Art and Self with Cindy Ingram (Cindy Ingram)

Join me as grief therapist and podcaster Bryna Talamantez and I discuss the artwork There's a Thread You Follow by Linda McCabe.

 To view the artwork we discuss, but not while you are driving, click here.

For a full transcript and other links we discuss on the show, please visit the full show notes at this link. 

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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The rigidity of rules may be hindering creativity for young artists.

Jim O’Donnell didn’t take his first art class until he was almost graduated from high school. Jim is proof that you’re not doomed if you didn’t learn the technicalities at a young age.  Listen to him share his experience with how his art painted its way into his life and, in return, has done the same for his students. Jim shares his pedagogies of inspiring and teaching future Elementary Education majors, the importance of failure, and how to get find balance with a school system focused on a grade letter. 

Show Highlights:

• How Jim traded Advertising for Art
• Jim explains the idea behind his blog Kill Your Color Wheels
• How assessing art in the classroom isn’t as easy as a multiple choice test
• Why perfectionism is the enemy of creativity
• Why it’s important to encourage kids to fail more
• Learn how art teachers can find the balance between imposing letter grades and nourishing growth
• How art teaches us to slow down in a fast and furious society
• The non-academic way of grading that’s difficult to measure
• Jim talks about how he handles the difference between naturally talented artists vs. those who work harder
• The importance of relaxing into what’s uncomfortable
• Impactful artwork for Jim: Abbott H. Thayer Winged Figure, 1889 - http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/59798?search_id=1

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Kill Your Color Wheels

Walking on Water by Derrick Jensen

Why I Hate the Elements and Principles of Art

Stephen Krashen, Linguist

Sheila Kriemelman

Grading on Standards for Achievement - Brookhart

Does truth exist? If it does, is it possible to know the truth? That's what me and Dr. Amy Winebarger talked about as we discussed Action Painting II by Mark Tansey.

Science and art are often seen as opposites—one concerned with numbers and facts, the other dipping into emotion and feelings. But both science and art are a way of exploring and explaining the world, the universe, and our experience of it all.

Humans are curious. We've been seeking knowledge and attempting to share our own truths for as long as we've existed. No matter how we view the world, what matters most is the space between us and the connections we make there.

Amy R. Winebarger is an astrophysicist in the Heliophysics and Planetary Science Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. She specializes in the analysis of observations of the solar corona. In our conversation, she shared the thrilling nature of her work, the magic of finding the career that's right for you, and talked about where she finds God in the universe.

See all the artworks and get the links in the show notes.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Today’s episode is a recording of a webinar I did recently with Kris Bakke at Nasco Education. I talk all about social emotional learning, it’s importance, and how we accomplish that in the art room through working with works of art. In the process, I use a Molly Crabapple portrait as part of an exercise for the webinar group and give an overview of the new curriculum, Art Curator Class Perspectives (in partnership with Nasco).

4:58​ - What I’m aiming to accomplish in this webinar

13:11 - Ways in which education isn’t focused on learning to be an effective adult

16:46 - What social emotional learning looks like in the classroom

23:48 - CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) and the 5 competencies

34:24 - Attendees and I engage in the Reflect Connect worksheet activity for Crabapple’s artwork

45:09 - Ensuring the inclusion of artwork diversity and artist representation in the curriculum

48:29 - An overview of the Perspectives curriculum

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/64

Are you really engaged with the artwork when you walk into an art museum? Or are you too busy thinking about what you know about the art and artist? Perhaps you’ve even noticed other people reciting facts and background on a piece of art to whomever they’ve brought along. When I was younger, I was that person. I’d be all about the artist’s life, the colors and brush strokes used, the behind-the-scenes story I knew, and on and on.

We art teachers know a lot of stuff. We’ve taken art history classes and engage students in all sorts of ways. So when we go into a museum, we can fall into this way of engaging quite easily and automatically. In this episode, I talk about one of the most meaningful things for me when it comes to works of art, the emotional connection, and how knowing too much history can get in the way of it.

3:15​ -Why I decided to study art education instead of art history

8:39 - An excerpt from my essay about a Picasso painting that knocked me off my feet

11:03 - The magic that happened when I looked at that Picasso art again 10 years later

15:25 - The lesson I learned from a squirrel that held my curiosity for an hour

19:22 - Choosing which way you want to engage with artwork

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/88-art-history-knowledge/

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Ever since I started Art Class Curator in 2014, I’ve heard a lot of teachers who haven’t tried our lessons tell me that their students can’t do them. They think the lessons are too high-level or their students won’t connect with the works of art. Oh how wrong they are! So today I want to dissolve the myth that your students can’t handle higher level thinking and gain a deeper connection with art in the classroom.

8:18​ - The only difference between age groups during art lessons

9:39 - One of the biggest fears of art teachers and why the worry isn’t necessary

14:32 - Why you shouldn’t underestimate your students’ ability to think critically

16:53 - How haiku and thinking like a math teacher can help you teach art

24:33 - Other ways we can help students engage with art lessons

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/72

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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As teachers, not only do we strive to make an impact on students, but we also strive to continue learning. Sometimes this means trying new methods to see what works best for us as well as the students. George Szekely is with me today to talk about his hands-on approach with teaching art, and how to expand your students’ exposure to art. 

Show Highlights:

• Why George says that Show & Tell should never die
• The difference between Art and Lecture
• The one method George could never get rid of
• The benefits of teaching Adult Art with Kids Art
• How to integrate more art into lesson plans
• Why it’s important to give kids art they can physically handle
• Advice to Art Teachers about options for showcases
• George shares his thoughts on teaching art in high school
• Techniques on how to connect with teenagers
• The importance of letting students know they’re artists

Resources:

http://www.georgeszekely.org/ 

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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As an introvert, it always fascinates me how I can get into a really deep conversation with someone for a while and feel energized and motivated by it, and can keep talking all night. Then there are other times where talking to someone just sucks the life out of me and takes my energy away. In this episode, I discuss small talk versus big talk and how to go beyond small talk to have deeper, more meaningful conversations and teach our students to do the same. I also share some strategies you can use in your classroom to help develop these skills in your students. 

5:10​ - Defining small vs. big talk and small talk’s vital purpose

14:25 - Revelations from a small talk/big talk research study

16:50 - Benefits to having deeper conversations, especially for art students

19:23 - Ways to encourage and teach your students to have substantive discussions

27:40 - Vulnerability in deep conversations and creating a safe space for students

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/63

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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What are your top ten values? What about your top three? Are your values as a teacher the same as the values in other parts of your life? Living in your values and teaching from your values is essential to living a balanced, healthy, happy life.

In this episode, I talk about my values and how my life changed when I started being true to them and give you the tools you need to discover your true values. 

Angie Stegall joins me to about an incredible artwork by Vasilis Avramidis. We talked about our connection to nature, the interconnectedness of all things, and the many rooms we hold inside ourselves.

Link to the artwork by Vasilis Avramidis from the Caretakers exhibit. (The artwork we discuss is the 9th image on this page.)

See the shownotes here.

When you’re a kid into art, it’s hard to imagine doing that and getting paid for it like a job. (We all know that old adage about starving artists). This is possibly even more true for those who like writing poetry. You don’t often hear about professional poets.

Well, today’s an exception. My guest Glenis Redmond is an award-winning, professional poet, and teaching artist. In this episode, she talks about being drawn to poetry from an early age, her biggest inspiration for diving into a poetry career, and how she approaches teaching poetry in workshops and the classroom. I hope you love this conversation as much as I did!

2:49​ - How Glenis made the transition from counselor to professional poet artist

8:25 - The discipline of being an artist and how dialing in on your desire affects other people

10:16 - Why Glenis decided to start teaching poetry

14:22 - The intangible objective to working with teachers and students on poetry

16:23 - The keys to getting students to go deep and share their vulnerability through poetry

22:53 - Why introverts are big storytellers and the power of giving students agency

25:04 - How visual arts and poetry intersect and influence Glenis’ work

32:24 - Using praise poetry as a tool to connect with visual art in the classroom

36:10 - How praise poetry speeds up the social-emotional learning process

42:12 - The artwork that changed Glenis’ life

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/86-partnering-poetry-and-visual-art/

Today on the Art Class Curator Podcast, Cindy Ingram will share a personal story about a recent art encounter that called her to action and helped her cope with a profound tragedy. Please join her in considering how art can console and restores us. Find out what you can do to help our students utilize art to connect, heal and take action. If you want to see how art can change your life then you must listen to this episode.

Cindy Ingram is a dedicated teacher that strongly believes that art can help people deal with the tragedies that we see in today’s society. She wants to help children use art as a way to feel less alone in this world. She feels that children need more exposure to art in order for them to make a personal connection to art.

More in this episode:

• The recent tragedies that schools are facing in today’s society. How has it affected schools, art teachers and students?
• How art can help people through these situations and how art provides solace.
• Her trip to see Hamilton in Houston after the tragedy in Santa Fe, Texas and the description of the musical and its impact on her.
• Cindy talks about the podcast “Harry Potter and the Sacred Text” and how it connects to some tragedies that are happening today. 
• Art can be a comfort tool and we can teach children to use art in this way.
• Finding ways for non-artistic kids to connect with art, find deeper meaning in art, and see themselves in a work of art.
• How to use art to cope with tragedies, release stress and how to connect art in your life.
• The need for teachers to talk to students about these tragedies and issues and the idea that using art is a safe way to do this. 
• Special Guest Speaker, “Jim O’Donnell” will talk about his experience with a school shooting and how he spoke to the students about it and how art affected him through all of this.

Resources Mentioned in the Show:

Hamilton Broadway Hip Hop Musical

Harry Potter and the Sacred Texts the podcast

The Soup of Europe painting by Miguel Barcelo

Last week, I had a fascinating conversation with Madalyn Gregory discussing Gustav Klimt’s Death and Life. I left that conversation so excited, only to discover that we weren’t done yet. Even after going off the air, we kept talking about it and realized we missed a lot of important things. So we decided to do a follow-up conversation to share even more of our insights with you!

4:55​ - Awareness of a gender issue from last week and what it says about our conditioning

13:40 - Impact of gender and gender limitations as human-made constructs

16:37 - Diverse racial representation (or lack thereof) in art

24:14 - Importance of authenticity of different perspectives shown in artwork

28:23 - How the patterns in Death and Life resemble quilt work

31:57 - Ruminating over what the circles in Death’s robes symbolize

36:23 - The negative space between Death and Life more effective as black to represent the unknown

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/61-gustav-klimt/

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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It’s October, so we’re going to get a little spooky! Today’s guest runs his very own haunted house. He takes this unique experience into his classroom by creating a one-of-a-kind special effects class for his high school students. Listen in to today’s show to get inspired to take your unique skills into your classroom.

Show Highlights

• Chris shares details about his career and his current teaching position in Alabama.
• In addition to teaching general art classes, Chris shares about the special effects class he teaches where he incorporates prosthetics, prop-making, set design, make-up application, and costume-making.
• Chris tells about how he allows his students to create their own presentations to showcase in front of judges.
• Chris uses many project-based lessons in preparation for the students’ showcase.
• Learning new process ahead of the students is something Chris shares with us.
• Beginning in October, Chris’ students narrow their focus for the April showcase, including writing proposals and creating characters.
• Students were allowed to develop their characters and ideas for months leading up to the showcase, sometimes in a team situation.
• Chris discusses how he grades students including their active participation.
• Chris shares his pride for how well the students prepared for the showcase last year, including making some very intricate prostheses.
• Students may take the special effects class year after year.
• Chris shares how haunted house design and filmmaking overlap
• Allen Hopps is a YouTube sensation Chris has his students study because of his great tutorials. Stiltbeast Studios
• Todd Debreceni wrote a special effects book Chris uses with his students.
• Chris discusses supplies how supplies are funded.
• Behind the scenes tours vs. going through the haunted house for those afraid
• Chris shares ideas for inexpensive  materials to use with students on a smaller scale. 
• Chris shares how/where he shares his personal love of teaching mask-making.
• Chris shares about the artists who inspired him.

Resources:

Allen Hopps’ YouTube Channel

Todd Debreceni books on Amazon

Monster Clay on Amazon

Insanitarium Haunt

Instagram page

Facebook page

Neal Adams

Rick Baker’s transformation scene from An American Werewolf in London

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Believe it or not, the pandemic had its bright side. During this tumultuous year, we’ve had so many teachers across the nation successfully use our SPARK Hybrid curriculum. They're sharing amazing stories about how they are SPARKing interest with art students and connecting with works of art. Today, I interviewed one of those teachers, Staci Sterenberg, who’s taught grades K-8 at a Chicago parochial school for 19 years.

Staci Sterenberg is a teaching artist living in Chicago. Her work as an art educator has brought her into classrooms and learning spaces for all ages and her art practice ranges in media from mosaic to sculpture to crochet. Her mission as an educator is to promote and value the creative experience while facilitating exploration in a variety of media. Her perfect world is a place where curiosity and creativity are free to discover and where mistakes are detours and not dead ends. Staci holds a Bachelor's in Studio Art from Michigan State University and a Master's of Art Education from the School of the Art institute of Chicago.

In this episode, she and I discuss her feelings about being an artist, how the Coronavirus impacted her classroom, and the unexpected gifts she received from the pandemic. We also dive into some of the amazing lessons from SPARK that her kids participated in and greatly enjoyed this past school year.

4:18​ - How Staci’s history lead her to teach art

6:19 - How SPARK influenced Staci’s education philosophy in the classroom

8:27 - Why Staci felt with her district and administration at the start of the school year
13:09 - A SPARK lesson that went particularly well with Staci’s 4th graders
17:24 - What made the lesson Staci found for her 7th and 8th grade classes so timely

23:01 - The art piece that proved to be a misstep for Staci’s e-learning students

30:23 - How the art teacher community online came together at the start of lockdown

32:16 - Staci’s big, one-word takeaway from this year to use in future years

35:54 - A false belief many people have about being a good artist

38:29 - How art got Staci through the pandemic and her identity crisis as COVID hit

44:42 - The blanket decision that prompted Staci to leave her school district

47:13 - A life philosophy that Staci learned from an old boss and wants to pass down

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/68

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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In this episode, I'm talking to Trevor Bryan, art teacher and author of The Art of Comprehension.

We discuss how art is more than self-expression, the value of art in education, what it means to be creative, how interpreting art is possible at all ages.

Bryan offers us insight on his signature access lenses and how we can use mood to help students personally connect with art.

Plus, hear about the artwork that changed Bryan's life.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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In this episode, I talk about why it's vital that we don't avoid the hard conversations or difficult subjects as educators, especially in art.

Madalyn’s back on the podcast to discuss a favorite subject of ours: art! This time we talk about a Naudline Pierre artwork exhibit we just happened upon in Dallas recently. Our conversation ran well past the hour mark, so I’ve broken it up into two parts. In this part one episode, we discuss Pierre’s Lest You Fall oil on canvas painting and all the feelings and imagery it evoked within us.

5:46​ - Madalyn tries to describe what she saw when walking into the exhibit

8:53 - How Pierre’s work reminds me of a Baroque painting

13:29 - Discussing Pierre’s Lest You Fall, featuring a falling nude person

18:41 - My back-and-forth feelings on the winged creatures in the artwork

22:21 - The ability to see your identity reflected in art mediums

26:06 - Possible duality in the bird’s actions in the painting

31:31 - Life, faith, and the universal experience that draws us to these images

41:32 - Reflecting on what the figure could be falling towards and how that translates to life

Mentioned in the Show:

More Wonder, Please podcast

Art Connection Circle

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/91-Falling-for-Naudline-Pierres-Evocative-Art

How do you feel when you think about climate change?

Overwhelmed? Scared? Hopeless?

Nikole Pearson has a different point of view. Together, we discussed one of Jason deCairnes Taylor's powerful underwater sculptures and Nikole shared her insight on how we can find hope and opportunity in the rising tides.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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In this episode, Cindy discusses how to engage students’ natural born curiosity as well as how to spark a curiosity mindset through modeling, exciting artworks, and more.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Say hello to Jenn Easterling, a long-time member of The Curated Connections Library! She was one of our first members and now works for us creating lessons for the membership. Learn how she uses Art Class Curator resources in her classroom and how it has impacted her teaching and her life. For more information about The Curated Connections Library, visit artclasscurator.com/join.

Imagine that you’ve never experienced a whole lot of grief before. Then something devastating happens to you and leads to something beautiful. It happened to my guest today, Beryl Young. I’ve known her for several years, ever since I first started Art Class Curator at a blogger conference. Before working with teachers and schools on photography curriculum, she taught kindergarteners and 1st graders for 10 years. Listen as she shares the powerful story of how she started her photography business and how it’s evolved.

2:54​ - The painful incident that triggered Beryl's transition from photography hobbyist to entrepreneur

9:29 - How Beryl taught herself photography and what inspired her to create her first class

13:21 - How the pandemic served as a huge catalyst for Beryl to shift her business

21:04 - An overview of Beryl’s approach to the teentography curriculum

26:16 - Why Beryl focuses on making photography as accessible as possible

31:37 - Beryl discusses her teentography and kidtography kits

36:01 - The platform that changed Beryl’s life

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/76

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Let's talk about why dead white guys are not enough in our art classrooms and why I'm not having a panic attack even saying those words!

I've discussed The Two Fridas by Frida Kahlo with hundreds of people of all ages in my career, and this discussion with Allison Crow helped me look at this inspiring painting in a completely new way. In this episode, we talk knowing ourselves, being present with our pain, our emotions, and all of our parts, and the beauty and healing power of connection.

You can get Allison's new book, Unarmored: Finding Home in the Wild Edges of Being Human, on Amazon. *affiliate link

To see the artwork, click here.

For more the links and other artworks featured in this episode. Visit the shownotes at this link. 

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Like I said in last week’s episode, this summer, we’re focusing on getting a good feel for what teachers have gone through this year. What struggles you’ve had, and we want to acknowledge you for the work you've done and empathize with you for how hard that was. We also want to celebrate, but right now doesn’t feel like the right headspace for that. So this week I want to encourage you to take stock of the year.

In a survey we did, many shared that this year was a wake-up call, but they weren’t sure what they were waking up to. I think a lot of teachers are waking up to the fact that teaching has become toxic, that teaching has become too much to handle. They are expecting too much out of teachers, they are not respecting the work that we're doing, and they are not giving us the support that we need. This year, I heard story after story about districts giving webinars on self-care, telling teachers, “Don't forget self-care,”

And this summer, taking stock is a great way for teachers to practice self-care. 

3:01​ - Ways toxicity in public education took its toll

9:46 - Long history of lack of support for teachers boiling over

14:40 - Reflecting on your wake-up call from this year

19:53 - Positives that came out of the pandemic for educators this year

23:14 - How to make next school year different

Transcript at artclasscurator.com/67

Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a paranormal experience? Are you drawn to ghost stories in art?

Jane Mesa's first encounter with a ghost happened in her childhood bedroom. Now she investigates the paranormal. Jane joined me to discuss her experiences, both frightful and delightful, as we discuss Haunted House by Morris Kantor.

Get all the links and see the artworks Jane chose from in the show notes.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Today's episode is a part of the day 1 lesson of our free e-mail course, Beyond the Surface: Teach Students How to Dive Deeper Into an Artwork to Make Connections and Meaning. The topic for today is CURATING THE CONVERSATION:Helping Your Students Get “All In” on the Art Discussion.

Sign up for this free e-mail course at https://artclasscurator.com/surface

Some pieces of art just make you uncomfortable. Maybe it’s a movie or scene that hits too close to home, or a book about a particularly violent event (real or fictional) that makes you squirm... or a painting that brings up regrets or painful memories.

For Madalyn Gregory and myself, Marcos Raya’s 2000 painting The Anguish of Being and the Nothingness of the Universe made us feel ill at ease. So of course we had to discuss it! I’m excited to welcome Madalyn back on the show to talk about art. In this episode, we describe and interpret Raya’s piece, making personal connections along the way that surprised even me.

1:14​ - A description of Raya’s self-portrait

6:13 - Our initial reactions to the artwork and the various connections we see in the details

10:30 - How the painting puts the mundane of day-to-day life in perspective

13:37 - How Raya’s work reflects the messiness and complexity of life and space

17:46 - Madalyn shares an interpersonal interpretation of the throat area’s depiction

19:44 - The contrast between the cleanliness of the painting and the message it conveys

23:51 - A possible double meaning behind the cardboard imagery

30:55 - Another interpretation of the cardboard detail and how it relates to our life experiences

38:59 - The very personal realization that brought back my discomfort with the artwork, just as I started feeling more at ease with it

44:48 - The necessity of allowing your kids (and others) to see the humanity in you

48:26 - Madalyn and I discuss the depressive title of Raya’s self-portrait

51:55 - How my views changed on the artwork from beginning to end of this conversation

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/83-studying-the-disturbing-2000-self-portrait-of-marcos-raya/

Have you ever wondered how Mona Lisa was feeling? Or wanted to know what your students were thinking when they look at art? Discover the emotions behind Mona Lisa's smile, learn how long the average person looks at an artwork in a museum, and much more as I talk to Dan Hill, a facial recognition expert who wrote a book about how people react to famous artworks.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Susan Riley is bringing it all together through art. Her website, EducationCloset is the go-to resource for teachers working to integrate art into other disciplines and create STEAM programs. In an educational climate that places a high value on standardized testing, art integration is an effective method to engage students and teachers alike and has helped to infuse creativity and critical thinking back into the classroom.

Tune in to hear Susan’s passion come through as she shares stories, tips, and reflections on how to work art integration into your lessons, and how it can add to your classroom environment.

Show Highlights:

• Why you shouldn’t be afraid of arts integration
• The inspiring way EducationCloset got its start
• How arts integration retains and reinvigorates teachers
• Susan shares some examples of her favorite art integration lessons
• How to incorporate peer reviews and partner work in art integration activities
• Addressing the meeting of educational standards for all disciplines involved
• How to be an advocate for both arts and arts integration 
• Tips for building relationships with other teachers in your school that overlap with your integrated content
• Why you should never say, “That’s not my job”
• Susan shares her first experience falling in love with art

Links Mentioned in the Show:

EducationCloset

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Art Class Curator

Amanda Koonlaba is a blogger and art teacher who has been running her blog “Party in the Art Room” for more than a decade. In this episode, Amanda and Cindy discuss One Woman Show by Celeste Rapone through our lenses as mothers, educators, and creatives. As former art teachers, we talk about the importance of arts integration and how art can help face uncertainty. 

For links to all of the artworks featured as well as Amanda's contact links, head over to the shownotes at this link. 

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Want to connect?

• Join the Art Connection Circle
• Follow me on Facebook
• Follow me on Instagram
• Join my email list 

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Art class teacher Holly Bess Kincaid is changing the world within the walls of her classroom. Her students make up a strongly diverse community of learners, so different languages, cultures, and life experiences are something she not only plans for, but leverages to create powerful learning moments, using art as the conduit.

From practical tips on how to work with a variety of native languages in one classroom, to what projects have created the most excitement with students of all backgrounds, Holly Bess provides insights so that you can help students learn more about the world by learning from one another.

Show Highlights:

• How to adapt your learning environment to a multilingual classroom
• The way art lessons can bring out cultural lessons between students
• Holly Bess shares an anecdote of celebrating Holi with a student’s family
• Ways teachers can get to know their students’ communities better
• Holly Bess shares about a particularly successful kite art project
• Tips on managing students’ behavioral issues related to trauma
• How to address tough conversations and fear with art lessons
• The ways social media can isolate us from forging connections with others
• How Holly Bess tailors her curriculum to her student’s needs
• Why reading, writing or speaking are included every day in art class
• How Holly Bess created a weekly lesson to critique art
• The art that scared Holly Bess 

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Google Arts & Culture app

T.H.I.N.K. About Art - Weekly Lesson Guide

Holly Bess on Instagram - @artladyhbk

Holly Bess on Twitter - @artladyhbk

Capitol of Creativity

National Art Education Association (NAEA)

Art Class Curator

Art that scared Holly Bess: Ann Hamilton's Offering (1991) https://www.mattress.org/archive/index.php/Detail/Collections/71

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Michael Linsin knows that positive classroom moments don’t just happen magically. In fact, a well-run classroom makes teaching-- and learning-- fun. His practical guides and tips come from years of experience and have culminated in his own online resource called Smart Classroom Management. In this episode, we dive deep into the how’s and why’s of best practices in classroom management, with a focus on art classrooms.

Tune in and be ready to mix up your classroom management style, so you can have more fun with your job and create a learning environment that transforms the lives of your students.

Show Highlights:

• How Smart Classroom Management got its start
• Michael shares his tips on having a well-run classroom
• The importance of having a classroom management plan
• Why it doesn’t really matter what consequences you use in the classroom
• The most effective way to model behaviors you want students to emulate or avoid
• How to create an engaging lesson on classroom management for your students
• Why Michael doesn’t like reflection forms
• Misconceptions other teachers have about having a well-managed classroom
• Tips on how to build rapport with students
• How old is too old for time outs
• Types of consequences that work well for older students
• How reward and points systems in your classroom can be ineffective
• The importance of follow-through with your classroom management plan

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Smart Classroom Management

Facebook - Smart Classroom Management

Book - Classroom Management for Art, Music, and PE Teachers

Art Class Curator

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Art is the perfect subject to battle xenophobia.

The fact that we even call it ‘Non-Western’ art points to how ingrained Western bias is in art education. An entire planet’s worth of cultures and artistic traditions are defined by what they aren’t instead of by what they are.

The only way to change the paradigm is to do the hard thing, the right thing: Introduce our students to artworks by artists from across the world, even if we never learned about them, and have classroom discussions about how art historians have traditionally labelled and discriminated against art from other cultures.

When I teach Non-Western art, I always start the unit with a lesson on cultural sensitivity and ethnocentrism. Students may call something "weird" or laugh at a work by someone from a different culture. When our students (and we do it too sometimes; I don’t think anyone is really immune from this) make judgements about the artworks of other cultures using their own Western perspective, they are deepening the divide between cultures and people.

It’s vital that we address the subject with our students and there are ways to do so across grade levels. When we teach art in a thoughtful, inclusive way, our students learn to recognize and combat bias in themselves and others.

In this episode, I share the lesson that I go through to introduce my students to these concepts! 

We sometimes talk about using art to make a difference. And while some may be cynical about that claim, my guest today isn’t one of them. Dani Coke has an incredible story to share about how her art went viral overnight, made a difference, and really changed her life, and she explains her artistic process. As you listen to her describe her journey, you’ll get chills at the power of her art, just like I did!

2:01​ - Dani briefly explains her history as a lover of art and creativity

5:56 - Dani reveals the events behind her art going viral on social media

11:45 - Dealing with the duality of personal, empowering success under awful circumstances

16:34 - COVID and Asian hate as an example of Dani’s process for creating art with a message

20:42 - How Dani manages to avoid dealing with people nitpicking her over semantics

25:07 - The teacher with an assumption about Dani that almost put her off the art path for good

30:01 - The chorus teacher who encouraged Dani on her creative journey

32:48 - Advice for teachers who want to have difficult conversations with their students about race, gender, and privilege

39:29 - Using your sphere of influence to bring about change for causes that matter most to you

43:43 - Where Dani gets her creative inspiration from and some book recommendations from her

47:48 - The work of art that changed Dani’s life

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/79

The personal connection you have with works of arts--what it does for you and how you use it in your life--rubs off on your students too and impacts their lives and those around them. Author John Butler once said, “Art changes people and people change the world.” How? I did some research to discover what looking at art does for us as people and the countless ways art can change you.

In this episode, I discuss how it benefits the broader spectrum of humanity physically, mentally, emotionally, and more.

5:38 - Hormonal and other health effects that just 30 minutes of art gazing has on your body

9:16 - How art rescued me during an emotionally vulnerable time on a week-long retreat

10:55 - How art alleviates feelings of isolation and increases empathy, tolerance, and compassion

18:56 - Why engaging with works of art makes you more insightful and creative

24:22 - Ways in which looking at art can transform and improve your thinking skills

29:32 - The impact of art connection on your relationships, communication, and emotion

31:46 - How seeing Picasso’s Guernica reflected in a real life event shifted my inner kaleidoscope

35:06 - Why yawns are contagious and what they have in common with looking at art

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/70

Over the last few months, I’ve really been exploring what really lights me up in my work. While helping teachers bring the joy of personal art connection to their students has been wonderful, I also know that I want to teach again and be in conversations about art rather than just helping others facilitate them.

To that end, I’m offering a new program on November 8 that’s not just for teachers, it’s for anybody. As a precursor to this, I did an interview with a friend and colleague of mine, Lisa Carpenter, on her podcast called Full Frontal Living. I’ve known her for several years and after the interview, I realized that I really wanted to share this conversation with you too.

So in this episode, Lisa interviews me about making personal connections with art as a tool for self care and healing. I also share a bit about the upcoming program, Art Connection Circle, and walk her through an interpretation exercise of Miquel Barceló’s art, Sopa d’Europa.

4:44​ - I discuss my deeply emotional connection with art

8:28 - Art’s ability to allow you feel safe in your feelings

10:11 - How to start thinking about art as a way to practice self-care

13:25 - The tendency of different forms of art to meet you wherever you are in your life

18:08 - Why even the works of art that bore or repel you are worth exploring

22:24 - Approaching self-care and art in a different way

27:50 - Lisa makes a personal connection with art live on the podcast

38:51 - What’s different for Lisa after connecting with Miquel’s artwork

41:43 - Where the real meaning behind any work of art can be found

45:15 - How art can serve as a safety net for hard conversations

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/84-joy-of-art-connection/

I'm excited to announce that my new book, Art Is About Being Whole: A Memoir, is now live and ready to buy! Click this link to get your copy.

Today, I’m thrilled to give you a sneak peek into one of my favorite chapters! Okay, it’s tough to pick a favorite chapter of the book as each one took me on such an emotional journey, but my interpretation of Frida Kahlo’s The Two Fridas, in conjunction with my shame, social anxiety, and discovery of my power as a teacher holds a very special place both in my heart and in the development of this book. 

In this special episode, I read both The Two Fridas chapter. I teared up many times when recording this, so I hope when you listen, you’ll feel the love that went into the creation of this book. 

Click here to see The Two Fridas by Frida Kahlo.

In this episode, photographer Kelly Ferguson and I discuss the artwork Desire by Miss Meatface aka Kat Toronto. This artwork captures the complexities of identity in a single photograph. In the conversion, we discuss the layers of influence a person goes through as they express their identity, themes of blending in and standing out, how to capture a person’s true essence on camera, and the freedom of expression of womanhood across generations. 

Get more episodes and information on the show notes at https://artandself.com

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Want to connect?

• Join the Art Connection Circle
• Follow me on Facebook
• Follow me on Instagram
• Join my email list 

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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While many art teachers still use Disciplined-Based Art Education (also known as DBAE) in their classrooms, it's picked up a bad reputation. A lot of art education pedagogy discussions pit Teaching for Artistic Behavior (also known as TAB) against Disciplined-Based Art Education. The opinions are strong on both sides, but does it have to be either/or? Let's talk about it.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Teacher burnout is so real it hurts, but there are ways to care for yourself and organize your life to avoid running on empty. In this episode, Cindy explores how teaching is impacted by purpose and joy. She shares her experiences from two vastly different schools, discusses how to prioritize your teaching responsibilities, and how you can avoid burnout.

In this episode, Dr. Jamie English, a licensed professional counselor who specializes in body acceptance, and I engage in a deep exploration of two artworks side-by-side: Self-Portrait Naked with my Mother II by Chantal Joffe and The Opening by Aleah Chapin. Both artworks are featured in my new book, Art Is About Being Whole: A Memoir. The conversation delves into body image, vulnerability, and the relationship between a mother and daughter portrayed in the art. We analyze the body language, symbolism, and emotions conveyed in each painting, drawing connections to personal experiences and societal expectations. The discussion unfolds into a reflection on self-acceptance, the journey toward embracing one's flaws, and the power of art in facilitating introspection. 

To sign up for the Art as Oracle workshop, visit this link.

To join the next Art Connection Circle, visit this link.

To see the artworks and links for the episode, visit the show notes at this link.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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If taking art trips with your students seems like a daunting and unachievable dream, you won’t want to miss today’s episode. There are ways to get your students out into the world to experience art first hand by seeing it and touching it. You’ll want to learn some of the tips that have allowed Kristen Wilcox to consistently expose her students to art first-hand!

Kristen Wilcox is an art teacher that teaches different levels of art classes at Samuel Clemens High School in Texas. Much of Kristen’s art centers around her love for photography, but she dabbles in as many mediums as it takes to get the creative process started. She loves to travel and she tries to inspire her students to travel in order to learn art through the experience of seeing it in person. She helps her students earn the money and helps them plan their trips in order to facilitate this amazing hands-on exposure to art. She believes that students need to travel in order to get the full experience of learning art.

More in this episode:

• Steps that you can take to get a group together in order to travel with your students 
• People and organizations that will help students go on this adventure
• The benefits of going on these educational trips 
• Ideas to help students raise money for their trip
• Differences between Go Ahead Tours and EF Tours
• Kristen shares her travel experiences in Europe and her favorite places
• Tips for students on preparing for the trip and getting them ready for a successful trip
• The artwork that changed Kristen’s life

Resources Mentioned in the Show:

Go Ahead Tours (adult tours)

EF Tours (for students)

Art Class Curator the podcast

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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It turns out that comics are good for kids. 

Dr. Katie Monnin is here to tell you that art and language belong together, more than ever. She’s spent her career creating books on both how and why incorporating new graphic novels enhance visual learning and writing skills in students. More than that-- she’s also worked hard with a community of teachers to develop resources so teaching with graphic novels feels attainable and accessible to anyone.

Tune in for an energizing interview with Katie, and walk away with a plethora of tips and resources to bring into your first graphic novel lesson.

Show Highlights:

• Katie explains what Pop Culture Classroom is and what it does
• Why it’s important to let kids read graphic novels
• What students learn from graphic novels
• Kate shares a powerful story of how the 9/11 attack changed her perception of the need for graphic novels
• How graphic novels are different from traditional cartoons
• Tips for developing quality lessons plan for graphic novels
• Katie shares about panels, gutters, and balloons, and their place in the classroom
• How to find the balance of art and language in the study of graphic novels
• The graphic novel artists and publishers Katie recommends for teachers starting out
• A bit about the Denver Comic Con and why it’s worth attending
• Ways to get started teaching in your own classroom using graphic novels

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Pop Culture Classroom

Email Katie: katie.monnin@popcultureclassroom.org 

Find books by Katie Monnin

Diamond Bookshelf Lesson Plans

Toon Books

Sara Varon

As The Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman

Lion Forge Books

Brave by Svetlana Chmakova 

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Blankets by Craig Thompson

Spill Zone by Alex Puvilland

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Denver Comic Con 2018

Art Class Curator

Today, I’m excited to try a brand new type of episode where I have art conversations with other people and talk about favorite pieces of art, personal connections to art, and what drew us to the world of art. For my first guest, I’ve brought on one of my best friends for the last 10+ years, organizer for all things at Art Class Curator, and brilliant writer Madalyn Gregory. In this episode, she’s chosen to discuss Death and Life by Gustav Klimt, an artwork that stopped her in her tracks when she saw it in person in Vienna during one of our curator trips.

3:09​ – What it felt like for Madalyn to see the artwork for the first time

6:13 – Describing what Gustav Klimt’s Death and Life looks like

9:34 – The many observations we had while interpreting Death and Life

15:04 – Possible meanings and symbolism behind the skin tone used

24:20 – The loneliness and personality of Death

30:44 – An important lesson for art teachers to realize about their students

32:45 – Why we connected with Death and Life and the messages imparted to us

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/60

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Today's episode is a part of the day 4 lesson of our free e-mail course, Beyond the Surface: Teach Students How to Dive Deeper Into an Artwork to Make Connections and Meaning. The topic for today is ARTWORKS THEY’LL RELATE TO: Finding the Right Art for YOUR Students.

Sign up for this free e-mail course at https://artclasscurator.com/surface

After interviews, I often say "wow that was my favorite one" and looking back I have a lot of favorites, but this one may be THE favorite. My conversation with artist and musican, Geoffa Fells, about art and emotion and neurodiversity and music and how all of those intersect still give me chills when I think about it a month after having this conversation. I am so excited for you to hear it!

For links to all of the artworks featured as well as Geoffa's contact links, head over to the shownotes at this link. 

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Want to connect?

• Join the Art Connection Circle
• Follow me on Facebook
• Follow me on Instagram
• Join my email list 

Don’t be alarmed, Art Class Curator followers! The art lessons, blog posts, and other goodies are still here for your enjoyment. But the podcast has undergone a re-branding and slight shift in focus. 

My own personal journey over the last few years has led me to this moment. So in this episode, I explain why I’ve changed things and what you can expect from now on. Welcome to the Art and Self podcast!

Next week, you'll start to hear some intriguing art interpretations and conversations with soulful guests that illustrate the range and depth of what it means to be human.

If you’ve been following us for a while, what we do here at Art Class Curator is much deeper than art appreciation or history. Appreciating art is great, but it gives off the vibe of being better than you and puts up a divide between the art and those who can enjoy it. In the last year, we’ve been emphasizing art connection instead of appreciation.

Connecting with art has taught me something about myself that I didn’t know, helped me get through something, or given me clarity or a safe space. So in this episode, I’m gonna talk about ways to use art to have moments of clarity and connection where things suddenly make sense.

3:26​ - My realization that art isn’t about the details but the feelings

9:29 - What I mean by spirituality and spiritual practices

14:56 - The aesthetic experience incorporating both mind and body

23:05 - How we can use art as a spiritual practice

30:11 - What to do if you can’t make it to an art museum

32:12 - A couple of caveats

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/58-art-as-spiritual-practice/

Guess who I have on as my guest today! Long-time listeners know that I love the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast. One of the co-hosts, Vanessa Zoltan, has similar views about connecting with literature as I do with artwork. In this episode, she and I discuss her book Praying with Jane Eyre and how to use sacred text (or sacred art) as a tool to help you deal with some of life’s problems, do good in the world, and become a better person in the process.

2:24​ - Vanessa briefs us on her background in education and chaplaincy

4:46 - Vanessa explains why she loves Jane Eyre so much

8:15 - What it means for something to be sacred, according to Vanessa

10:22 - Exploring the idea of how treating text as sacred leads to treating your neighbor as sacred

16:35 - The gift Vanessa recently received while reading Jane Eyre that we can all heed

19:25 - A brief description of Vanessa’s book and why her chapter on destiny shook me so much

21:27 - How a recent controversy involving JK Rowling tested people’s capacity to separate art from the artist

26:05 - How problematic elements in Bronte’s Jane Eyre reflect a dark side of the U.S.

30:42 - How to find your own sacred text or art and work with it

36:02 - Why re-reading the same exact text can still produce a different experience every time

40:20 - The artwork that has changed Vanessa’s life for 20 years running

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/81

This week I've gotten the delightful experience to witness the joy of creation through my 13-year-old daughter. That, plus my musing on the book Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey, have made me think more about the ways in which I am not following my own advice and how I can give myself a deeper permission to create without the burden of capitalism on my shoulders. For links discussed on today's episode, visit the show notes at this link.

Get Involved

• Join the Art Connection Circle -- Now enrolling for summer sessions! 
• Art and Self on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

Today, I’m excited to try a brand new type of episode where I have art conversations with other people and talk about favorite pieces of art, personal connections to art, and what drew us to the world of art. For my first guest, I’ve brought on one of my best friends for the last 10+ years, organizer for all things at Art Class Curator and brilliant writer Madalyn Gregory. In this episode, she’s chosen to discuss Death and Life by Gustav Klimt, an artwork that stopped her in her tracks when she saw it in person in Vienna during one of our curator trips.

3:09​ – What it felt like for Madalyn seeing the artwork for the first time

6:13 – Describing what Gustav Klimt’s Death and Life looks like

9:34 – The many observations we had while interpreting Death and Life

15:04 – Possible meanings and symbolism behind the skin tone used

24:20 – The loneliness and personality of Death

30:44 – An important lesson for art teachers to realize about their students

32:45 – Why we connected with Death and Life and the messages imparted to us

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/60-death-and-life/

There are moments in life that you walk away from forever changed. One of the most magical, forever changed moments in my life happened thanks to my guest today, Lyn Carpenter.

Lyn is an Equine Gestaltist who helps women discover their authentic selves and recover from people pleasing through coaching and a healing environment filled with a herd of horses.

The majesty of horses and their connection with humans has been captured in artwork for generations. It's easy to understand why when you experience their incredible ability to sense when the words you say do not match your heart.

See the artwork we discussed and learn more in the show notes.

In this episode, Margaret and I, both passionate art educators, open up about our own artistic journeys. We get real about the struggle of finding our artistic identities as teachers, grappling with imposter syndrome, of not being “good enough” or niched enough, and the “shoulds” that help us back from embracing our own art. But what we have found on the other end after letting all of that go is freedom of expression, the joy and satisfaction of making art for us and no one else, and the safety and nervous-system regulation that art provides us that we knew as children but forgot as we grew up. 

It's been all about letting the process guide us and having the curiosity, the playfulness, and the consistent practice lead us to whatever comes next.

I know you’ll love this conversation.

Get the links to stuff we talked about on this episode on the shownotes at this link. 

The creation of my new book, Art Is About Being Whole: A Memoir, was a pretty epic journey from start to finish. When I first started the book, it was going to be an art education book, but somewhere along the way, in both little and big moments, the book morphed into what it is now, which is a soulful, poetic, artistic exploration of not only the story of my growth but of the basic human emotions and experiences that so many of us share.

I could not have ever created such a heart-wrenching and incredible work of art without the help of my amazing publisher and book coach, Heather Doyle Fraser of Compassionate Mind Collaborative. I recently sat down with Heather, and we reminisced on the whole creation process as we highlighted those big, transitional moments that sent the book from a research-based textbook to a poetic, artistic memoir.

Here are just some of the highlights of our conversation:

• the importance of compassion in the writing process

• what it was like to relive and reprocess all of the emotions of my past

• how the books I read during the writing process influenced this book

• how poetry can express deep emotions without explanation getting in the way

• how the addition of poetry unlocked creative expression and creative freedom in ways I never could have ever predicted

• a reminder to stay true to and to always start with the art

• the resistance to and then acceptance of including my own art in the book

This conversation with Heather was so fun, and it was so great to sit and outline the entire process. Because, you know, with every artwork, with every poem, with every book, with every theater production, with every dance, there is always a story of its creation, the support systems, and creator. 

But what’s so exciting is—this book’s story? It’s not over. It now continues with you, the reader. I can’t control the process from here on out, but I can’t wait to see what happens as this creation touches lives across the globe, starting with you.

To continue the magic of Art Is About Being Whole in your own life, get the book at this link. I know there are treasures, insights, and wholeness waiting for you between the lines of this book.

There is so little in the world that we can control. All we really have power over is our own actions, reactions, and the thoughts inside our head. That doesn't seem like much in a world moving at the speed of scrolling screens with opinions and expectations at every turn.

But it's everything we need and more.

The covid pandemic changed all of us. Some in big ways. Some in small ways. For Michelle Gordon, life before 2020 looks very different to life now. She left a career in medicine and discovered who she was beneath society's shoulds and shouldn'ts.

In this episode, we discussed the power of perspective through the artwork When We Return You Won't Recognize Us by Glen Brown. 

How do you get your voice back? How do you get rid of shame? How do you learn to love yourself?

What changes when you realize everything you need is already inside of you?

Get links and more in the show notes.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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1 out of every 10 students in the United States is an English Language Learner. ELL students face unique and often overwhelming challenges, but the art classroom is the perfect place for them to thrive.

Art is a universal language and can become a vital touchpoint and creative outlet for ELL students. When we give all of our students opportunities to look at and connect with art from their home countries, we give them the chance to use prior knowledge and open up the world for our entire class.

Classroom art discussions where there are no right or wrong answers give our ELL students chances to speak up without fear—giving them the perfect opportunity to gain confidence in their communication skills.

Positive educational experiences in the art classroom can ease some of the frustration they may feel in other subjects, and we all know the emotional relief that is possible through the creation of art.While ELL students are busy learning a new language, mastering academic content, and negotiating new social and cultural contexts, they deserve educational experiences that are fun, connected, and special.

In the latest episode of the podcast, I share the story of the artwork that made my 7th graders cheer and talk about the importance of art in the education of English Language Learners. 

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator episode and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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I am so excited about today’s guest! Today, I talked to Mario Rossero, the Executive Director of the National Arts Education Association (NAEA). He had an exciting journey as an art teacher before joining the NAEA in January 2020, just before the world exploded. In this episode, we discuss his journey and experiences, but, most importantly, we discuss the direction of the NAEA and its priority as an organization. 

02:08 - Mario talks about himself, his background, how he got into art education, his experience coordinating curriculum building for arts education, and teaching leadership through arts.

05:09 - Finding a role in art supervision and administration.

09:47 - Coordinating an arts program at the Central Office.

11:38 - Mario’s experience working in Chicago.

18:02 - Mario talks about his work with neighborhood art communities as the vice president for education at Kennedy Center.

20:55 -  How Mario got into the NAEA.

23:20 - The biggest challenge in art education.

27:55 - How strategy and welcoming decision-makers aid art education.

29:40 - How teachers can show the positive value proposition of art education.

32:40 - Resources for art teachers to learn art leadership.

34:22 - The challenge of policy and budget.

38:00 - How the events in 2020 affected Mario’s original vision for NAEA.

44:43 - The NAEA’s equity, diversity, and inclusion policy.

48:14 - Incorporating the ED&I framework into the continuous learning process.

50:37 - How to make space for inclusion and diversity.

52:40 - How a diverse approach to art learning improves art education.

55:20 - How the NAEA team responds to criticisms of the ED&I policy.

56:59 - What part of work is Mario currently excited about.

58:28 - The role of art-making in Mario’s life.

60:18 - Mario’s wall of art and drawing inspiration from them.

61:10 - The artwork that changed Mario’s life and how it aided a second-grade art class.

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/82-state-of-art-education-mario-rossero/

In this episode, I'm joined by Joan Marie. Joan is a former art teacher who now creates personal power portraits for her clients. We discuss Joan's educational obstacles, her creative process for each personal power portrait, and the importance of living and teaching from your values and strengths.

Art as a defensive weapon? It seems strange, but Pablo Picasso demonstrated its power in his painting Guernica. I’ve brought Jennifer Easterling back onto the show for another art conversation, and this time we discuss Picasso’s famous artwork. Both of us had strong gut reactions to it, so in this episode we talk about what it’s taught us and its importance in history.

1:47​ - Jenn recalls her reaction when she first laid eyes on Guernica 

6:02 - I discuss my unexpected emotional experience seeing it in person 

9:10 - Painting a picture of what this Picasso artwork looks like 

14:20 - The diabolical history behind why Picasso created this painting

18:21 - Why we had such a strong reaction to seeing Guernica in person

21:48 - How the pandemic impacted Jenn’s connection with the artwork

25:18 - Legacy of the Jewish woman who secretly taught art to children in a concentration camp

33:06 - What I kept seeing in my mind when I went to view the painting

37:26 - Picasso’s ultimatum and Guernica’s lengthy journey from Paris to Spain

42:22 - Picasso’s view on symbolism in art

44:51 - Discussing the symbolism we see in his painting

48:08 - A difference I noticed in his drawings versus the final painting

54:08 - Picasso’s experimentation with the drawings

56:40 - How our husbands reacted to Guernica

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/75

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Today’s guest is an elementary art teacher who writes a regular column for Arts and Activities Magazine, and his blog, Shine Brite Zamorano, where he shares his student’s projects. He masterly infuses contemporary art into his school and community in exciting and relevant ways. He contributes so much inspiration, motivation, and support to art teachers everywhere.

Don Masse grew always interested in art. Teaching at a creative art camp 3 summers in a row called Buck Rock Creative Art Camp, is where he found passion in working with children. When Don met his wife and they moved out to San Diego where he then went back to school to become certified and got an education background. Masse began to work at Zamorano and has worked there since. Masse started his blog around 2010, after starting to use the internet more for researching. Taking a trip, studying abroad in Ravenna Rome, in his undergrad is one place he will never forget. He went to the mausoleum of Galla Placidia which was full of mosaics. One section in particular, spoke to him the most and he still uses them to this day, as it stuck with him.

Show Highlights:

• Background on Don Masse
• Working at Zamorano teaching kids art
• Masse’s Blog when and why he started it
• Started to use the internet to build his curriculum
• Masse’s blog is mostly based on Contemporary artists 
• Masse uses his blog to help focus for his curriculum
• Masse tells us some of the main internet search places he used
• Tips on how to have projects based on artists but still be unique
• How to incorporate writing and reflection in Masses lessons
• Masse tells us about some of his favorite lessons
• How Masse approaches talking to the kids about their work
• How you need to embrace the silence
• The artwork that changed Masse’s life

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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What in the world is a SPARKwork? At Art Class Curator, we love to do things differently than what you’ll find anywhere else. Recently, I relaunched The Curated Connections Library with SPARKworks, a new name with new features for an established framework. In this episode, I walk you through what a SPARKwork lesson is, how to follow one step-by-step, and offer tips on how to use these sorts of lessons in your classroom.

3:21​ - Why The Curated Connections Library became more than just about art history

5:21 - Goals of the membership for teachers and their students

10:22 - What a SPARKwork is and where the name comes from

14:22 - SPARKwork step #1 and the 4 Cs to curate a good work of art for your lessons

19:48 - Leading your lesson with art discussion and the goal you should aim for

25:25 - How SPARKworks encourage student engagement and impress your administration

29:29 - Discussing ways to complete the 4th step in the framework

33:07 - New details and benefits of joining the recently relaunched membership

39:28 - Why becoming a member is a preventative self-care gift to yourself

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/73-sparkworks-to-light-up-your-art-lessons/

Last week, I had a fascinating conversation with Madalyn Gregory discussing Gustav Klimt’s Death and Life. I left that conversation so excited, only to discover that we weren’t done yet. Even after going off the air, we kept talking about it and realized we missed a lot of important things. So we decided to do a follow-up conversation to share even more of our insights with you!

4:55​ - Awareness of a gender issue from last week and what it says about our conditioning

13:40 - Impact of gender and gender limitations as human-made constructs

16:37 - Diverse racial representation (or lack thereof) in art

24:14 - Importance of authenticity of different perspectives shown in artwork

28:23 - How the patterns in Death and Life resemble quilt work

31:57 - Ruminating over what the circles in Death’s robes symbolize

36:23 - The negative space between Death and Life more effective as black to represent the unknown

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/61

Today’s a different kind of episode. I had an idea recently and wanted to experiment with something new...

I went back to the Dallas Museum of Art to revisit Nauline Pierre’s exhibit. Why? I want to look at the same artwork again and again to see what new lessons I get out of it and how the artwork grows and changes as I grow and change.

And I want you along for the ride to see what that looks like in practice. I’m not just recalling my experience but also giving you a true taste of it in the immediate aftermath. So in this episode, I’ve captured my fresh thoughts and perspectives on Pierre’s exhibit, from the comfort of my car outside the museum. 

5:59 - Describing the next painting in the story of the falling woman, Power Within

9:14 - Why one particular angel in this artwork resonated with me so much

12:28 - Describing Pierre’s Hereafter, Ye Shall Be Changed and the storyline I see within it

14:49 - How this painting reflects my own life right now

19:01 - New insights gained, a couple of days later

23:52 - Why I wanted to do an episode like this and create the Art Connection Circle

27:01 - The three things necessary to treat something like art as a sacred act

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/94-how-art-reflects-my-life/

Today, I’m here with Jennifer Easterling who is another wonderful staff member of Art Class Curator. She writes lessons for our membership at Curated Connections Library and our curriculums. In this episode, she’s chosen Shirin Neshat’s Rebellious Silence for our conversation which she’s been enraptured with ever since she came across it when looking at an AP Art History class. Recently, this artwork came to Fort Worth, Texas and Jenn got to go see it!

4:22​ - What the art piece looks like

9:23 - What surprised Cindy and Jenn about Neshat’s photographs

15:05 - The nuances of the photographs in person vs. online

21:51 - Opening eyes to Muslim women’s rights

26:13 - Discussing the symbolism of guns in Neshat’s artwork

31:34 - Getting lost in Neshat’s dramatic eyes

33:46 - What Neshat wants from us looking at her work

36:58 - Speculating about the meaning of the poem

44:10 - The artistic beauty of the Farsi language

47:48 - Going back home never being the same

52:10 - Watching Neshat’s video art

59:49 - Key personal connection for Jenn to take forward

1:04:38 - Insights from Jenn teaching this art in the classroom

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/64

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Most teachers know that when they leave school their work is not finished. Sometimes there are papers to grade, lessons to plan, and evaluations to give, etc. Devon and Tiffany are two examples of teachers sharing their passion for the arts. Outside of being art teachers in the classroom, they’re both actively involved in the Wisconsin Art Education Association. Listen to how they advocate art in any given situation and how you can too. 

Show Highlights

• Devon and Tiffany share their roles in planning and graphic design
• How to get involved with the Wisconsin Art Education Association (WAEA)
• The election process to becoming a member of the board
• The importance of networking with other art teachers
• The opportunities the WAEA’s annual fundraiser provides
• How Devon and Tiffany’s art leadership carries over to the school level
• Ways to be an advocate for Art Education
• The art pieces that inspired Devon and Tiffany most
• Ways to get others to take art, and your artwork, seriously

Resources:

http://devoncalvert.weebly.com/ 

Wisconsin Art Education Association 

The whole world in one big ball of stress and anxiety as coronavirus continues to spread. Let's talk about how we can use art to deal with all of this.

In this episode of the Art Class Curator podcast, Cindy talks about why art matters and what makes art connection so very important for our students and for the world. From creating more connected and empathetic humans, to understanding and connecting with the past, to learning how to slow down and become comfortable with uncertainty, meaningful connection with works of art hands-down just creates better people.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Today I’m doing something I’ve never done before, and instead of having a guest, I’m going solo today. Join me as I answer frequently asked questions from listeners and students. 

Show Highlights:

• Art Making versus Art Looking
• How to facilitate discussion during Art History 
• Techniques to try so your students will know you’re listening
• How to keep students engaged
• Why you learn to find comfort in the silence
• How to deal with insecurities of your knowledge of an art piece
• The versatility of teaching Art History
• Advice on how to teach art when nudity is involved 
• Why we need to embrace being uncomfortable
• How to avoid copycat artwork from students 

Social Media Pull Quotes:

Cindy:

“You are modeling curiosity. You are modeling excitement about art. They are learning from you and your delight.”

“Even if you don’t know the answers immediately, you have the skills and techniques to get them.”

“There are things in life that are worth not avoiding. Learn to be okay with being uncomfortable.”

Resources:

Resource Library 

They say that those who can't do teach. Unsurprisingly, teachers hate that phrase. It isn't true. And yet, for so much of my life, I believed it.

I could be an art teacher, but I would never be an artist.

I resisted the label mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally. My version of being an artist wasn't worthy.

But something has shifted. I'm finally learning what it means to be an artist and to live my life as an artist. It's playful, risky, experimental. It's not about being good. It's about the process.

Through the magic of attention, daily practice, and community, I've opened myself up to what the world has to teach me.

And that is why my 2023 Word of the Year is ARTIST. Join me on this year-long journey of connection and creativity as I share my insights on what it means to live life as an artist.

If you'd like to experience the magic of making art in community, join me in The Creativity Cocoon.

See the show notes at this link.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Teachers around the world are taking their lessons online. Teaching art from home is a challenge, but when we work together, it gets a lot easier. Learn about some of the free distance learning resources art teachers are sharing in this episode.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Whether you're a new teacher, an old pro, or you've just run into a particularly difficult set of students, it's vital to have a solid classroom management strategy in place. Cindy talks about the importance of experimenting, finding support, protecting your energy in the classroom, firm routines and procedures, and making sure you and your students are engaged.

Visit the show notes at artclasscurator.com/31 for the links and resources mentioned in this episode.

In the wake of the pandemic last year, I recorded a conference, Called to Art, that brought together educators from across the U.S. It was an amazing experience where I used real-world examples of myself to discuss what we learn from looking at art, how we can become emotionally connected to particular pieces of art, and why you should show more works of art to your students. It was all about discovering and rediscovering the emotional power of art, and I want to share that presentation with you in today’s show.

3:50​ - How I developed my deep connection to art

10:36 - Why I switched from art history to art education

14:02 - A question to think about as you listen to the rest of the episode

16:02 - What you get out of art when you really slow down and look at it

20:36 - Embracing uncertainty and answers within through artwork

23:47 - The surprising amount of emotional fluency of the average person

29:37 - An exercise to discover your emotional connections with art

36:25 - Examples of my powerful, personal connections with art

49:06 - Four areas where you can prime your students to have their own emotional art connections

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/78

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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When students connect with artworks, the art becomes a part of them—shaping who they are in life. But how do you get students to connect when there’s not enough time, you don’t know enough about the artwork, and your students have nothing to say?Beyond the Surface is a FREE email series starting March 22nd all about how to overcome these challenges and get students to connect with works of art in a way they’ll remember and admins will love.

Sign up at https://artclasscurator.com/surface

Today’s episode features a great interview that really illustrates the power of art connection. I talk with Olivia Ollis, an art teacher of over 30 years living in rural North Carolina. Her experience over the last year has deepened her personal connection to works of art and helped her discover new things about herself in the process. She discusses her health obstacles recently and the museum program that’s helping her through it.

6:52 - Why Olivia wanted to teach art and how she got into the field

8:06 - A program at her local museum that’s helping Olivia through endometrial cancer

13:34 - Surprising things Olivia has learned about herself since starting the program

19:56 - How Olivia’s relationship with art will change going forward

21:30 - The wonderful ways in which art has helped Olivia through her healing process

23:11 - The most powerful artwork in Olivia’s life right now

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/90-enhance-your-health-with-art/

Before I transitioned the podcast to its new format as Art and Self with Cindy Ingram, some of my all-time favorite episodes were the ones where I had captivating art conversations with my dear friend, Madalyn. We'd dive deep into a single piece, exploring its intricacies, and unraveling the layers that make art truly fascinating. The goal was to not just talk about art but to show the depth and complexity it holds, offering listeners a glimpse of the incredible possibilities within the world of art. It's all about the power of showing rather than telling—a theme that's been resonating with me lately, especially in connection to my new book.

To mark the book's release, I brought Madalyn back to the podcast after a two-year hiatus, and it was an absolute joy. We delved into the enchanting painting Night by Natalie Wadlington, one of the artworks featured in my new book, Art Is About Being Whole: A Memoir.

In this episode, we explore:

• The sacredness, duality, and symbolism of nature
• Themes of curiosity, authenticity, wholeness, and joy in simple moments
• A journey back to childhood wonder and the importance of embracing our true selves
• Reflections on societal expectations, productivity, and the art of resistance through self-care

For links to the artworks and other resources we mention, head over to the shownotes at this link.

also be sure to get my new book, Art Is About Being Whole: A Memoir!

Sometimes our most challenging moments are the times that create the biggest spark. For Megan Hildebrandt, one of those chapters of her life was while she was earning her Masters Degree in Studio Art at the University of South Florida and was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. 

This experience completely changed the way she views art, community, and remaining present.

In this episode, Megan dives into how her art transformed during her cancer treatment and how, now that she is in remission, she finds more and more ways to bring art students to communities in need of healing, inspiration, and consistency.

Show Highlights:

• How cancer changed Megan’s perspective on art
• Her evolution as an artist through cancer and the different mediums that captured her attention
• Megan explains an artistic series that she produced while undergoing chemotherapy
• How Megan got her experience as an art teacher
• The story behind Megan’s course, “The Aesthetics of Health”
• How cancer care experiences are enhanced with art in the waiting room
• Anecdotes from figure drawing cancer patients
• The difference between sympathy and empathy
• Megan explains the importance of consistency in serving communities with art
• How Megan sees her art programs scale to other schools and communities
• The freedom and shared ownership of interpreting art
• Megan shares 2 artists who have inspired her

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Megan Hildebrandt

We all want to belong, but what happens when the world doesn't accept who you are?

All of us wear (often uncomfortable, ill-fitting masks), but the masks society tells autistic people to wear degrades their authenticity and ability to recognize and be themselves.

Chris Bonnello is an author, activist, and autism advocate. Together, we discussed neurodivergency through the artwork Mask the Decay by Mitch Christian.

Chris talks about how autistic masking feels for him, radical acceptance, his writing journey, and what the world is missing out on by asking autistic people to deny their full selves.

See the artworks and get all the links mentioned in the show notes.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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If you’ve ever found yourself on the edge of breaking down in the classroom, today’s show is especially for you. There is hope and there are so many resources to help you - today’s guest is one of those resources!

Anna Nichols had lots of experience outside of teaching before she became a teacher at age 31. Being an outsider to the public education system, since then she’s feels like she’s been trying to figure out what makes students tick! 

Anna runs the blog - Managing the Art Classroom. She started the blog after finding out that the number one issue for teachers was classroom management. She talked to many teachers and they felt like it was a struggle to even get children to a space where they could actually learn.

Show Highlights:

• Anna’s dream job teaching everybody is the job she has now!
• Once a month elementary art isn’t ideal for the kids or the teachers
• Anna’s biggest challenge for elementary art classes
• How Anna’s blog was created to help teachers.
• Ways that Anna’s consulting business is providing oxygen for teachers.
• Advice for teachers who are on the verge of breaking down.
• Classroom management was the #1 variable in student achievement.
• Anna is the last person she ever thought would influence other teachers in the classroom.
• Warm/strict is how Anna describes her classroom management style.
• Being a teacher is a psychological mine field!
• The power stance can be a secret weapon against fear and anxiety.
• The power of “decide first” as a mindset practice.

Resources:

Episode 3 - Michael Linsin

Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People by Vanessa Van Edwards

Dream Class by Michael Linsin

artteacherhelp4@gmail.com

Managing the Art Classroom Website

Managing the Art Classroom on Facebook

Creating a work of art is a process—a process that can change who you are. Too often, we judge or rush our creative pursuits, ignoring the messages included in every brushstroke or written word. We end up saying too much or not enough.

But when we approach the creative process with patience and compassion, we make connections with ourselves and with all who resonate with our work. And the impact? It's infinite.

Heather Doyle Fraser is a publisher, writer, and coach who believes in the power of voice and works with writers to bring their words to the world. In fact, she's helping me write my book! Together we discussed the deep work and tangled process of creation through the artwork Alison the Lacemaker by Swoon.

See the artworks and get the links from this episode in the show notes.

In this episode, Cindy comes to the realization that exposing students to works of art is not for the end goal of "appreciation." It is much, much bigger than that. 

Where is the passion, the delight, the wonder, the heart-pounding experience with art? Where is the feeling in your heart, that drop in your gut, that makes you a CHANGED PERSON? Let's keep talking about THAT.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Today's episode is a part of the day 1 lesson of our free e-mail course, Beyond the Surface: Teach Students How to Dive Deeper Into an Artwork to Make Connections and Meaning. The topic for today is FLIPPING THE SCRIPT: Overcoming The Challenges That Keep You From Showing Art.

Sign up for this free e-mail course at https://artclasscurator.com/surface

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Eric Gibbons joins Cindy on the podcast today to share his passion for teaching art. While in college, a professor noticed Eric’s talents in art and teaching, and encouraged him to become an art teacher. Eric says he may have been the first student at his college to switch majors from pre-law to art education, but he has no regrets. Eric has nearly 30 years of teaching experience and has been able to carry his love for art to both Egypt and Japan, where he was able to teach art. Currently, Eric teaches high school art in New Jersey, and was recognized by the state for his excellence in art education in 2015. His classroom lessons have been featured by Davis Publications and other books on art and education through Firehouse Publications of Bordentown, NJ. Eric’s best-known book is If Picasso Had A Christmas Tree.

Eric’s work has been featured in international exhibitions and in many publications. Additionally, Eric is a blogger on his website, Art Ed Guru, and his blogs are appreciated by educators worldwide. 

Show Highlights:

• Eric shares how his love of art began at an early age.
• Cindy and Eric discuss components involved in teaching art in a public school
• Eric shares why there has been some push-back to his philosophy of teaching art.
• Students find relevance in art when they have a personal connection to it.
• Cindy discusses how art can give students a method to express their emotions. 
• Eric tells about how he has his art students partner with students at other schools for a project.
• Eric discusses how he uses a universal rubric for 2D and 3D artwork in his classroom.
• Eric shares how he has his students reflect on their work.
• Eric shares tips for ensuring uniqueness and individuality in student work.
• Cindy and Eric discuss incorporating art history in the classroom.

Resources:

Art Ed Guru

Firehouse Publications

Art Grading

Tips for Ensuring Individuality

Tips and Tricks in the Art Room

Eric’s Philosophy Diagram

Ken Vieth

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator episode and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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I’ve noticed that the excitement and energy that comes with teaching wasn’t really there at the beginning of this school year. And if you’re one who struggles with anxiety or high-sensitivity, teaching these days is harder than ever.

Today’s episode is a re-release for both new listeners and old ones who’ve forgotten or missed out on this one the first time around. It involves one of my favorite conversations and is highly relevant to the trauma and stress educators are facing in the world right now.

In it, I interview two highly-sensitive teachers, Monica Wright and Amber Jordan, and we talk about how we handle our anxiety and sensitivity in the classroom. By the end of the show, I hope you find some nuggets of wisdom for your use or, at the very least, feel less lonely in your struggle.

2:59​ - Monica and Amber introduce themselves briefly

7:37 - What it’s been like for me as an introverted, socially anxious person

9:01 - What it really means to be a highly-sensitive person

10:02 - Amber’s #1 management tool for dealing with noise in the classroom

13:21 - How Amber avoids light sensory overload in her class

19:54 - Monica’s approach for handling the noise level in her classroom

24:09 - Preventing students from getting uncomfortably close and invading personal space

30:09 - A way to help alleviate the biggest cause of anxiety for new teachers

32:46 - Do this in the first weeks of school for a long-lasting, positive impact

36:57 - Monica’s coping mechanisms for social events at school

39:06 - How we’ve struggled to not take home the emotions of our students

49:39 - Solutions for dealing with our “hot spots” (peak stress moments)

1:01:36 - How Monica and Amber deal with teaching and parenting at the same time

1:08:43 - A tendency among the super anxious to over-plan and be hard on ourselves

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/87-how-to-handle-your-anxiety-at-school/

In this episode of the Art & Self Podcast, I welcome Megan Winkler, The Good Business Witch. Megan is a leadership and anti-burnout coach. We spoke about time, the choices women have, chaos, slowing down, and burnout. This conversation gave us both chills.

The artwork discussed on this episode is Looking Back by Erik Johansson.

See the artwork, a transcript, and full show notes at this link.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Does the idea of writing a grant proposal intimidate you? Barbara Lardner is an art teacher who’s taught in multiple grade levels throughout elementary, middle, and high school for over 25 years. She also happens to be an expert at grant writing for the classroom. So in this episode, I’ve invited her on to share her experiences, tips, and best practices for how you can write a great grant proposal.

2:56​ - How Barbara was granted a trip to Paris

5:14 - Different types of grants offered and where to begin your search

8:54 - Crucial tips, steps, and goals to begin the grant writing proposal process

14:49 - One thing you might need (and shouldn’t put off) when writing your proposal

18:47 - Examples of vagueness, specificity, and clarity in proposal writing

22:49 - Why Barbara missed out on receiving an extra $2,000 for her school this year

24:39 - The kind of assessment requirements you need to follow after you get a grant

28:06 - Advice for making the grant writing process easier and less scary

31:11 - What to do before you finally submit your application

35:50 - Recap and more tips and best practices for writing your grant proposal

38:49 - Biggest piece of advice that gave Barbara the grant to attend graduate school

41:44 - What sparked Barbara’s interest in art as a 4-year-old

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/74-getting-great-at-grant-proposal-writing/

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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When it comes to school, students are taught young to go for the A. Period. So when students get to Art Class they freak out when you tell them not to worry about the grade. Clara Lieu is here with me today to talk about that and other differences Studio Art offers. 

Show Highlights

• Clara shares her passion about the art making process
• Why Clara felt it to be critical to put her art column into videos
• The effect of the physicality of art
• The part of the art process that you should learn to embrace
• How art can teach us how to fail and to be vulnerable 
• The misconception a lot of Clara’s students have made about her taste in art
• Clara talks about how a work of art makes you feel
• The component of art that her students think about least
• Ways to get students to think about art on a deeper level
• Advice for art teachers who lack confidence in their Studio Art

Resources

http://claralieu.com/ 

Art Prof

Art Prof on Instagram

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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While activists are taking to the streets around the world to protest racial inequality, we're opening up about our company values and the importance of diversity and inclusion at Art Class Curator.

In this engaging podcast episode, Melissa Cox joins me to discuss the artwork Coping by Nicole Eisenman. 

Here's a bulleted list of what we discussed in this episode, thanks to our friend Chat GPT.

• The feeling of being worn down by internal struggles or long-term challenges
• Reflections on hope and despair, and the isolation it can bring
• The importance of representation and seeing possibilities for different choices
• Personal anecdotes illustrating the impact of representation on decision-making
• Discovering one's neurodiversity and the journey of self-acceptance and accommodation
• The need for radical acceptance and compassion for oneself and others
• Coping mechanisms and harm reduction strategies in facing life's challenges
• Externalizing internal struggles through creative mediums like art and fan fiction
• The evolving nature of long-term friendships and the acceptance of change
• The therapeutic value of art and conversation in processing emotions and experiences
• The role of verbal processing and receiving feedback in personal growth and problem-solving
• Understanding the dynamics of evolving friendships and accepting change over time
• Embracing compassion for oneself and others, and reframing past judgments
• Using art as a medium for self-reflection, externalizing internal struggles, and seeking new perspectives
• Recognizing the importance of community in reducing isolation and realizing shared experiences
• Setting explicit boundaries and needs for personal well-being

• Watch this episode on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/artandselfcindy/videos/471458611941506/
• Watch this episode on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/events/podcastlivestreamwithmelissacox7198400028728573952/comments/
• Watch this episode on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAIpKTn3yCo
• Join Art Church - https://cindyingram.com/art-church/
• Enroll in the Art Connection Circle - https://cindyingram.com/circle
• Buy my Book - Art Is About Being Whole: A Memoir - https://geni.us/ArtIsAboutBeingWhole
• Art and Self on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube 
•  

Melissa Cox's Contact Info

• Facebook: Melissa Cox - https://www.facebook.com/melissa.cox.7549 
• Facebook Page: Living With Disaster - https://www.facebook.com/livingwithdisasterArtist 
• Facebook Group: Living With Disaster - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2154024138072188/ 
• Instagram: living_with_disaster

Thoughts on being an artist this week after a few tortured days. Having compassion for the creative process. Showing up for my practice even when it is hard. Giving myself the support to work through it.

After graduate school, I worked at an art non-profit called Big Thought. While I was there, my podcast guest today Eric Booth was a consultant who went high up in the company straight out of college. He did a lot of staff development training and programs for the non-profit. This episode represents a full circle moment for me as I thrill at reconnecting with him! In it, he and I talk about his path as a teaching artist and the connection between art and spirituality, a topic we both care about tremendously.

3:16 - Eric talks about his transition from Broadway actor to teaching artist

6:36 - How the teaching artist field has changed and the effects of the pandemic on the industry

12:18 - Two ways to bring a teaching artist into your classroom

15:38 - Eric describes what a good teaching artist partnership looks like

21:03 - The single best sentence Eric ever wrote, the idea behind it, and the companion book it eventually created

24:51 - How I recently made my own art and spirituality connection

27:52 - Paying a higher quality of attention to all different kinds of things in your life

32:20 - Eric explains what he means when he talks about the “verbs of art”

37:40 - The different between big art and religion and little art and religion

41:10 - The three concepts the Everyday Work of Art book boils down to

45:01 - Ideas on how to help students develop responsiveness to works of art

49:58 - What you can do right now to become more connected with art and spirituality

55:51 - How Hamlet changed Eric’s life

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/85-connection-between-art-and-spirituality/

In this episode of the Art & Self Podcast, I welcome Annette Stahl—an entrepreneur, coach, and designer. We spoke about life transitions, how our homes reflect and influence our lives, safety, energy, and how inner and outer spaces can align.

The artwork discussed on this episode is The Mysterious Garden by Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh.

Note: Domestic violence is briefly mentioned in this episode in the 34th minute.

See the artwork, a transcript, and full show notes at this link.

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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When most of us think back to our previous art teachers, most likely we’re picturing a favorite art class in high school or an art camp of some sort. Fortunately, times are changing and art teachers have more possibilities now than we have in the past. Tim Bogatz joins me today to discuss the opportunities and possibilities the Internet makes possible. Tim is here to share his experiences and how he can now reach more people than when he was teaching in a classroom setting.

Show Highlights

• Tim discusses teaching in the classroom versus writing and podcasts
• The topic that Tim enjoys teaching and why people struggle with it
• Why it’s important to exchange ideas and perspectives with other art teachers
• What Tim doesn’t miss about teaching in the school system
• Tim shares why he’s not a fan of Picasso
• Tim and Cindy discuss the influence of an art teacher’s opinions on their students
• How Tim makes art history entertaining for his students
• Learning more about an artist’s life can change your relationship to the artist and his/her work

Resources:

The Art of Ed

Art Ed Radio Podcast

Twitter: @TimBogatz  

Word of the Year Update #3 - In this episode, I share about a few powerful conversations that cracked me open and helped me tap into parts of my creative identity that I had long forgotten.

Also, check out the beginning of the episode for some updates about the podcast moving forward and my availabilty for coaching!

Interested in checking out coaching, schedule a free discovery call at https://artandself.com/discovery 

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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This year was one of, if not the hardest, for teachers in their entire career. Many reached a breaking point and decided to leave the classroom or retire early. And while it might be better going forward, everything isn’t fixed. The pandemic goes on, and teachers will still face many of the same worries as last year.

The question to ask yourself in preparing for this year is, “How do I get the spark back and re-take power in my classroom?” So I decided to create an empowering program using our SPARK framework to help you do just that. Today the Reclaim Your Classroom free course begins, and in this episode I go through the program, giving you an overview of what you can expect after you join.

2:14​ - A quick overview of the 5 steps in the SPARK framework

5:32 - What to expect when you first sign up for the program

6:59 - How to take inventory of what’s going on with you right now

10:57 - The emotional exercise to expect on Day 2 and the tool that can help

14:52 - The simple, cool tool and method you’ll use for completing step 3

18:41 - Taking the A in SPARK and using it twice

20:39 - Bringing it all together for step 4 to start moving toward where you want to go

22:48 - What the K stands for this time and how to create your battle cry for this year

24:27 - Reading the manifesto I wrote for Art Class Curator

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/71

Sex. Dominance. Submission. Vulnerability. Power. Pleasure. 

Taylor Posey is an intimacy coach, podcaster, and a dominatrix. In this episode, we're talking about something very human and often depicted in art...sex.

We talk about Taylor's experience with BDSM, how we find comfort, and being ourselves—all through the lens of an artwork, Natalie Frank, DOMINA III, 2017.

Taylor's Instagram
Taylor's Podcast All Tied Up 

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Today's episode is a part of the day 2 lesson of our free e-mail course, Beyond the Surface: Teach Students How to Dive Deeper Into an Artwork to Make Connections and Meaning. The topic for today is From Crickets to Connections: What to Say to Get Them to Go Beyond What They See.

Sign up for this free e-mail course at https://artclasscurator.com/surface

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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What do you want your students to know? What do you want them to remember from art class next year? What about in 5 or 10 years? In this episode, we're talking about the power of moments and how to create a curriculum with the big picture in mind.

I rarely comment about the Internet, but sometimes I have to speak up when something bumps up against my values. This impromptu episode is brought to you by a little argument about Van Gogh I got into online. 

I realized I had some really strong feelings that I don’t know if I’ve really discussed in any format here. It’s a very important perspective that we need to consider so that our students don’t end up perpetuating elitist thinking when it comes to art, and so that we can create a space where we make art accessible to all.

2:44​ - What sparked the argument and my reaction

7:22 - Examples of elitism built into the art museum system

11:46 - Kids’ reactions to the immersive Van Gogh show in Chicago

16:28 - The argument for “being educated” and making art accessible to all

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/62