As G. Roy Levin phrased it within his guiding principles for the program:
"Self-actualization should be encouraged through a student – centered pedagogy where the students create their own individualized curriculum."
In an effort to help the VCFA administration understand the depth of this statement, please describe what student-centered pedagogy means to you by using your own experiences in the program. It would be helpful if you can illustrate an aspect of this which you believe may not have been possible elsewhere.
About Me
- Visual Artists of Vermont College
- Visual Artists of Vermont College was created by MFA-V alumni as a collective comprised of visual artists and visual art scholars working to ensure that the founding pedagogy of the MFA in Visual Art program remains firmly in place, now and in the future, at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
First, thanks Craig for providing a forum in which to catalogue our shared experience of Vermont College.
ReplyDeleteProbably the most important aspect of a student-centered, individualized curriculum for me was the opportunity to participate in a truly meaningful way in my own learning path. Vermont College offered me a unique opportunity to have an equal voice in shaping where and how my art practice would grow and expand, with enough prods and pushes from faculty and peers to really research some long held ideas (and prejudices) about art, artists, and the art world that I had before entering the program. Such an unusual approach made it feel safe for me to question literally everything and partner with others to explore alternatives that I alone in my solitary art practice would not have had the foresight or the opportunity to explore. This pedogogy shifted my paradigm of not only art...but life. Part of the pleasure and the pain of this approach was to find myself in a very uncomfortable yet exhilarating place of questioning the status quo and that helped me look at many aspects of art and art practice that I was either too timid or too afraid to look at on my own. This business of incorporating self actualization, stringent honesty, and fearlessness in my art was a new and heady experience for me. It led to a much broader and much more informed view of how art has affected the world in significant ways. My process was challenging in the extreme, but also immensely satisfying. I don't believe that any other program or process could ever have opened up my practice in such a significant way. The diversity of opinions, solutions, ideas, and methods of this program and pedogogy are what offered me such a rich experience. Unlike other programs that offer somewhat dated fundamentals of art theory and practice, The Vermont College program offered me a chance to investigate the shifting political, socio-economic, psychological, anthropological forces behind today's art world. That view is unique, I believe. Because of participating in such a program, my on-going practice of art has shifted. I have formed a group of plein air painters (The Painted Ladies) in my community that explore, celebrate, and actively protect the pristine environments we wish to paint in the Pacific Northwest. Besides building community, we act as a safeguard for future generations of lovers of natural beauty by fighting clear cutting forests, pesticide run-off issues, invasive plant species, and over zealous developers as we work to preserve the view for future generations. We also guide painters and non-painters alike to the dangers of toxic paints and substances in the practice of art that hurt everyone, and instruct students how to preserve the natural habitat of our beautiful natural places. Besides that...we have a lot of fun socializing and forming great friendships. I would not have approached my art practice in this way if it weren't for the ideas and opportunities afforded me by G Roy Levin's and Jessica Lutz's safeguarding of this unique experiment that is Vermont College. Graduates of the MFA-V program do not only achieve a scholastic degree but are afforded the opportunity to spread that philosophy throughout our various practices. For that opportunity, I am forever grateful.
Sharon McCameron Whyte, MFA
February, 2005