Art in public places.

Each summer, The Arts in Education Institute of Western New York involves teachers in experiences with the visual arts, dance, drama, music and architecture that draw upon the arts resources of the area. The independent, not-for-profit program focuses on the development of aesthetic education experiences and is modeled after the Lincoln Center Institute in New York City.

Teams of teachers attend a two-week summer session for an in-depth exploration of works of art. Led by teacher-artists, the participants become actively involved in performances, improvisations, exhibitions and discussions designed to encourage creativity and a greater sensitivity to the arts. Based on these experiences and curriculum considerations, the teams choose the areas of art they will focus on during the school year.

"Art in Public Places," a study of the public art in the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority's rapid transit project, was one of the Institute's visual arts offerings. As a result, public art became one of the areas to be covered in lesson plan development when the teams of teachers returned to their schools in the Fall.

Understanding the Concepts and Issues

As a teacher-artist for the Institute, I worked with a team of teachers led by Annette Gervase, a teacher of the Gifted and Talented, from Dodge Elementary School in Williamsville, New York, who chose to focus on public art as the basis for designing learning experiences for grades K-5.

At our initial planning session, we reviewed slides of the artworks we had experienced during the summer and developed a series of art production lessons that would prepare the students for a field trip to the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority. We believed the students should understand the differences between art displayed in galleries and homes, and art displayed in public areas. The purpose of the unit was to gain a greater understanding of the concepts and issues involved in public art and to examine the various artists' methods and styles.

Using a hands-on approach, the students created paper sculptures based on the steel structures of George Sugarman. Terms such as three-dimensional, scale model, open and closed space, and contrast were emphasized. The students changed their two-dimensional paper into three-dimensional forms that invited people into the sculptures.

Techniques and Art Elements

With sheets of aluminum foil, the students partially wrapped objects, then, pulled off the foil and examined the shadows, forms and textures they created. This reflected Robert Lobe's Devil's Hole Sculpture. Paper mosaics helped the students appreciate the techniques and art elements of the tile murals they would be seeing in the subway transit stations.

Each of the four art studio sessions was followed by a lesson with the classroom teacher where concepts were reinforced, issues were discussed and art projects continued.

The day of the field trip, the students and teachers were dropped off at the main transit station where they were met by the docents. Drawing on their classroom activities, the students received a strong lesson on the rich history of the area as seen through the eyes of the artists. Many of the artists had incorporated the architecture, Seneca-Iroquois Indian heritage, varied ethnic and industrial backgrounds, and the beautiful changing seasons of Western New York into their public art pieces.

Making Informed Judgments

Motifs from the Frank Lloyd Wright house and other city buildings are included in a mosaic and tile mural by Joyce Kozloff. Martin Rogovin's photographs capture the home and work life of Buffalo citizens. With the docents, we discussed the inspiration for Beverly Pepper's Vertical Dune, which reflects the steel industry that had been so vital to the Buffalo economy at one time. Then, we boarded trains, stopping off at three more stations to enjoy the art at the train levels and outside the stations.

The students were very enthusiastic and proud of the knowledge they had acquired about public art. They were confident in their understanding of the processes involved through the classroom experiences and had very definite opinions on the aesthetic quality of the work. Some pieces were considered more successful than others and even the youngest students had insights to offer about "public art." Most students were surprised by the size of the art, which wasn't as evident in the slides we viewed. Seeing the art and architecture of the transit system provided many with an opportunity that they might not have had.

As art in the public forum takes on more importance in the future, these students have an advantage in their appreciation of an often controversial art form and the ability to make informed critical judgments.

Christine Horvatis Blackwood is an art teacher at the Transit Middle School in Williamsville, New York.

Editor's Note: The 1995 Arts in Education Institute of Western New York is scheduled for June 26-30 at the University of Buffalo Performing Arts Center. The theme will be Asian and Asian American Art. For further information, contact Margaret Foster. Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone].