Safe Space

I try to hold myself back from responding to every reflection, what-if scenario, or interview question relating back directly to my work as an RA, but it's such an all inclusive job that has influenced me in nearly every situation. I come at this week's blog with the perspective of someone who has been in the role of being in charge of/guiding/mentoring groups of 30-50 young females in the dorms. I have had students come and share many confidential things with me, and thus my best guesses as to how i'd handle things in the classroom is a result of how I have dealt with situations in the past.

If a student "came out" to me, I would first thank them for trusting me and reassuring them that what they told me would not be repeated to others without their permission. I would ask them if there was anything i could do for them to support them, classroom atmosphere etc.. If the student hadn't come out to their family and friends, I would suggest they consider why they hadn't, and how they could come to the point of being open to that idea in order to be honest with the most important people in their life. Depending on the school or community, I could ask or recommend counseling if the student was interested, if they wanted to share with someone else.

As far as making sure my art room was a safe space, I would encourage students to carry themselves with an attitude of acceptance. In the dorms, I have done a lot of passive programming (bulletin boards, bathroom stall fliers etc) that educate students on how to use accepting language and how to avoid offending someone-intentionally or accidentally). Hanging a safe space sign could help students identify me as someone they can trust (interesting side note, the Department of Residence at UNI offers training sessions on safe space allies, but they created their own logo...I don't know if it was part of a national trend? but perhaps the pink triangle is changing? does anyone know?). In the chapter we read for this topic, there were many instances of teachers not defending students, or stopping offensive language or behavior. I would hope that I would never fall into that behavior myself and that I would stop harassment if/when it occurred in my presence, classroom, or school.

discrimination

Through extensive traveling in central and south America, I have often experienced the feeling of being the minority. I'm considered a blond in Chile and stick out like a sore thumb, I've had vendors insist on communicating with me in their very poor broken English because they couldn't fathom my ability to speak Spanish, and I have felt the attention of a pale skinned young woman in a Latino community.

However the time in my life that has stuck with me the most as being treated differently or with less respect occurred on my beloved UNI campus. I am a resident assistant on campus, and hold this title with pride. Part of our job includes being health aids, so I am and have been certified in health aid and CPR for 3 years. I am trained to respond to medical emergencies in a variety of settings.

One day I was studying in the tables upstairs in Maucker Union when I noticed strange behavior from a woman in the CME. She did not appear responsive, and as someone tapped on her shoulder I knew medical help was needed. I tried to come to the aid of this worker, who clearly did not have training and did not know what to do. Quickly a group of adults appeared, called 911 and began to try to figure out what to do with this woman. I tried repeatedly to tell them the appropriate steps to care for her and place her to get blood pumping but everyone was in a panic and ushered me out saying that "the adults have it under control" and "we don't need to create a spectacle".

I was infuriated that they would not listen to me due to their conception that as a youth I could not possibly know how to help, even though I had repeatedly told them I was certified. I was kept at bay outside of the office space until paramedics arrived and immediately wrapped her in a blanket, and had her lay down on the couch, just as I had been trying to direct the adults to do.

Luckily the situation was not dangerously serious, and the medics were able to help her. However that day I felt completely undervalued as a young person and felt a great deal of indignation and anger that they had incorrectly judged me. This was discrimination based on age, and has not been ongoing in my life, nor is it the harshest example I have heard of, but it provoked the upset emotions of discrimination that are vivid to me to this day.

Artist Trading Cards

I grew up as an avid NBA card collector. My show and tell in 5th grade made all the boys jealous. Last semester I started reclaiming the hundreds of cards I had stored away; using them as a surface to print on. Now, I have eons of cool, altered, ex-NBA, now-ARTier, cards that make a great starting point for ATCs. Each one has a little piece of me; especially the most recent addition of the King Tut card. Enjoy!

Week 4: scoping an audience lesson plan

Of the various scenarios and concepts present in the scoping the audience section of In the Making,1.h "Relating to the Audience: Indignation"stands out as the activity I have chosen. It discusses leaving behind art making that is strictly comforting and pleasant to look at and rather to delve into issues and topics that are unsettling or downright outrageous. I would encourage my students to look into current events; through magazines, newspapers etc. and find a story that evokes a strong emotion to them. Once they have considered, and written down how the story makes them feel, they would make a work of art that reflects those feelings in tandem with the issue that "warants inciting indignation". At this point, I believe it would be interesting to have them create mixed media collage that could incorporate images or text from new sources as well as their own personal drawing and color theory in the form or paint or print or however they feel they can best evoke the feelings of indignation.

ITM: Crafting an Artistic "Self"

3.a: I feel guilty when I go against my conscience or when others hurt because of something I did or said. Making a difference in the lives of others and seeing my hard work pay off makes me feel worthy. Nearly anything can make me laugh, sometimes too many things sometimes at the wrong times. I am embarrassed when my feelings are exposed and not understood. Blatant ignorance and refusal to educate oneself as well as social injustices infuriate me. Roller coasters and haunted houses thrill me, in the wrong way; hearing that I am loved thrills my heart. My faith and family comfort me; along with a good hug. I am sad when those around me are hurting or when I take a risk and fail.

3.b: Words that describe me from the list: assertive, idiosyncratic, playful, joyful, truthful, courageous, variable, daring, progressive, opinionated but open-minded, humorous, maverick, believer, optimist, idealist, forced at times to be a realist, coy, ambitious, stimulating, determined, group-centered, relaxed, confident.

3.c: self-identification:
*family: daughter, sister, grand-daughter etc. very significant in my life
gender: female
*education: will be college graduate. significant in my life
sexual orientation: heterosexual
nationhood: United States citizen; I value my rights...
neighborhood:...? I currently work as a resident assistant in my dorm; I value my community..
race: Caucasian
body type: This is just getting odd.
preferred leisure activity: I would hope talking counts, going for walks, tennis...
political beliefs: everyone has certain unalienable rights that should never be denied to them
*religious affiliation: I believe in the love of God; core part of my identity
state of health: gracias a Dios, I've never had glasses, braces, or a broken bone and I am in good health
economic status: I have what I need, I need what I have
age: 22
generational identity: ? maybe I don't understand my identity?
marital status: single
diet: ...I like food?... especially guacamole.. but I'd never dream of dieting ...
preferred websites: reggaeton radio stations, facebook and gmail, La Estrella...I try not to spend much time online (unsuccessfully)
taste in music: hippie indie acoustic chill music
taste in fashion: I shop at Goodwill and prefer to layer handme downs and buy bargains in earthy tones
taste in art: I really love my students' work, and seeing different print artists' creations.

Artist Identity: From High School to Undergrad

As a high schooler, I was generally known for being an artist, and often called upon for pep rallies/productions/spirit competitions etc. I really enjoyed making things, and really stuck to creating the projects presented in my art classes. Of course, I always continued to paint and create outside of the classroom at home, but I feel as if I clung to familiar methods of art making that I had been exposed to. (Admittedly some projects came from HGTV too.) I feel the greatest shift I have made as an artist in undergrad is a wider perception of possibility. I now see every new material I encounter as a challenge to incorporate into art; I invent methods of art making that while grounded in essential basics, deviate from the typical traditional alleys of art making. My artwork has gradually turned into authentic self expression; rather than dealing with surface level pieces of my personality, I have finally learned to delve in deeper to show things about me not as readily apparent. Honestly, this truly came to full reality just last semester, 3/4 of the way through my undergrad career. I feel it will continue to evolve as my life and passions evolve throughout my life.

Scoping an Audience: Will Schade

Ironically enough, I selected Will Schade from the list because the title made me smile "Instilling Confidence, Inspiring Laughter"; then I read his bio and found out he has an MA in Printmaking from the State University of New York at Albany. Destiny.

Sadly enough, the first article I found in looking a little further for info on him was his obituary from fall 2008. He had been a professor at Sage College and passed away from Parkinson's disease.

In the Making connects him to Robert Arneson (right) as having funk art characteristics. Schade was known for his bizarre humor and twists on important/historical/biblical stories and scenarios in his art. He was also dyslexic and embraced this part of himself, displaying it boldly in order to allow the viewer to get a good guilt-free laugh when looking at his art.

In The Making: Inter-Historical Comparisons:

8a) Satire in art commonly takes the form of social satire, not self-satire. How does the work of self-satirists differ from the work of social satirists like George Grosz? Are Grosz's social critiques humorous?

Part of the answer to the first question lies in the second; Schade's work is meant to make the viewer laugh and he uses his own deficiencies as partial source for this satirical humor. Grosz's artwork comments more on his own life, the society he lived in (much relates to Hitler and the Nazis). His humor is more bitter and is not actually created to cause laughter; rather a way to make viewers think twice about the subject matter.

8b) Compare one work by Schade and one by Arneson to three artworks that are not self-satires but instead were created to convey self-respectability, self-idealization, and self-aggrandizement.

The above two artworks by Schade and Arneson differ from the bottom three in that they are whimsical and aim to produce laughter at the silly and absurd. Schade employs the use of his child-like handwriting and misspellings to boost the viewers ego of being better than that and finding humor while Arneson's subject matter is just plain laughable. Other artists however, create a sense of respect and dignity for the artist. I found a show from the National Gallery in London entitled "Rebels and Martyrs", full of works by artists absorbed in the idea of themselves. Three pieces are shown below that were in the exhibit and demonstrate a different personality and mentality of artists and how they view themselves (embracing imperfections or being blind to any possible weaknesses). I have a great respect for artists who don't take themselves too seriously and acknowledge their personal limitations and enjoy getting a laugh out of the viewer, evoking a playful emotion that runs in opposition to the classical view that artwork is very serious and hung in a gallery and must be pondered from a safe 3 feet distance in complete silence.

Article/Review of Exhibition:
http://www.galeriedada.com/page-46.html


'Eugene Delacoix's mammoth Ovid Among the Scythians shows "the artist in exile, surrounded by barbarian hordes who didn't understand him"...'

Death of Chatterton by Henry Wallis

Pissaro's Portrait of Paul Cezanne