PERSONAL ART HISTORY January 19, 2014
Laura Keeney
After kindergarten, I have no recollection of Art classes until my sophomore year in High School
ge g a lar n i y r r s ca the o cut he wa t s , e r i m o se w e ro n to u to us. red th a e g t m e e n b e h t he e he r hite. S res, and giv e teac hard. w o o g t n t i As th a o th qu t n f some aller s ky, bu c m i s t s o blog o t s in y wa block ... Cla ine, it t i m d d e white e l l iv ca I rece eacher t y When m t is wha Clay,
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History through Art? No way, why is that important? Wait a minute…
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re e h W n e ! e ! ! b T u ? o AR ? y e f e i v l ha y m l al
After discovering what the worked of art had to offer, I developed a portfolio, an d was accepted to VCU school of the Arts. There I developed myself as an infant artist, leading to pursuing a career in Art Education. I wanted to give young people what I felt like I was missing in my younger life.
ship i nte rn n a d to ing le h c , PA … a e k r T o t Y n in Stude unity t r o p op Mur al
Here, I fell in love with the travel opportunity, new situations, working with young people, and mural making. This was and still is one of the most challenging yet influential periods in my Art History. It led me to seek out new opportunities to travel and work.
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My artwork changed focus to travel photography, after meeting a photographer, who continues to have a powerful influence on my life.
In Chile, I worked with students combining English and Art, and continued my new passion for murals, starting a mural project with my students. My experience in Chile caused my decision to live, work, and create overseas.
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Now at UF, I continue to learn about myself, and my artwork continues to develop. I consider myself a “late bloomer” to the world of Art, so I strive to continue to learn everywh ere I go.
As a growing teacher, my travels and experiences influence and effect my teaching continuously. Murals still occur within my cl assroom, and embracing diversity, working together, and acceptance will always be core ideas in my classroom.
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Laura Keeney January 15, 2014 ARTE 6049 Personal Art Education History As the teacher entered the room, she was carrying a large blog of something white. She began to use wire to cut the white block into smaller squares, and give them to us. When I received mine, it was sticky, but not too hard. Clay, is what my teacher called it... Clay. This is the only snapshot Memory I have of my elementary art career until my sophomore year in high school. We ended up making coil pots from this clay, and later painting them. I remember the room was bare with white walls, the tables resembled lunch tables, and this teacher was not someone I recognized or was familiar with. As a sophomore, I was not looking forward to taking an AP History class. All of my brother’s friends loved the teacher, but I knew the class would be tough, and none of my friends were enrolled with me. Worst of all, I had heard that you had to look at ART! All I could think was, “Why would we have to learn that? It’s history class, not art class.” That teacher, Mr. Palladino, and that class changed the course of my life, forever. Throughout this class, I learned history through the arts, I learned that artworks tell a story, have hidden meanings, and carry the history of people, places and things with them throughout time. This class opened my eyes forever to the world of art, and the many things it had to offer. As a junior and senior I enrolled in yearbook and photography classes, and took my first art classes that I can vividly remember. Photography was hands on, included darkroom and development that my school had, but was not offered at my school, so with the proper approvals, I enrolled as an independent study. Art class was different; units and lessons were very basic and rote, including color studies, still lives, and self portraits. Nevertheless, I practiced relentlessly, and through my photo and basic drawing portfolio, was accepted to VCU School of the Arts. Attending VCU was an entirely new experience. Foundation Studio classes were fairly open ended and focused on play, experimentation, and product development. Technical classes focused on drawing from life, and practiced different media. As a developing artist, I often felt behind, or lacking in skill next to my counterparts. I remember always wondering, and thinking back to my elementary art classes, or lack thereof, and wondering why I was never shown or exposed to art classes growing up. I decided to become an elementary and middle school art
teacher, determined to shed light on the art world for young people. During my student teaching semester, I embraced the opportunity to work as an intern on a community mural project in York, Pennsylvania. Throughout the summer of my senior year in college, I worked with the community on developing, painting, and installing a Peace mural overlooking a dilapidated lot. This experience was and still is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding experiences throughout my Art Education History. I became inspired by community development and growth, and the impact mural making had on group dynamic and community development. I have since incorporated murals in classrooms around the world. After my internship, I was intrigued by the idea of going new places, participating within the community, and learning about different people, places, and things. I have been traveling around the world ever since. Since 2009, I have had the blessing of visiting over 20 countries, and living in 3. Travel, culture, and people along the way have continued to shape my Art History and development. Now, after teaching art for a few years, photographing my travel and experiences, and as a graduate student myself, I have come full circle. As a teacher, I am eager and excited to teach art and show students the many different ways to create, and tell stories through art. As a student, my views on art education are constantly evolving, and I often think back to where I started, not even realizing it existed.