Transformers, More than Meets the Eye...Transforming Lives Through the Power of Art

This year at Fayetteville Christian School I was given an opportunity to offer an art class to 8th graders and highschool students. It didn't take me long to realize that this is the age range I most enjoy working with. They are past most of the giddiness and silliness that cause discipline problems, yet they still get excited about "playing" with paint and clay. They are self-motivated, respectful, cognitively mature enough to understand instructions and complex ideas...plus they're just neat people.

In doing research for my dissertation, Teenagers Engaged in the Arts, Dynamic Programs for Dynamic People, a comparative study of four contemporary arts centers, I discovered that in order to engage teenagers in the arts, traditional ideas about "high art" and "low art" need to be reconsidered. In today's world, the media is a huge influence in youth culture and it's key to be aware of the issues that are relevant to them now. Teenagers face real issues like gang violence, sexual abuse, pregnancy and drug and alcohol abuse. The arts are a constructive way for teens to be a part of the solution instead of becoming another statistic. One of the case studies I did was with SAY Si, San Antonio Youth YES! in San Antonio, Texas. The artworks created by the SAY Si students confront many controversial subjects such as political, environmental, racial, ethnical and social issues. They organized a series of site specific installations called "Propaganda: The Politics of Art/The Art of Politics, which dealt with issues of gun control, violence, spousal abuse, discrimination, censorship and information manipulation.

Giving teenagers a voice and equipping them with tools and skills such as decision-making (especially in situations where there are no standard answers), conflict and anger management, communications, and leadership will assist with a healthy passage into adulthood.

The photos are of me with a student I give private lessons to in my studio. Last year he got his first taste of screenprinting in my art class at FCS and has been eager to do it again ever since. When I asked him what he wanted to print, without hesitation he said the Transformers symbol. Art became real to him because he was able to make it relevant. We had a great time in the studio that day.