EDITOR'S LETTER

Thinking about this month’s theme has inspired me to connect with artists and art educators and create the space to reconnect with my studio practice. The summer is a great time to find a source of inspiration for new ideas that can carry our passion for art education and art into the classroom. So many of us have a long list of things we want to accomplish, but when reality sets in, life takes over and pulls us in a different direction. Thatʼs okay. We learn to adapt and still find ways to make time for what brings us joy.

I think about the past four years as a Connected Arts Network National Teacher Leader and the collaborative lens we created to celebrate and support our students’ learning, build peer relationships, and contribute to their personal growth. The way we interact with students influences how we design curriculum to create authentic art experiences, which guides our teaching practice to prepare them for life after high school.

In This Issue
It is essential for art educators to build relationships that set the table for conversation, curiosity, honesty, and vulnerability. The idea of connection extends beyond art-making and learning about new artists, processes, and techniques. It is about understanding the world we live in, how we engage with others, and how art can impact the mind, body, and soul.

In the elementary lesson, “The Fabulous Fuller,” Jennifer Nesson shares with her students a material that we often see as utilitarian or as an accessory—the button. The lesson begins with a docent-led tour of the Fuller Craft Museum, followed by a viewing of the work of New York–based artist Beau McCall, known as “The Button Man.” Students leave inspired to create their very own interpretive work of art.

Jane Montero’s middle-school lesson “Peace Without Limits” poses the questions “What is Peace?” and “What does it look like?” Using digital tools and traditional processes, students learn about composition, text, and symbolism to illustrate their personal views on peace and how art can reframe what we see.

At the high-school level, Ellen Mahoney’s “Cloisonné Graffiti Remix” combines an ancient enameling technique with street art. Altering letters to depict elements of graffiti, students create dynamic compositions with wire and enamel atop metal squares.

Student agency is a great way for students to take ownership of their learning, guiding them on a path of connecting the dots to experience those aha moments. In what ways do you connect with your students? What stories are shared? I would love to hear them.