THE ART CLASSROOM

Mortimer McPherson
Fine Artist/Art Educator
Former Chairman/JCDC Visual Arts Committee

As societies change, and as education becomes more formalized, there is greater need
to establish teaching/learning spaces to suit guided and focused creative thinking. This
space, the art classroom, is normally a physical space built onto a standard school
building. It is also advised that such a classroom be situated in a quiet zone to reduce
disturbance. For any economy to grow, young people must be taught skills which will be
of benefit to their economies.

Such skills include, but are not limited to: Drawing, painting, sculpture, designing,
printmaking, ceramics, computer graphics, screen printing, sign making and animation.

It must be understood that without competent persons in art and art related skills,
human problems such as transportation, clothing, packaging, entertainment, buildings
and simple aesthetic appreciation, can never be solved.

Every aspect of this classroom should be so structured and prepared, that all furniture,
materials and functions should be conducive for successful teaching and learning.

Every country and especially those regarded as third world and are dependent on large
first world economies should endeavour to establish such a space. Resources must be
found, policy must be set and teachers trained with the necessary competencies to take
on the task of training an army of creative young people for the future. This if they are to
survive.

Here is the place where the art students assume power over their lives, thinking,
creativity and expression; where creative expressions take shape and are made into
tangible forms; where teachers engender, nurture and develop diverse creative ideas,
and students engage themselves and each other in problem solving exercises which
can impact both personal and socially related issues.
This is the place where students build high self esteem; develop critical thinking skills;
engage in critical analysis and critical inquiry towards self awareness, technical dexterity
through the development of the psychomotor and experience academic success; build
cultural competence and develop socio-political consciousness.

The Art Classroom is therefore the place where Art Teachers view their students as
cultural experts and here become co-learners with the students.

The Art Classroom is to be the place where both teachers and students become aware
of the impact of art on present day living and seek to become a fundamental part of the
problem solving detail.

Many corporations have leading architects design their buildings and industrial
designers shape their products. Many have extensive collections of paintings to
enhance their offices or just to support the arts, murals and sculptures in reception
areas, and advertising to reflect their awareness of the changing taste of the consumer.

This book is therefore an attempt to put art in the Caribbean in a right and meaningful
perspective and to assist students and teachers alike to develop their skills in whatever
expressive form they are inclined toward. It is also an attempt to provide a basis for
understanding and evaluating the art that is being created and used now, the art of our
own time and culture.

While many processes have remained the same, much has changed. There has been
an evolution in materials and the way of working them; mechanized methods have
affected the income of the handicraft man and computer technology has changed the
way layout and graphics are done while printing has reach unprecedented levels of
quality.

The 3dimensional have moved from nature unto the computer screen and almost all
methods or art making can be simulated by machines. No longer is there need to
employ large number of persons to produce items for consumption as (CAD) Computer
Aided Designing and (CAM) Computer Aided Machining have taken over those tasks.
Thus creativity can never die, and the art classroom has become even more relevant.