On Thursday, ConVal Visual and Performing Arts department leader Mary Goldthwaite-Gagne wrote a 1,500-word post on the PBS Education Blog entitled “Ways to Integrate Art Into Your Classroom.”
In her blog post, “Ms. G,” as she is known at ConVal, explains how she uses PBS resources, such as Art21 and The Art Assignment, to share with her students the works of contemporary artists.
Not only does online access to these remarkable resources make it easier to bring far away resources into the classroom without the cost and complications of a field trip, what Ms. G appreciates that “artists are shown in the context of their exhibition spaces and in their studios. You get an intimate look at their creative process.”
The blog post explains in detail which artists she has featured in her instructional practice — Kiki Smith, Robyn O’Neill, Janine Antoni, Nancy Spero, Lenka Clayton, Elizabeth Murray, to name but a few — and how their works impacted both the students’ understanding of art and their self-image as art makers.
She sees it as her mission as an art teacher “to help students find their way into art; I wholeheartedly believe that art is for everyone. Many of my students come to high school somewhat estranged from artmaking after a middle school loss of confidence and my role is to help them find their way back to art. My students are encouraged when they see that there are myriad ways to be a maker.”
Goldthwaite-Gagne was named a PBS Digital Innovator representing the state of New Hampshire in 2017. Read Ms. G’s blog post in its entirety here.