Art Education: Curriculum & Pedagogy, Secondary Level

Social Justice & Art Education by Elizabeth Garber

Social Justice & Art Education by Elizabeth Garber aims to bring social justice education to the forefront of curriculum by bringing forth the “goals and perspectives of feminist, multicultural, disability rights, environmental, community-based, critical pedagogy, social reconstruction, and visual culture art education”. If as the author suggests, art and art education must be grounded in “socially active learning”, where do forms of art such as realistic landscape art, furniture design, or traditional ceramics fit into the picture? While it is certainly possible that even the most traditional still life painting or portrait painting could have social commentary woven into it, does it necessarily have to in order to be relevant in Garber’s model? If as art educators we were to apply the theme of social justice in all of our classes, what should we say to an art student who simply wants to learn about art for the joy, healing and sense of creative exploration it brings them? What should we tell them if they create a magnificent painting that has no particular social commentary? I do agree with Garber that by teaching social justice theory that “students can reclaim their voices as part of a process of empowerment (..) by learning how to resist oppressive power that subjugates (…) people. To resist requires an understanding of how power works”. Perhaps we can teach youth to think, to ask questions, and to be social activists… but also how to make art in all the ways they feel is best for them to express themselves. It seems that the author has a noble aim of bringing the theme of social justice into curriculum to aid in the expansion of student minds. However I believe that while those students who are passionate about social justice themes may it find it freeing to express themselves this way, other students who have other ideas or ways of expressing themselves may find it creatively restrictive.