Teaching Philosophy

Teaching Philosophy

Teaching is a collaboration between the students and the teacher. For collaborations to work all parties must hold each other to high standards, be motivated, self-critical, willing to compromise, and be receptive. I am continuously stimulated by the prospect of helping others recognize their own goals and pursuits. I find that one of the most gratifying aspects of the educational collaboration is helping others to make discoveries. Fundamentally my commitment to teaching fulfills what I consider an important and necessary aspect of my creative career and it honors the teachers that have inspired me. I have had a number of great influential teachers in my life all of whom believed that their foremost responsibility was to engage their students intellectually to expand the ways in which they learn and solve problems.Teaching is not only about imparting knowledge but welcoming challenges in order to develop self-motivation in students.

It is my aim as a professor to challenge students toward an open-ended practice that is grounded in a solid material and conceptual foundation.

Art students should be able to convey ideas not only visually, but aurally and in written form as well. My approach differs based on the course and level of student I am working with. Teaching freshmen, sophomore or other introductory level painting and drawing courses calls for a technical material rigor paired with a broad rudimentary conceptual and contextual discourse that becomes more specific as the students advance in their ideas and abilities. Advanced undergraduate courses require a dynamic structure wherein media are open and criticism is in depth; students are engaged in an expanded drawing practice, exploring their fist large bodies of work and learning about professional practices. Graduate students who have technical know-how and highly developed interests are best engaged through discussion, debate, constructive analysis and thought/drawing challenges that help to expand their fields of inquiry. Theoretical and studio based discourse paired with a pragmatic, thorough introduction to artistic practice beyond academia helps to prepare the student for their artistic career.

An educator must be flexible to allow her plans and methods to mutate with each new group of students. One of the most interesting things about being in a classroom is the discovery and recognition of the class’ group dynamic. Some groups will be more receptive to certain teaching techniques than others, where one group requires a close set of parameters, another group will thrive with more open projects. The same is true between the individuals in a class. It is vital to know the individual needs and concerns of each class member to better challenge them and help them push their studies in new directions. Sometimes this may mean advice on materials, research, tracking an idea or constructive criticism of their performance. Goals must be explicable yet open-ended as they morph into new objectives.

It is important that teachers as practicing artists be well versed in the history and current events of their discipline to best familiarize students with a wide range of ideas and topics. I endeavor to use my experience as a working artist to familiarize the students with post-collegiate and professional practices by visiting the studios of practicing artists and designers, introducing students to gallery and museum personnel and helping them to explore the opportunities available to artists in their field. In my years of organizing and moderating group studio visits with my peers through Studio Fuse discussion group and blog I have come to recognize that artistic opportunities are created through the sharing of information and fertile dialog about art work. My consistent critical engagement expands my studio based conversations to bolster my academic dialog with students.

In my studio pursuits I maintain a balance between structure and improvisation. Having visited scores of artist studios and having seen many methodologies at work, I have found that many new projects and technical advancements appear first as peripheral ideas. I think it is important to help students cultivate multiplicity by encouraging the exploration of ideas outside their primary fields of interest, feeding them intellectually and expanding their practice into a larger social context.

Out of my students I expect dedication, focus and a commitment to understand what they make. Students must learn to be accountable for class performance, participation and well thought out work. In turn, it is my responsibility through my curricula, to empower the student by passing on meaningful, provoking and challenging projects and problems to solve while maintaining a reflective teaching practice.