Book Description

The purpose of this study is to better understand how students see themselves reflected in their education, and what impact a culturally relevant lesson, involving making art and discussing social issues, has on making connections to the world around them. I am a white, female art teacher in an urban public high school in Chicago, where I have worked for eight years. My mixed gender classes consist of an average of 31 students each, 99.4% of whom are African-American and range in age from 15-18; all of these students are involved in this study. This main question guides the research: What occurs in an urban high school classroom when students discuss, question and otherwise grapple with the complexity of self-defining cultural relevance? In this project I introduce to my students a group of eight contemporary black artists, ranging from community members to artists from England and South Africa, through the theme of, "Portraits, Personas, and Representations of the Self." I was curious about how learning about these artists would be meaningful to the students in my classes. Will the students locate shared experiences and histories with the artists and with each other? In what ways will this project connect art curriculum to student interests and definitions of culture? Will it result in any change to their understanding and appreciation of art? I used an action research methodology to conduct the inquiry in my own classroom. I collected data via pre-surveys, written reflections and assessments, observations, and conversations with students. I provided students with handouts to record information and ideas about the artists we discussed. They also completed a painting using elements from the artists introduced in the unit. Data from these written sources helped guide the discussions we had about the artists in the classroom and assisted students in developing a sketch of their own portrait. My findings indicate that students drew connections between themselves, their communities, and related characteristics of the artists' work, as they explained in their self-assessments and as it was reflected in their paintings. My research contributes to the field of art education in the development of curriculum that reflects the students they teach, not only through race or ethnicity, but also takes into consideration their interests and self-determined understandings of culture. Through this research I further understand the importance of providing students with meaningful art education that is grounded in their lives