I recently finished an Art Residency at a local Elementary school here in Bend Oregon. I love working with the students and staff to pass on my love and knowledge of art, but also as a form of empowerment. Art can play a transformative role in empowering students, offering them a medium for self-expression, fostering critical thinking, enhancing emotional well-being, promoting collaboration, and facilitating social change. By embracing the power of art, educators and institutions can provide students with a holistic education that nurtures their creativity, encourages personal growth, and equips them with skills that extend far beyond the art studio. So when I am asked to teach a residency in a local school, I jump at the chance!
This project was for the forth graders, they learned about a Native American artist named Kaila Farrell Smith https://www.kailafarrellsmith.com/ They LOVED her work and the project opened many conversations about Social issues and personal struggles. So let us not continue to cut art funding but to encourage it! Let us celebrate and support the empowering role of art in the lives of students, recognizing its ability to shape a brighter future for all.
