Contemporary art should be an essential piece of your curriculum, no matter what subject or level you teach, as contemporary artists are dealing with issues that are happening now- their relevance and diversity (and availability to actually contact and consult) is an amazing resource. Imagine having a skype or email dialogue with a contemporary artist and your students as you explore their work together!
Some topics may seem too big, complex, or challenging to teach- but you can start small. Start with questions and big ideas. Simply observing slowly, and carefully with all of your senses, is sufficient. You do not need to have a background in art-making or art history to engage with art on a personal level. Some scripts for guiding observations can be found through Visual Thinking Strategies. Your response to art is correct, even if it does not match the text explaining the work in a book or on a gallery wall.
There are few ready-made contemporary lessons out there for art educators - especially at the elementary level, but prefab lessons are rarely valuable without adaptation, anyway. As teachers, we know that a good, original lesson requires a little research leg-work! There are many rich resources to tap, such as Art21, and the wonderful (cheekily-titled) book Why Your Five-Year-Old Could Not Have Done That, by Susie Hodge. The SFMOMA also has a great selection of resources to peruse! Keep popular art blogs like Colossal on your reading lists to spark inspiration and keep your finger on the pulse of what’s new.
A study of contemporary art doesn’t need to be so stoic and formal (as so many of us have been taught to act in a museum). Humor and play go a long way in creating comfort with pieces that can be inherently hilarious, or diffuse the intensity of provocative topics!
In keeping with the idea of play, I’ve developed this project that engages my students, colleagues, and friends with contemporary art in the form of a game. With the guidance of knowledgeable art historian and art educator friends, and with my fabulous graphic designer husband, I humbly present “Contemporary Art Guess Who… aka Guess That Contemporary Art”!