ADVOCACY Leaving Their Marks T Ilona Szekely he end of my art students’ four years is fast approaching and dis-cussion turns to a reflection of their experiences in the building. I tell them, “This has been your build-ing for several years. You have worked here, cried, sweated, and spend count-less hours of your life bound by every inch of the space. If there is a way to leave your mark, signifying you were here, how would you do it, and what would it say?” This is not an easy ques-tion because students generally reflect on the objects they make and not on the school building as a canvas for art. Exploring How Artists Use Space Exploration with students can begin with the ways contemporary artists have looked at space in buildings and outside in the community as larger fields for playing and innovation. School art installations can challenge the notion of where art can exist. Students admire the feats and adven-turous spirit of street artists such as Banksy, yarn-bombing artists, and JR. Students also enjoy the daring stories behind Guerilla art, and how artists such as Keri Smith alter environments. The secretive hide-and-seek aspects of street art appeals to students of all ages. Kiki Smith defines Guerilla art as “a fun and Two after-school installations from departing seniors. insidious way of sharing your vision with the world. It is a method of art mak-ing which entails leaving anonymous simply looked for meaningful spots to art pieces in a public place.” spend time, sit and think about what to say or what to place into each space. Our Purpose In our project, I emphasized to students After-School Installations that the purpose of our art was not to Like most K–12 schools, the art in leave a permanent mark on the build-our building has been placed on bul-ing, but to leave markers that generate letin boards or protected inside glass a fresh awareness and, perhaps, a last-cases. That was about to change. ing impression on classmates, faculty, After school, students began to set up and the entire school community. projects in the halls, bathrooms, lock-ers, and newly discovered areas. For Altering the Space example, an installation was placed in Contemporary artists have used the a stairwell using old textbooks chained architectural elements of museum and tied to the wall. Words taped to spaces, showing art on the floor stairs unfolded poetic messages: “Even and constructing forms descending when you fall on your face, you are still from the ceiling. Artists today draw moving forward.” The art melded into directly on museum walls, and place the experience of being there, available their work in elevators, stairways, or for interaction and comment. restrooms. They reshape entrances Other student installations included or move audiences through mazes to whiteboard signs outside of studio reexperience being in a gallery. As a classrooms where anyone could com-ment and doodle about the classes. An class, we walked around our building and students made suggestions about CONTINUED ON PAGE 41. how each space could be altered. We 8 SUMMER 2019 SchoolArts
School Arts Magazine Summer 2019: Page 12
