The Chrysalis Process: Artsgenesis
by Kathleen Gaffney

I have had the privilege of speaking on a variety of arts in education issues in almost every state in the United States. Invariably, I am asked about my personal philosophy of arts education. As Founder and Artistic Director of Artsgenesis a private non-profit arts-in-education organization my philosophy runs through all our programming. I believe that the arts can make the invisible world visible through our symbol systems. I believe that the arts connect and illuminate the deep meanings which education wants to uncover but often cannot because of the demands of testing for information. I believe that subjects taught through the arts can have profound resonant meaning.

Arts in Everything: Ten years ago, I was asked to facilitate a state conference in New Mexico on the subject of inclusion for the people with disabilities. One hundred artists, and administrators from arts organizations and cultural institutions from across the state were included in a three-day session. Leaders and artists from the Lakota, Ogallala, Pueblo, Black Foot, and Navajo were also in attendance. I began my presentation and was twenty minutes into it, when one of the tribal leaders, who also was an artist, raised his hand. “Excuse me,” he said, “I mean no disrespect but those of my nation have a problem with this word art. In my language we have no word for art because it is not separate from us. You Anglos, and I mean no disrespect, have taken the art out of everything and put it over here.” He motioned to another room. “You have made it something separate. For my people, what you call art is in our breath. It is in our clothing, our food, and it is in our healing. It is in everything we do every. It is as close to me as my skin.”

This exquisite explanation captured an idea that I had always felt but had not been able to articulate. My personal mission is to encourage us to put the arts back into everything in terms of learning anyway. We, as a society, need to bridge our differences through the arts. They are the common language of our global psyche.

Utilizing the talent and passion of an artist in the classroom just makes sense. I was awarded the United States Department of Education, John Stanford—Hero in Education Award in 1998. I did research on this man John Stanford, a former US General; he was brought to the Seattle public school system as the new superintendent. The presumption was that a general could bring order and discipline to the district and it's schools and classrooms. John surprised everyone when he spent the first several weeks sitting in classrooms witnessing teaching and learning. He called a press conference and shocked everyone when he said, “A child cannot learn from a person who does not love him or her.”

We all know the truth of this statement. When an artist comes into the classroom they bring a passionate love for their art form with them. The elements of connection, making invisible visible and large doses of love that the arts supply forms a chrysalis that transforms rote learning into the magnificent, significant process we envision.

In addition to the Learning Standards, the arts standards, educational theory, higher order thinking and positive aspects of character these core beliefs inform all the work Artsgenesis creates with teachers and students. We've been doing it for twelve years and feel our journey has just begun.#

Kathleen Gaffney is President, Artsgenesis.