Tig Dupre on thu 26 aug 04
Harry Chapin (remember him?) had a song called, "Red Flowers Are Red, Green Grass is
Green." Story involved a kid who wanted to paint in all the colors there were.
Never mind what relaity said, paint in ALL the colors, make a display, exercise the imagination, have fun!
Teacher and parents said, "Red flowers are red. Green grass is green. There is no
reason to see things any other way than the way they always have been seen." And punished him when he didn't do it their way.
Ruined art for the kid and destroyed his creativity.
Kids in my neighborhood know that when the garage door is open, so is class. They can
drop by anytime and play with clay, help with glazing, help stack the kiln, push the
buttons to program. Have fun, ask questions. (Oh, by the way... They also *learn*.
But, don't tell _them_ that. They're having too much fun to be learning!)
<<---------------------------------<>--------------------------->>
One woman asked me if her 6 year old son was "too old" for art classes. When I asked
what she meant she said that everyone knows what happens to boys if they are allowed to take art past a certain age.
<<---------------------------------<>--------------------------->>
What happens? Do they develop "ideas?" Do they suddenly acquire an affected lisp,
wear earrings and gauzy clothes, and start to flit about the place? Do they become
reclusive and moody? I wonder, what *does* happen to boys who study art after
they're "a certain age?"
Maybe they become artists. Maybe they develop into engineers, or writers, or politicians, or firefighters. Or soldiers...
I cannot fathom a mind so narrow and iron-clad. I cannot understand parents who do
not encourage all the senses in the children. Praise their accomplishments, get them
to tell you tghe story of what they made.
I love kids. In many cases, a lot more than I like their parents.
Blessings for all who teach children,
Tig Dupre
in Port Orchard, Washington, USA
Sue Leabu on thu 26 aug 04
On Thu, 26 Aug 2004 07:12:55 -0700, Tig Dupre
wrote:
>I cannot understand parents who do not encourage all the senses in the
children. Praise their accomplishments, get them to tell you the story of
what they made.
I wonder if this isn't at least partly the by-product of schools
downplaying the necessity and benefits of art classes for many years now.
Art classes are not thought to be essential to getting a well-rounded
education. How many art teachers are now pushing a cart from class to
class, rather than being allowed a dedicted art room? Sad sign of the times.
Sue, Kalamazoo MI
Weiland, Jeff on thu 26 aug 04
Ignorant parents can be the biggest pain!!! I have a current high =
school student who e-mailed me this summer to say she was being =
pressured by her parents to drop the ceramics class because she needed =
to take "serious classes" in order to get into college. She sounded =
like she was in tears. She wants to pursue art and ceramics =
specifically. The parents said they would not help with college if she =
did not listen to them and abide by their wishes. So, she dropped the =
class but I was able to have her assigned to me during her study hall so =
she can continue to throw and also help around the room with mixing =
clay, loading the kiln, and other chores. She and I are talking about =
possible schools to attend after high school. What a dilemma!! Thanks =
for the support Tig.
Tig sent:
I cannot fathom a mind so narrow and iron-clad. I cannot understand =
parents who do
not encourage all the senses in the children. Praise their =
accomplishments, get them
to tell you tghe story of what they made.
I love kids. In many cases, a lot more than I like their parents.
Blessings for all who teach children,
Tig Dupre
in Port Orchard, Washington, USA
Bonnie Staffel on fri 27 aug 04
In response to this post, I am in sort of agreement with the parents of this
girl. However, they could have handled it in a different way. My parents
said they would send me to art school after I had learned something that
would give me a way to earn a living. They knew full well that to become a
self supporting potter, artist, etc., certainly would succeed better if the
I took some business courses, bookkeeping, typing and all the other things
that a craftsperson needs to succeed in the business world. I even worked
in an office for three years to prove to them my ability, but hated every
minute of it. However, that experience has served me well in my pottery
business, as I was able to keep my own books, knew how to go for a loan,
knew how to pay employees, etc. Choosing to be a potter for your life's
work is no easy feat especially if you are on your own. Besides paying for
the rent, utilities, insurance and all those other things it helps to have a
partner who either has a job to carry you through the first few years or
someone who has sales ability to share your burden, (or a good trust fund
8>) ).
In my business, I was an "event" potter and we were always setting up events
at our studio that attracted the attention of the local newspapers as well
as to bring the customers out to see something going on. Seems like I am
still in that mode because I am getting a lot of publicity in my area for
what I am doing this week or this season. Results are good sales. This one
was not my doing, but was chosen to be the featured artist at the Charlevoix
Waterfront Art Fair this year. Lots of publicity came from that. The Fair
committee was so happy to see me back, and commented that they wished some
of the other early exhibitors would also return. Maybe for the 50th
anniversary show in another four or five years. Hope I can make it. I
started in their third showing back in the 60's. What a different scene
than now.
If you would like to see what our fair looks like, check out the archives on
their web page. http://charlevoixwaterfrontartfair.org/ I am in there a
couple of times as well as a lot of good artists/craftsmen.
It is not an ego trip to blow your own horn. It is done in business every
day. Hope this gives the newbies something to think about. I also believe
that the schools should also offer such courses to their students as
requirements.
Warm regards,
Bonnie Staffel
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel
http://www.vasefinder.com/
Potters Council member
Gary Navarre on sat 28 aug 04
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Re: Kids and Art
From: "Sue Leabu"
Date: Thu, August 26, 2004 1:46 pm
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Thu, 26 Aug 2004 07:12:55 -0700, Tig Dupre
wrote:
>I cannot understand parents who do not encourage all the senses in the
children. Praise their accomplishments, get them to tell you the story of
what they made.
I wonder if this isn't at least partly the by-product of schools
downplaying the necessity and benefits of art classes for many years now.
Art classes are not thought to be essential to getting a well-rounded
education. How many art teachers are now pushing a cart from class to
class, rather than being allowed a dedicted art room? Sad sign of the
times.
Sue, Kalamazoo MI
Sue and Crew,
The downplaying of the arts has increased in the schools as has true
education and work skills. In the real world whenever people talked
about the schools over the last decades it would be guaranteed I would
start bitchen about how most teachers are required to spend so much time
figuring out what behavior problem the kid has they don't have time to
teach. I don't let that imped me though, in that real world sooner or
later I'll tell somebody something about pottery. I'll ask people if
they remember their "clay project" and get different answers but I talk
clay to them. It's amazing how many times I've told someone I fire with
wood and they say "You can get it that hot with wood?"
I was blessed with a most rewarding experience in 1990 just before I had
to store my studio at Karen Harrison's. If my memory serves me the
Plainwell Arts Council along with the Allegan Schools got a grant to do
a summer art workshop for exceptional kids. Some of them had
"difficulties" but excelled in art. One lad had a neuralgic problem that
involved his left side that would have interfered with conventional
throwing if it were not for being able to reverse polarity on Shimpo's
so they spun in the opposite direction. I borrowed one from Ed Harkness
at Western and the kid made something on the wheel. I ended up building
them the Alfred trench kiln and we fired ^06-04 Egyptian paste with
white clay. All their pots turned out great, even the slab pieces, no
joints cracked.
The program was funded with a grant applyed for by teachers "in the
trenches" trying to bring valid art experiences to the young they
otherwise are discouraged from getting in the class room. Children are
impressionable and want/learn what we show them. If they are not shown
art they won't want it and won't develope the thinking needed to think
creatively in any field even if they don't become "artists". That's all
I got for now on that.
Stay in there, give my regards to Paul. Let us in ClayArt and WoodKiln
see a link about the growth of the Anagama 2000 kiln. Maybe see ya soon,
when's the next firing?
G. in Da U.P.
Navarre Pottery
Norway, Michigan, U.S.A.
Oh, ya, Don't forget to give your kid their Ritalin and support the
D.A.R.E. program.
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