TEACHING ARTIST JOURNAL 11(1), 3–4 Copyright©2013,Taylor&FrancisGroup,LLC 3

From the Editor

It’s About the Art Making

Peoplehavealwaysmadeartandalwayswill—allsortsofpeopleinallcontextsandconditions.OurPaleolithic

ancestorstooktimeoutfromwhatoneimagineswasaratherfullanddifficultlifeofhuntingandgatheringtonotonlymakeartbutalsodevelopandpracticeawiderangeofpaintingandcarvingtechniquesataveryhighlevel.Peoplemakeartinprisonsandconcentrationcampsunderthemostdesperateconditions,andinalleysandplaygroundsinthemostcommonofcircumstances.Peoplemakeartwithoutmaterials,usingtheirvoicesandbodies,orwithmaterialsofthemostrudimentarykind—astonescratchingonabone.Nooneneedsateachingartisttomakeart.Here’swhatwedoasteachingartists

thatisusefulandspecial:Wewalkintoaclassroominasegregatedschool,adayroominaviciouslyracistprison,orawardinanunderfundedcountyhospitalandweapproachpeoplenotasstudents,inmates,orpatients,butasartists.Weshareexpertise,ideas,andmaterialsforthesimplereasonthatwelovetheprocessandproductofartmakingandwewanttosee,hear,feel,andlearnfromtheartthatotherswillmake.Itisthisconcreteact,theinvestigationandworkingofmaterialsinamediumwithanyone,anywhere,thatiswhatmakesteachingartistworkpotentiallyliberatingforusasartistsandforthoseweteachandlearnfrom.Iliketothinkofteachingartistsasa

cadreofspecialoperativesofart.Westrivetobereally,reallygoodartists.Weknowourdisciplinesandconstantlydeepenandexpandourknowledgethroughourownartmaking.Ourmissionistohelpanyone,anywhere,makehisorherownartwithgreateragency,power,andefficiency.

Iimagineparachutingintoaruralcommunitycenter,orasuburbanseniorcenter,orasteelmillbreakroom,placesinwhichIhavenotyettaughtbutwouldliketo.HowwouldIhelppeoplemaketheirownmusicineachcontext?WhatwouldIneedtoknowbeyondmycraft?WhathaveIlearnedsofarthatwillhelpmetobeuseful?WhatwillIlearnnext?AmIready?Let’sgo!Thepowerofourworkisrootedin

themaking of artandalltheexcitement,invention,anddiscoverythatcomesfromthatmaking.Thetheoreticalandtechnicalinsightsandinnovationsofteachingartistworkderivefrompractice;teachingartistworkisartmaking.Thisiswhatdrawsustothework,andthisiswhatdrawspeopleofallkindstoworkwithus.

WiththisissueofTAJweinaugurateanewsectioncalledFourQuestions.ThenewsectionwillreplacethepreviousResearchReviewsection.DanSerig,bothanaccomplishedacademicandartist,hasdoneabrilliantjobforsomeyearseditingthesectionandmakingcurrentresearchinartseducationaccessibleandrelevanttoourreadersinwaysthatonlyhecould.Wewillcontinuetocoversuchresearchinarticlesandreviews,butwehavemadeaconsciousdecisiontomovetowardamoreintensivefocusontheactualworkofteachingartists.Inthisnewsectionweposefourquestionstooneortwoteachingartistseachissue:(1)Whatdoyouteach?(2)Howdoyouteachit?(3)Howdoyouknowyourteachingisworking?(4)Whydoyouteach?Inthisissue’sfascinatingFourQuestionssectionwecanalreadyseethatthisclosefocusontheconcreteproblemsofpracticecanyieldthemostbroadandprofoundinsightsintotheworkandalsointotheculturalandpoliticalcontextinwhichittakesplace.ThroughMalkeRosenfeld’sworkwiththeALT/space

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section,andBeccaBarniskis’sworkontheResourceExchangesection,wehavebeenlearningfromreadersthatthemostusefulinsightsabouttheworkemergewhenwebeginwithitspracticalessenceandwhenwebringthevoicesofworkingteachingartiststothefore.Researchandpolicyaremostinterestinglyandusefullyviewedthroughthelensoftheworkratherthantheotherwayaround.TheeditorofthenewFourQuestions

sectionisteachingartist,writer,photographer,bookartist,anddesignerAmaraG.Hark-Weber.Amara’sbioisbelow,andifyoureaditandreadthesectionyou’llseewhyIthinksheistheperfectchoiceforthejob.Inadditiontohergreattalentsasaneditorandexperienceasadocumentarian,Amarapersonifiesexactlytheexpertiseinone’sdiscipline,rootednessinartspractice,adaptability,andboundlesscuriositythatcharacterizesthebestteachingartistsandinformsthebestteachingartistwork.I’mexcitedaboutthenewsectionandI’mconfidentitwillmaketheJournalmoreusefulandinterestingtoyou.AllofusontheeditorialteamlookforwardtohearingwhatyouthinkofFourQuestions.

Amara G. Hark-Weber is a multi-disciplinary artist and currently an MFA candidate at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has past degrees from Bard College, Duke University, and the London School of Economics. She is also a certified yoga instructor. Amara worked as a teaching artist for several years in Minnesota, as well as assisted with arts education development work for the Perpich Center for Arts Education, Arts for Academic Achievement, and the North Dakota Council on the Arts. She worked on several international documentary projects, mainly centering on migration issues and geography. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.

NickJaffeChief Editor