School Program Educators Meet with Question Bridge Artist

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Experiment Station

Bayeté Ross Smith discusses Question Bridge with Phillips School Programs Educators last month.

On Wednesday, October 7, Bayeté Ross Smith, one of the creators of Question Bridge: Black Males met with Phillips School Programs Educators to discuss strategies on how to integrate the themes and content of the exhibition into school tours. On view through January 3, 2016, this documentary-style video installation seeks to represent and redefine black male identity in America.

According to Smith, Question Bridge is an effective education tool because, as a case study, it facilitates broader conversations about the identity politics operating in other identity groups and underrepresented demographics. Smith explained that the project reveals not only that indicators of identity are rather arbitrary, but also that there is as much diversity within a demographic as there is outside of it. “The only thing that black men have in common is that they are male and black,” said Smith. “You can’t say they have one thing in common. This seemed like a prime way to examine this issue and deconstruct it, as well as examine the idea of communication and healing within one community—even though it isn’t exactly ‘one community’ so to speak.”

Bayeté Ross Smith and Phillips School Program Educators during October’s session on Question Bridge.

During his presentation, Smith exposed the group to the many ways educators can engage with the project through the Question Bridge curriculum, website, and mobile app. The curriculum aims to help students develop a variety of skills, such as building cultural, visual, and multimedia literacy. Furthermore, it allows students to engage in the essential, overarching question of how we can create equitable environments of inclusion in our diverse 21st century society. Composed of eight functioning modules with specific learning goals, based on themes such as “The Human Condition,” “Code Switching,” and “The Power of Communication,” the Question Bridge curriculum offers an alternative way for workshops to be structured and students to engage with the material. Each module includes a student workbook and teacher guide, which consists of a list of additional resources and a glossary of terms for reference.

On Thursday, November 12, the Phillips is hosting an Evening for Educators focused on Question Bridge. Find details and register here.

Caitlin Casey, K12 Education Intern

The Best of #Instavangogh

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Experiment Station

As Van Gogh Repetitions winds down, so too does our #instavangogh competition. We were blown away by the creativity, enthusiasm, and fun people had with our beard cutouts modeled after the Postman Joseph Roulin. Here’s just a few of our favorites.

These irresistibly cuddly pets who sent our cute-o-dometers off the charts:

Clockwise from top left: submissions from @melissajosefina, @spanuska, @louisvuittonlvoer, and @LindleyThornburg

These creative thinkers who took their beards one step further than most; students from the Nysmith School in Virginia created their own colorful versions, and the folks from the Auberge Ravoux, van Gogh’s last home, sent #instavangogh greetings from across the ocean.

left: submission from @nysmithschool, right: submission from @christianjosi

Participant @marklindamood, who van Gogh-ified van Gogh himself:

Submissions from @marklindamood

These couples who were split between excitement and annoyance toward the photo opp:

Left: submission from @virginiahewitt, right: submission from @cassusmith

These die-hard fans who pulled out all of the van Gogh stops:

Left: submission from @vtlinda, right: submission from @bosley_lisa

These commendable feats of coordination, each interpreting his or her repetition in a unique way:

Left: submission from @ejshuq, Right: submission from @amandaduchemin

Check out the rest of the submissions on our #Instavangogh Pinterest board, and don’t miss your chance to see the exhibition before it closes this Sunday, February 2!

Teachers Unite! Summer Institute 2013

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Experiment Station

On August 15th and 16th, seventeen teachers from our DCPS and DCPCS partner schools attended Art Links Summer Institute, a series of professional development workshops designed to gear up for the new school year. After two jam-packed days of arts-integrated workshops and conversations, we’re left with some awesome photographic evidence and excitement for the year to come!

During Summer Institute teachers participated in hands-on art making workshops, shared ideas about how to incorporate the arts into their classrooms, and explored the galleries. Photos: Natalie Mann

Teachers responded to The Migration Series using only colored pencils and collage materials. One teacher was particularly struck by all of the space in Lawrence’s Panel No. 47 while the other was intrigued by the hope represented in the blue outside the window. Photos: Rachel Goldberg

The program culminated with a supplies giveaway. Here you see the bounty of supplies offered, teachers eagerly selecting those that they need most for their classrooms, and the aftermath. Photos: Natalie Mann

Rachel Goldberg, Manager of School, Outreach and Family Programs

Natalie Mann, School, Outreach and Family Programs Coordinator