispenttheweekattendingotherpanelsessions,networkingwithcolleaguesandfriendsfromotherinstitutions,andviewingafewartexhibitions–includinggalleriesinChelsea,BrooklynandHoboken,andtheMierleLadermanUkelesretrospectiveattheQueensMuseum,whowasthe2017PublicArtDialogawardrecipientforachievementinthefieldofpublicartandthefirst(andperhapsonly)artistsinresidencewiththeNewYorkCitySanitationDepartment.Ihadknownherworksincethenineties(whenIwasinartschool),andmetherwhenshespokewiththeOtisMFAPublicPracticestudentsafewyearsago,butitwaswonderfultoseeallherworkinpersonandtobringbacktheexhibitioncatalogtosharewiththeSustainabilitystudentsandfaculty.HighlightsfromthepanelsIattendedinclude:OnthepanelPicturingSocialMovementsfromEmancipationtoBlackLivesMatter,SarahLewis,fromHarvard,talkedabouthowaestheticencounterscanshiftintoandinstigateaction.TwoofherexampleswerehowhearingLouisArmstrongperformiswhatgotawhiteSouthernmantobecomethelawyerfortheBrownvs.BoardofEducationcase.AndseeinganimageofEarthfromtheApollomissioniswhatgotmanypeopletoconsidertheEarthtobealivingbeingthatneedscareandprotection,ultimatelylaunchingthebirthoftheenvironmentalistmovement.GlobalConversationsI:UnsettlingtheDiscipline:DecolonizingtheCurriculumwasthefirstinaseriesoftalksorganizedbytheCAA–GettyInternationalProgram.Manyofspeakersonthispaneltalkedintermsofthe“periphery,”wonderingifwecouldteachwomen’sarthistory,ornon-westernarthistories,asiftheywerethecenter.Allofitmademewellawarethattheseconversationswereinfactpositionedasseparatists,thewaytheglobalartorfeministartperspectiveisoftenreservedforitsownchapterinatypicalarthistorybookoraseparateweekinatypicalcourse.GeorginaGluzmanfromUniversidaddeSanAndésinArgentinatalkedaboutthechallengesofteachingWomenandArtclassesinacountryinwhich

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Feminismisstillanewconcept.Sheaskedhowcouldoneteachwomen’sarthistorywithoutseparatingitfromtheirmalecounterparts?Howcanfeministarthistoricalstrategiesinterrogatetheprivilegeassociatedwithwhocanaffordtogotocollege/artschool?Andcanwegobeyondbreakingtheglassceilingbyrecognizingtheconnectionsbetweenthoseatthetopofacademiaandthosecleaningthedormrooms?HuguesHeumenTchana,ofUniversityofMarouainCamaroonspokeaboutthewaysinwhichEurocentricMuseumpracticesincolonizedAfricahaveaestheticizedAfricanritualobjects,removingthemfromtheirintendedpurposes,andhowadecolonizedcurriculummightchangethewayarthistoryistaughtinAfricancountries.PublicArtDialogorganizedapanelonPublicArtintheEraofBlackLivesMatterandwasprobablyoneofthebest-attendedpanelsIwentto.ArtHistorian,EvieTerrono,fromRandolph-MaconCollegeinVirginiapresentedartistswhohavereinterpretedtheconfederateflag,likeJohnSimsandSonyaClark.ArielleJuliaBrown,fromBrownUniversity,presentedherownsociallyengaged,sitespecificperformancesandcollaborativeworkwithvarioushistoricalsocieties,dealingwiththehistoryandlegacyoftheslavetradeinProvidence,RI.ChristopherMetzgerdiscussedtheInsideOutProject,aphotomuralprojectmadewithhisstudentsatMorganStateUniversity,oneofthehistoricblackcolleges.Studentsshotportraitsofeachotherwithchainlinkfenceimagesprojectedontoeachbody(referencinginvisiblebarriers,likeglassceilings),thenprintedandwheat-pastedtheseportraitsonanexteriorwallnearcampus,similartostreetartistsJR’slargescaleportraitswheat-pastedincitiesaroundtheworld.AaronCounts,fromthenon-profit4Culture,discussedartsbasedalternativestoyouthincarceration,throughhisprojectCreativeJustice.Ratherthanask“what’swrongwiththem?”heurgesustoask“whatishappeningtothem?”andnotesthatcreatingisasurvivaltacticandartistscanbeagentsoftruthanddisruption,whichcanbeapositiveforce.ItremindedmeofconversationsweoftenhaveintheACTProgramaroundthebenefitsofartseducationincommunitiesthataredisadvantagesand/oroppressed,aswellasmyfirstteachingexperienceinaCTstaterunjuveniledetentioncenter.LostAbundantandFugitiveSound,chairedbyLynneKirbyofCACollegeoftheArts,includedAlisonO’Daniel,whohastaughtinSculpture/NewGenresatOtis.Alisonpresentedhersociallyengagedvideo,installationandperformanceprojectsabouttheintersectionsofdeafnessandhearing.AlsoonthepanelwasAndyDitzer,whospokeaboutthequalitiesof“wildsound,”thatwhichisrecordedatthesametimeasthefilmimagebutisnotalwaysinsync.AndFoWilsonspokeabouthowwecan“hearrace”inone’svoice,yetstereotypesofhowonemight“think”ablackperson,forinstance,sounds,questiontheauthenticityoftheradicalizedvoice.WhiletalkingtoLynneKirbyafterwards,sheinvitedmetosubmittoheraudioblogtheaudiopostcardsmadebymyCommunityRadiostudentsinresponsetotheeventsoccurringinthefirstfewweeksafterTrump’sinauguration.OnthepanelFeministInterventionsintheTechnosphere,TaliWeinbergpresentedherseries“It’snotjustabouttherain”inwhichsheusedCaliforniaclimatedatatoinformthepatternsandcolorchoicesofherwoventextilesmadeoforganiccottonandnaturaldies-workthatIwaseagertosharewiththefacultyteachingScienceandSustainableDesign.ThepanelonOperatingManualforLivingintheWorstCaseScenarioalsopresentedgoodexamplestosharewithSustainabilitystudentsandfaculty,particularlyJessicaCharlesworth’s(SchooloftheArtinstituteofChicago)examplesofsurvivalistkitsandCaudineJaenichen’s(ChapmanUniversity)updatedVisualStandardsforSothernCaliforniaTsunamiEvacuationInformation.InthepanelonFamilyPractice:ArtistsandFamilyCollaborationsartistsCourtneyKessel,MargaretMorgan,ChristinClifford,andRachelLakowitzwithherhusband,arthistorianWalterMeyer,alldiscussedthewaysinwhichparenthoodaffectstheirpractices.Someusedtheirkidsasstudioassistants–Rachelsaid“theywon’tcleantheirroombutthey’llhappilyhelpcleanthestudio;”whileotherscollaboratedwiththeirkidsonsculptures,installationsandperformancesarticulatingthat“theworkisbecauseof”them,“notabout”them.

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IwasdeeplymovedandinspiredseeingWafaaBilal,IraqiartistteachingatNYU,discusshisworkmadeinresponsetodiscoveringhisbrotherwaskilledbyadroneattack,onthepanelAestheticJusticeInterventionsinMedia,HistoryandPractice.Foroneproject,“DomesticTension”(originallycalled“ShootanIraqi”)Bilallivedinagalleryfor31dayswhileparticipantsshothimwithpaintballguncontrolledbyafirstpersonshootergametheycouldaccessfromhiswebsite.OverthecourseoftheprojecthackersturnedthegunintoanautomaticweaponandahighrankonDigg.comgothimbombardedwith20thousandshotsinoneday,meanwhilesympatheticaudiencemembersbroughthimfoodandpaintballs.OtherprojectsmappedIraqiciviliandeathsthroughtattoosinblacklightinvisibleinkonhisbackandletparticipantsvoteonwhowouldgetwaterboarded–DogorIraqi.Inthisintense,yetimportantwork,Bilalpoignantlyimplicateshisaudience.ItremindedmeofCocoFuscoandGuillermoGomez-Peña’sperformances,whichaddressthedisplayandothernessofnon-whitesinmuseumsandworld’sfairs.Someaudiencemembers“getit”andfeelremorseforpastwrongs,whileothersplayalongtakingontheroleoftheoppressorwithoutbattinganeye.WiththatinminditwasveryfittingtonexthearCocoFuscospeakduringtheDistinguishedArtistsInterview.Shetalkedabouthow“politics[andpower]arethematerialsforherworkandhowtheuseoftestimony(writtendocumentsandoralhistories)asresearchinspiresthecharactersshedevelopsforherperformances.Onesuchprojectinvolveddevelopingafemaleinterrogatorasacharacter,whobelievedusingherfemalesexualitywasausefultechniquewithMuslimcaptors–resultinginthebook“AFieldGuidetoFemaleInterrogators.”OverallitwasagreatweekatCAAinNYC-catchingupwithfriendsandcolleaguesandfindinginspirationforthecoursesIteachandsupervise,aswellasformyownpracticeasanartist.