Reflections On My First Exhibition Night

As a fan, at least for a time, of The Apprentice, I always marveled at how people, who had no idea what they doing, could pull together an event [insert event title here]. I marveled, I suppose, because I thought of the stress that would threaten to overwhelm my racing mind in that situation. Because no one likes to fail, including me.

When I first began watching, I always felt like the answers were so obvious. "Of course, you should know how to spell Liza Minnelli's name. And yes, you SHOULD have checked!" "How could he think that those cheap golf sets would appease the ultra-rich attending the golf tournament/ charity event?" Then, along came my very own season finale "charity event".

June 3rd, 2011 was my first exhibition, entitled, Who Am I? Exploring Identity Through Art. The driving questions for my project were:

• What is a museum?
• How can art tell a story?
• How does art define the artist?
• How is art a reflection of the artist?
• How does art bring people together?

On some level, how ambitious it seems to have had so many questions when one was so much to ponder. Perhaps this was my first learning lesson. Allow all the questions stirring in my mind to filter into one or two so that my outcomes can be more knowable for both students and myself. If I were to revise that list, my question would be this: How does art define the artist and what role does, or should, a museum play in facilitating this process?

Questions aside, this exhibition night was perhaps the best on the job training I have ever had. We wrote business letters inviting local community members. We invited superintendents. We planned art talks and food sales and art-making sessions led by student artists. We became docents and curators and artists. All for and because of this night.

First take away of the night: your students will amaze you. There is something unique and intangible that happens to students when they have the authentic audience that project-based learning requires. I watched some of my most struggling and painfully shy students become the most well-spoken docents I have ever seen. They wanted to show the work we had done. They wanted to lead. This came as a beautiful gift to them and to me.

Second big take away of the night: it all cannot be micromanaged. There were technical difficulties, scheduling conflicts, no-shows, and art falling. I learned quickly that deep breaths matter. Allowing the students to take control as much as possible also was helpful in allowing me to greet guests, put out fires, and enjoy moments of the evening that I could. Without question, it allowed them to better experience the night, too.

Third: parents will be supportive. Though the initial response left me worried, I was humbled and blown away by the support that arrived unexpectedly. The event could not have been the success that it was without them. Parent support from outside of classroom was also a sight to be seen. Parents of all grades came out to support our event, and shared how much they valued the evening and the work of my students. They want this kind of learning for their students and we should not be afraid to provide them with these kinds of experiences.

Fourth take away: have an exhibition night sooner. With the way my students blossomed during the event, I can't help but think of the impact it would have had on confidence, morale, and classroom performance. Next year will be different. Though... two a year is a good number to start with me thinks!

Fifth: TAKE PHOTOS! Can't believe that I forgot to assign someone to just capture this event. It would have made the memories that much more precious.

Finally, I learned that exhibition nights are as much a celebration of the work as they are a sharing of the work. The imperfections did not matter anymore. The struggles to plan and prepare were over. It was time to come together around a school and a group of proud learners.

So, this returns me to the driving question. Well, the revised one at least. How does art define the artist and what role does, or should, a museum play in facilitating this process? Art allows the artist to become his or her expressive self, the self that lies beneath the surface shaded by responsibility, obligation, and societal norms. Art allows the artist to become the person they wish to be: brave, confident, open, proud. As for museums? Well, their role is provide the forum in which artists can share this definition, or redefinition, of self, organizing the art in such a way as to draw out the greatest response from the audience. This is the conclusion I came to after watching the beautiful work of the students of Room 28.

There is much to celebrate that is going on in classrooms. Stay tuned to what we do next!