Ossie Davis once said, “Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change. It can not only move us, it makes us move.”
When I was a fourth grader walking into art class the first week of school, I laid eyes on a black and white poster of the Grand Canyon hanging on the wall opposite the entrance. The description read, “Ansel Adams: The Grand Canyon of the Southwest.” I found myself swooning over the image and pictured myself creating something just as lovely.
Unfortunately, my skills were not considered high quality. My sketches never resembled what I tried to draw. My paintings looked like that of a kindergartner. I found myself creating things that ended up in the trash. My mother was the one that dug my “art” out of the trash to hold onto. I did, however, walk away from art class that year developing an interest in photography, as well as wanting to travel to beautiful places outdoors. That following summer, due to my persistence, led to a family trip up north to the Grand Canyon. I was mesmerized by the silence, the beauty, the similarity to the first time I had seen the poster in art class.
It led to BIG, BEAUTIFUL things in my life, as I opened my world up to travel and copious amounts of time outdoors. Although my art is still comparable to a toddler, I find myself loving art museums and getting lost in the translation of each piece I come across.
This leads me to my current campus where I teach; I wanted our scholars to develop their own realizations and experiences with art. In addition to our students having art weekly, I hoped to add an additional experience to make a large impact in our community.
Enter, the “Little Art Gallery.”
The purpose of a Little Art Gallery is to share art that others may take; however, they must leave a piece of art in return for the next viewer to enjoy! It is similar to the “take a penny, leave a penny” concept. These have increasingly become popular in the last few years. Through DonorsChoose funding, I was able to receive funding for one on our campus. Our amazing art teacher, Mrs. H, created a lovely gallery to start the initiative. The look is inviting and encourages anyone to interact with it. Our campus is the first in the district to have one! The goal is for her to explain the purpose to students in all grades, K-6, so that they understand the purpose and use it in a way that is meaningful, inspires all types of art and creates community. I heard my scholars discussing it at lunch the other day, excitedly sharing what they planned to make for the gallery. “I want to sketch my puppy”, said Kaleb. “I really want to show my clay figures to everyone”, shouted Blair. Yazmin wanted to share poetry with others. Isaiah hoped that his superhero robot would be a big hit. I saw Aaliyah quietly sitting, having a moment to herself. She later shared with me that she had wanted to make a Valentines Day themed art piece to create love on campus.
As I picked up my students last week from art, I saw their work being put away and wondered, “Where will their creations lead them?”
When have you been impacted by art?
Rebecca Brinkman
Rebecca Brinkman is a third-grade teacher in Phoenix, Arizona. She has taught at the same school for her entire 15-year career. Her campus is a second home and it has a strong family feel to it. This is what draws her back every year. She is excited to begin her “Sweet 16th” year of teaching! She has taught 2nd grade for ten years and 3rd grade for five years. She has served as a team lead on her campus for six years. She earned a Masters in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University, as well as a Masters in Reading. She also earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Arizona State University. Rebecca achieved National Board Certification in the fall of 2019 in Early to Middle Childhood Literacy. She is passionate about building relationships and creating magic in the classroom for her scholars. She credits her former speech teacher as her reason for becoming an educator. She profoundly impacted her attitude towards school and self-esteem as a young student; Rebecca realized she wanted to make that same impact on children by helping them realize their strengths and pushing through personal challenges. Her second biggest passion is travel! She can often be found planning her next big adventure. She also enjoys hiking, reading, storytelling with The Moth, volunteering and bucket listing. The quote that resonates most with her is, “The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately.”
Comments 1
What an amazing idea! I would love to start one of these in my community! Art has always been so inspiring to me. I’ve always had a fascination with the Mona Lisa since my first name is Lisa and I have a little art gallery in my classroom full of paintings that my students have made for me. Thank you for sharing this!