Sustainable Studios
Plus an altered book update!
Envision an art room where many materials are free or low cost, where students, teachers and parents regularly donate supplies from home and valuable partnerships are formed with community members that support learning. The core concept behind all these ideas is sustainability.
Sustainable: Able to be maintained over a period of time, Causing minable damage to the environment
“Sustainable” is a word that comes up in discourse about the environment, however, it is also deeply relevant for art education. Art teachers can think of sustainability in four ways; materials, relationships, environmental impact and self-care (added by Diane Jaquith)
We live in a time of unrelenting cuts to education as cuts to federal spending trickle down to communities nationwide. Using free or low cost materials like cardboard, magazines, cereal boxes or old house paint can help keep the studio stocked with viable materials without a big financial impact. We can build relationships with community members that provide avenues for those who have materials they no longer need to give them to classrooms that can make great use of them. Using these materials for art instead of new ones adds additional sustainability because it reduces the consumption of new materials. Talking to students about why artists choose to reuse materials and sharing about artists that use found or recycled objects in their work is inspiring, helps them understand how artists can make a meaningful impact around environmentalism and connects them to contemporary art practices.
Sustainability also needs to include self care, as TAB co-founder Diane Jaquith pointed out to me recently. As teachers we are only as good as we feel. Unfortunately, so many factors take away from our time, peace of mind and energy. Self-care looks different for everyone. For me, this year, I’ve reconnected with regular art-making and have noticed how even a little bit of creative time helps regulate my mood - especially when I’m stressed. Much of my work has been in my visual journal, a practice that I’ve shared with my students this year.
Sustainability in my Classroom
I’m always on the lookout for free supplies that I can use in my high school classroom. I’ve built a relationship with the media center, so they let me know when they have good cardboard, magazines or books that are being removed from circulation. This year I happily received over 30 free books. We used them to make altered book visual journals, complete with covers created from fabric donated from a colleague.
Relationships, of course, are reciprocal, so when the library asked if I wanted to do a short staff development for teachers around art-making I gave an enthusiastic “yes!”. My students talked to the eight staff members who signed up about altered book visual journals, showed off their amazing work (pictured below) and helped each teacher make their own book for journaling with a fabric cover.
Sustainability at the TAB Institute
Sustainability is an important concept for art teachers to be aware of as we work to keep our programs funded and viable. The theme for this year’s TAB Institute is “The Sustainable Studio”. Participants will learn about and share resources related to free/ low cost materials and where to find them. Our visiting artists, the Co-Presidents of the Boston Modern Quilter’s Guild will teach us how to use fabric for all ages of students in a hands-on workshop. They will share about their “no new materials” project. Institute attendees will be challenged to create their own “no new materials” artwork. Participants will have the opportunity to visit By The Pound, a Boston thrift store where clothing sells for $2 a pound - a great, low cost, sustainable source for fabric (or awesome vintage fashion finds!). Attendees will leave this summer’s Institute with ideas that will inspire students, save money and help build community relationships.
I help direct the program, so I will be there. If you are interested and able, please join me for an unforgettable week!!! Registration is here.
