Today our class visited the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh. I've never been to the museum before and I'm not sure what I expected. I do, however, feel like I got more than I could have expected. I was so pleased to see that the art selections in the museum were not all European portraits, landscapes, and impressionistic works. Art permeates every culture. Art is expression of the artist's soul. Just as every person, every culture, every nationality does not have the same soul, neither will the art for each culture be the same. Art is social studies.
My goal as a teacher is help children appreciate art by helping them understand the life, times, emotions, and struggles of the artist. I am reminded of the statue titled Tarbaby vs. St. Sebastian by artist Michael Richards. I have to say that of all the pieces I saw today, that one aroused the most emotion. The piece, a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, would likely have been just another interesting statue to me had it not been for the commentary of our docent. By explaining the life and circumstances of Mr. Richards' death, she made the piece come alive for me, forever cementing the image in my mind. I hope to do just that for my students as they study art some day.
Actually,
Aricka
I, too, was so touched by Tar Baby vs. St. Sebastian! What a legacy Mr. Richards has left for his family, his decedents, and certainly an honor for those of us still living to be able to view. I just found the irony in his work and death chilling...
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