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Background

This activity was developed for use by schools attending the 2011 Ethical Literacy® Conference for an evening expedition to the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska.

Relates to

• Schools of Integrity finding “Critical Thinking Skills Driving and Connecting Learning”

Objectives

• To find the connection between art and ethics

Audience

Administrators, faculty, and students

Timing

Allow for at least 60 minutes

Preparation

Prepare “Art Walk Cards” that include the Activity and Prompts included below. Explain to participants the process in advance and ask if they have any questions. Pay attention to see if you need to assist in the grouping process explained in Activity step 2.

Activity

Step 1. Select a collection (culture, style, or period) or particular exhibition from the museum’s vast array of art works.

Step 2. Identify and join a small group of other participants who have expressed an interest in observing art from the same collection or exhibit. Briefly discuss your selection and agree to support each other during a concluding reflective conversation while at the museum.

Step 3. Once at the museum, spend some time away from your group and select one art work that speaks to you ethically. It may represent a core value, a right-versus-right dilemma already encountered, or an event in history. Use the prompts below to guide your observation.

Step 4. Now rejoin your group and revisit each member’s selected art work. Share reasons why your selection appealed to you ethically. Once you’ve shared your perceptions of the work, invite group members to continue the conversation on your selection. Repeat this process with each group member until you’ve viewed and discussed each selection.

Step 5. Finally, as a group, explore relationships between the works of art.

• How does this work relate to other works selected by your group from an ethical viewpoint?
• How does one work change when seen in context with other works of art?
• How has this experience helped you to recognize that diverse audiences may perceive different ethical meanings and reactions when engaging with same works of art?
• What evidence in the work of art indicates that the artist acted ethically to contribute to improvement locally, regionally, globally?

Prompts

Initial Reaction

• What is your initial reaction to this work of art?
• What is the first thing you notice? Where does your eye go first? Why?
• What do you find interesting about this work? What does it say to you?

The Label

• Read the label. What is the title of the piece? What does it tell you about the work?
• Look at the date. When was it made? How does this inform your interpretation?
• What other label information can provide clues to the work of art?

Objective Observation

• Suspending judgment, consider everything you see in the work of art. What do you see?

Subjective Observation

• What does the work of art make you think about?
• How does it make you feel?
• How would you describe this work of art to someone who has never seen it?
• How does the artist use materials, subject matter, color, composition to communicate his/her ideas?

Reflection

See Activity Step 5.

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Objective

What’s the connection between self expression and ethics?  Could adolescents’ natural need to express themselves and to explore self-expression (through music, visual arts and other forms) be a way to encourage more thinking about “what’s right?”

Audience, Timing, & Preparation

Audience: Students

Timing: Long-term project

Preparation: Be prepared to allow students to discover what speaks to them (see, NOTE).  Provide your own “snapshot of what speaks to you” as a model. Collect examples to use with future audiences.

Activity

Students need to share a piece of artwork with their group.  The assignment is:  “Present a snapshot of artwork that ‘speaks to you’ about one or more of the ethical values of our school” (see, NOTE)

Once students understand the kinds of art you want them to explore, remind them of the assignment:  “Present a snapshot of artwork that ‘speaks to you’ about one or more of the ethical values of our school. Your snap shot can be a stanza, scene, segment, or any other excerpt that demonstrates why you chose it.” Ask students to prepare responses to these questions:

• How did you discover this art?
• Do you think this art speaks to very few or lots of people your age? Why or why not?
• Which core ethical values does this artwork represent to you, and why?
• Does this artwork remind you about anything from your own life, or inspire your hopes and dreams?  Explain.
• If you could talk to this artist, what questions would you ask and what would you want to say?

Reflection

Return for updates on artwork from time to time – do responses to the above questions change over time?

When to Use

You may need to provide time to study art generally first, but once underway this activity could be used to keep the teacher updated on art trends and student interests periodically across the year.

Note

Students may need some time to learn or think about/explore what to share. As a first step, talk to your students about what “counts” as art, or what they consider “art”, if the broad definition is “any form of expression that is meaningful.” This is an opportunity to find out what art forms your students are engaging with (if any) to make sense of the world and their lives. If they can’t think of any “artwork” that “speaks to them”, take your time in helping them to explore and connect with human kind through the arts! Encourage them to consider a Facebook Photo, a YouTube excerpt, art from an online gallery, an acceptable “graphic novel” excerpt (Maus by Art Spiegelman is an example) or any form of “traditional art” like music, paintings, literature etc.

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© 2010 Institute for Global Ethics. All rights reserved.

This activity as part of the Ethical Literacy® program, includes implementation and communication strategies of the Institute for Global Ethics® and its education program. Further, it uses components of the Institute’s trademarks and copyrights including Ethical Fitness®, Moral Courage™, and Ethics Newsline®. You may not copy, quote, or publish these materials without our written permission. Please contact us if you would like permission.