Art Teacher as Art Ed Advocate

Throughout my experience at Regina, I have helped Mr. Demory in a number of "art's advocacy" projects. These include assisting students in creating a mural of Christ feeding sheep at the Ash Wednesday prayer service on hunger, helping back art work for the Tipton art show, and watching Mr. Demory paint a large book for the Iowa City Community Book project. The mural was a paint by number project where students worked on it during the prayer service so everyone could see it being created. The final result was awesome! Talk about advocating for the arts because at the end everyone stood up and gave Mr. Demory, the art teacher!, a standing ovation. The art show in Tipton was also a great success in which one of our students got first place in drawing and another got third in painting. For the book project, Mr. Demory is painting scenes from Moby Dick on a large fiberglass book that will get displayed in Iowa City. Students can watch him as he is working on the book and also get to see the work downtown once it's complete.

Personally, I think the more involved someone is in their community the better. Matthew 5:13 says that "you are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its saltiness how can it be made salty again?" Salt adds flavor to food and also works to preserve things. Art can add flavor to the community by beautifying it and work to preserve the moral integrity of a community by sending critical messages of hope and social justice awareness. As an art teacher, I will make it my aim to be that salt and light that reaches out beyond the classroom into the community. I know that if we don't maintain a heart to reach out, it is all too easy to lose one's effectiveness and go into "survival mode." I know all too well from my own life how easy it is to lose this selfless heart! The whole problem with the world is selfishness. I love the quote that the students used for the hunger prayer service that stated: "what you get makes a living, but what you give makes a life." This is so true!! Having a heart to give is so important! I think there is fear that comes against those brave hearts that makes us only get a little bit involved in things. We are afraid of the cost, or of not making an impact or of rejection. But I have to ask that if we, as teachers, don't work to preserve our communities and art's role within them, who will?