Building Relationships through Advocacy

Dr. Mark Graham

Advocacy happens in many forms—not only through policy, but also through the relationships, environments, opportunities, and connections art educators create every day.

Advocacy at the school level was essential for me as a high school art teacher in the New York Public Schools for more than twenty years. For many art educators, the Advanced Placement Studio Art Program helps define standards of rigor and achievement in student art-making. It can also be used to advocate for art programs because of the credibility that Advanced Placement has for school leaders and parents. A strong AP program justifies maintaining or developing art courses at all levels. It gives teachers a powerful advocacy tool, and the annual AP portfolio review provides credible external evaluation of student artwork. In the arts, these kinds of measures are difficult to find.

In my school, the AP art courses could be taken for one or two years. We had pretty much open enrollment. Not every student produced a prize-winning portfolio, but every student organized a body of work they were proud of. My rationale was that everyone, especially those who did not consider themselves artistic, benefited from a rich course in art.

My elementary school colleague, Steve Moore, made art an integral part of the school. At his school, children’s art is everywhere. Art covers the walls, meanders around the playground, flies above the roof, is engraved in the windows, and spreads itself underfoot. Temporary murals unfold on every wall, and long rolls of paper line the edges of the floor outside the art room. Twinkling lights sparkle inside turquoise blue glass sculptures in the display case, and armies of ceramic creatures launch an invasion of the Jurassic in the lobby. Steve made the school an advocate for art education.

Steve’s classroom is noisy and filled with marvelous objects. Over 500 students visit the art room every week, bringing an unending barrage of questions. Teaching art is a beautiful thing, but being an art teacher in an elementary school is not easy. The regular classroom teacher has charge of a room full of children. The art teacher works with every student in the entire school.

Steve said, “I set up a process that allows for improvisation, without too many directions. Let them figure it out.” On the first day of class, every student draws a self-portrait—over 500 self-portraits in all. In another project, every student paints a wish, modeled after the idea of Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree (2004). All the wishes are woven together into large, quilted banners that greet visitors at the entrance of the school. “There is no selection process for the display; they are all going up. Everyone is part of the show,” explains Steve.

Every year, the fifth grade does a permanent art project. To make these large-scale, collaborative projects possible, a convergence of important elements is necessary: grant writing by a supportive principal; mentoring from visiting artists; involvement of community members and help from technicians, local craftspeople, custodians, and parents. The glue that holds everything together is the energy and creative resourcefulness of the art teacher.

As art educators, we don’t just teach techniques or vocabulary; we build relationships, foster joy, and create spaces where students feel seen and valued.

Stories are part of how those connections are built. A well-told story creates empathy. It allows people to step into someone else’s experience, to feel what they feel. Stories frame complex issues in ways that are human and relatable. They are memorable, and they inspire action.

That’s the power of connection through storytelling. It creates unexpected bridges. It sparks ideas. And sometimes, it leads to real change. Our personal stories—and the stories we help others tell—can be incredibly powerful tools for creating empathy, momentum, and support. In the classroom, in policy conversations, in coffee shops, and yes, even in airports, a meaningful conversation can shift the atmosphere. It can make someone feel seen. It can make someone care. So, whether you’re sharing a student’s work, explaining your curriculum, or just chatting with a stranger who doesn’t quite understand what art education is, remember this: You are an artist who is building community and connections. You speak for the children of the world.

Dr. Mark Graham is a professor in the art department at Brigham Young University. Prior to Brigham Young, he taught at Washington State University in the College of Education. Before his university appointments, he was a high school art teacher in the New York public schools. Dr. Graham is also an internationally known artist and illustrator and has illustrated more than twenty children picture books. He continues to create various kinds of art objects, including mandalas and complex installations. mark_graham@byu.edu