NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ART EDUCATORS CONFERENCE CHICAGO, USA, 2021
Bringing art-based research to secondary
school classroom through artivism-based
projects
Proposal
Mariya Kovalevska
01/06/2020
Laval, Qc, Canada
Statement of purpose:
This paper aims to participate in the discussion around Social theory in art education and to propose
strategies to engage students in taking social actions through artistic practice. The presentation is based on
an inquiry that studies possibilities of introducing to grades 7-12 students the art-based research on social
issues and proposes to use artivism-based projects in the art curriculum. Within the inquiry, art-based
research is proposed as a teaching strategy that creates a student-driven learning environment, facilitates the
creative process, and gives students a structure and tools for developing creative ideas, close looking, and
deeper understanding of complex social issues.
Relevance of Topic:
Art is a dynamic and socially-oriented discipline. That’s why it is important to expand art practices
beyond school walls. The use of artivism practices answers the social demand for art to raise awareness,
consciousness, social engagement in individuals and groups. Studying artivism gives students powerful
tools to become active agents of social change and to make an impact. It also fosters connections between
school, community, and life-purpose education while supporting the concept of school as a learning and
socializing institution. As the Visual arts discipline currently faces debates about its place in an online
school curriculum, the author sees as necessary to search for new teaching strategies which would connect
Visual arts curriculum with other subjects taught; provide opportunities for students to enhance their
knowledge in those subjects through artistic practice, and would raise the value of the Visual arts discipline
among students.
It is important to mention that the use of art-based research and artivism practices in classroom can
help in addressing the problem of cultural appropriation. Based on research and analysis, artivism projects
push students to reflect, to ask questions, and to construct their knowledge taking in consideration diverse
perspectives and opinions.
Findings:
The subject of the presentation is the findings of the inquiry such as the results of introducing students to
the art-based research activities; the impact of practicing artivism on students’ social engagement and
artistic practice appreciation; and the strategies for building community connections. The presentation
comprises the following subthemes:
1. Implementation of an art-based inquiry within the secondary school art curriculum.
2. Example of the artivism project “Generation COVID-19”: introduction to the project, research
instructions, interactive activities for open-ended discussion, concept development activities.
3. Hands-on exercise for the audience: art-based research and concept development
4. Presentation of the students’ artworks.
5. Challenges of implementing artivism practices in the art classroom and the role of the teacher in it.
6. Strategies for building community connections.
7. Students’ feedback and the impact of this initiative on the community.
Impact on practice:
With a hands-on example, the presentation addresses such challenges of modern art education as the
development of socially relevant programs; online schooling; engagement; increasing demand in learnercentered education, and life-purpose learning. Practice-based, the presentation proposes strategies on how
to connect art classroom with the community; highlights the advantages and challenges of bringing artivism
practices and social media to the classroom, and shows how to build teaching strategies from a sensibility
standpoint.
1
Supplementing materials
Table of content
1.
Introduction to artivism as a form of social action and artistic practice…………...3
2.
Description of the artivism project “Generation Covid-19”……………………….4-5
3.
Examples of assignments, educational activities and didactical materials………....6-21
4.
Examples of social media campaign and publications……………………………..22-23
5.
Examples of students’ artworks…………………………………………………….24-32
2
1.
Introduction to artivism as a form of social action and artistic practice
3
2. Description of the artivism project “Generation Covid-19”
4
5
3. Examples of assignments, educational activities and didactical materials
6
7
Visual arts
GRADE 7-12
Artivism project
“Generation COVID-19”
PART 3. SOCIETY. CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
______________
By the North Star Academy community
TASK: you have to create a Google document representing your concept. Follow the steps:
1. Pick THREE WORDS from ANY COLUMN which are the most appealing (important) to
you (or use your research). They are the subjects of your artwork about SOCIETY IN THE
TIMES OF COVID (you will have to VISUALLY represent, incorporate them in your artwork).
2. FOR VISUAL INSPIRATION and to find the right SYMBOLS to represent your idea,
refer to the illustrations shown here OR FIND YOUR OWN IMAGES (use the ELEMENTS
from the illustrations or use the COMPOSITION of the illustrations). Combine them in a new
UNIQUE way in your artwork. Do not be afraid of complexity of the images. We will use
Adobe Sketch and Draw to trace and then fill with colors.
3. DESCRIBE YOUR IDEA in a few sentences (it will help you to consider the idea better and
make it clearer). Write about the thoughts and ideas which you want to express in your artwork.
4. Make a sketch in Adobe Draw (choose landscape or portrait format; show the placement of the
elements, in general, without details). Put your sketch in the Google doc with the description.
For more explanations, watch this video https://youtu.be/UazsP36PSDw
8
Note: Concept development. Common mistake https://youtu.be/QgjvcAYBgwk
EXAMPLE of how the concept should be presented in your Google document:
Three words: Apart, Live together, Crisis
Description: The artwork will represent how society put apart by the pandemic works to stay together
against the COVID crisis.
My idea is inspired by the following images:
As the center of the composition, I will place a tree with its roots upside down and its crown split. The
tree represents community and living together. But now its ability to live together is challenged by the
pandemic. That’s why the crown is cut in two by a lightning “COVID” which represents « crisis ». The tree
is placed upside down because the world is shaken by the outbreak of COVID19.
Secondary elements are the two human figures who are placed on the top where the roots are. The humans
are placed on the left and on the right, they are separated too. Both people hold a watering can and pour
water on the roots nurturing and supporting the tree, working together.
Sketch
9
TABLE OF RESEARCH
Social relations
Global challenges of the
Coronavirus society :




Public health safety
Challenges for the health
safety:

Health crisis

Epidemic
Economics
Economic challenges:
 Crisis
Outbreak of all social issues
that were there before the
COVID
Life
Adaptation

Virus Corona

Transmission






Economy
Money
Overtime
Small business
Bank loans
Recession

Shortage

Threatening
Change
What provides safety:

Hospitals
10



Public health care system

Hygiene
Apart
Live together

Gloves

Mask

Deadly

Unemployment
11
Social interaction:

Community



Soap

Testing

Staying safe

Cure
Poor
Closed

Distancing

Online
12



Family
Work from home
School

Human (human’s life as a main
value; surviving of the society
depends on collaboration of
individuals)

Help

Care
Emotions which dominate in society:
 Anger

Nervousness
13

Panic

Chaos

Calm

Kindness (“coeur sur la main”)
14
Visual arts
GRADE 7-12
Artivism project
“Generation COVID-19”
PART 4. SOCIETY. EXECUTION OF THE CONCEPT
______________
By the North Star Academy community
TASK: using reference images from the internet or creating your own complete the final artwork
based on your sketch.
SEE HERE HOW TO:
1. Use reference images to build up your own artwork https://youtu.be/Xid6smweYTE
2. Use a reference image to draw a human https://youtu.be/a7YsyZmyOh4
3. Write bold letters with the use of ruler https://youtu.be/j1g1HEdNWDc (2:00 - 7:00)
4. Make a stylish background with a city skyline https://youtu.be/R-xGmm57GCs
EXAMPLE
15
Visual arts
GRADE 7-12
Artivism project
“Generation COVID-19”
PART 5. INDIVIDUALS. CONCEPT AND EXECUTION
______________
By the North Star Academy community
TASK: you have to create artwork representing you personally in the context of the current
situation of the pandemic and lockdown; how you are affected by it. As the main element of the
artwork, you use your self-portrait. You draw it in Adobe Draw
FIRST, learn how to do it with my example
 Adobe Draw tutorial. Portrait https://youtu.be/8o0xBGgmtGU and https://youtu.be/5iYjSmpgjYY
 How to make interesting writings https://youtu.be/j1g1HEdNWDc (2:00 - 5:00)
1. AS THE CENTER ELEMENT OF THE COMPOSITION, you have to USE YOUR SELFIE (be
creative while taking it). Incorporate it together with the three words that you would
choose from the table.
2. Pick THREE WORDS from THE TABLE which are the most appealing (important) to you
(or use your own research). You will have to find a way to incorporate them in your artwork
along with the selfie.
3. FOR VISUAL INSPIRATION and to find the right SYMBOLS to represent your idea:
refer to the illustrations shown here OR FIND YOUR OWN IMAGES (use the ELEMENTS
from the illustrations or use the COMPOSITION of the illustrations):
 combine them in a new UNIQUE way in your artwork.
 add words to enhance your message
 do not forget, that the central element is your selfie
4. MAKE A FINAL ARTWORK IN ADOBE DRAW. UPLOAD IT TO THE GOOGLE CLASSROO
16
EXAMPLE
TABLE OF RESEARCH
Emotional health
POSITIVE:
 Strength

Hope
Physical health

Sport

Outside

Everyday life
FAMILY
 Home

Loving
Tired
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
 Hygiene


Sickness
Joy
17

Happiness


Death

Gloves

Mask

Soap
Fun


Games
NEGATIVE (self)
 Anxiety

Nervousness
18
SOCIALIZATION
 Lonely

Stress

Isolation

Empty

Endangered

Heartbroken

Sad
Financial stability:
 Jobless

Broken
19

Hopeless

Bored



Problems

Homeless

Poor
Lazy
Anger
20


Doubt

Concern

Suspense
Money
21
4. Examples of social media campaign and publications
Visual arts
GRADE 7-12
Artivism project
“Generation COVID-19”
PART 6. SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN AND BUILDING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
______________
By the North Star Academy community
1. PARTICIPATION IN THE ANNUAL UNESCO ART EDUCATION WEEK and featuring the
project in the online exhibition organized by the Canadian Society of Art Educators
https://csea-scea.ca/portfolio-item/mariya-kovalevska/
22
2. NORTH STAR ACADEMY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS AND INFOLETTERS
3. THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN IS ONGOING; the information about the project was shared
with media. New publications are expected.
23
5. Examples of students’ artworks
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31