A Great Start to Craft in Schools 2021

As someone who has devoted their entire adult life to art education, it is an honor to be the new Education Manager at the Craft in America Center. In this role, I have the privilege and responsibility of bringing craft into the classroom by providing educational experiences at the Center with K-12 public school students across L.A. County. Because of the pandemic, we had to get creative about the way we celebrate and share the handmade remotely. Starting in 2020, we joined classrooms via Zoom, and continued this virtual approach into 2021. As teachers already know, the challenges of teaching remotely are innumerable, so one of our main goals was to create a craft experience that was engaging and inspiring.

Since the start of 2021, we have already hosted students from Rosewood Elementary and Van Nuys High School. In Ms. Dror’s 3rd/4th grade class, the students shared their favorite cups in conjunction with a field trip focused on our exhibitions A Humble Legacy and Here/Now: Contemporary Narrative and Form in the Yunomi. They are also making a virtual cup exhibition which you can enjoy here.

In Mr. Ruppert’s Honors U.S. History class and Ms. Price’s U.S. History class we discussed the exhibition Democracy 2020: Craft & the Election. The responses the students had to the societal issues the artists were addressing in their works were powerful. When asked the different ways that they exercise their democracy, since they are not old enough to vote, they proudly said that they protest, use social media, donate to political causes, and make art. One student in particular shared his “meme art,” and used this illustrative method to share his thoughts on the craft objects that we were discussing.

I reflect often on the moving responses the students had to the pieces we talked about. Their excitement is what makes teaching so rewarding. If you are interested in participating or learning more about Craft in Schools click here to learn more or email: joan@craftinamerica.org.