Mx. Park's Biography
Jess Park previously taught visual arts at William P. Nixon Elementary School. Prior to that, Jess taught at Northern Virginia Community College, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and at various schools and nonprofits throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. They have been awarded fellowships from the Center for the Study of Modern Art at The Phillips Collection, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Portland Art Museum. Their work in expanded learning has been recognized nationally for its innovation by the service organization EmcArts and locally for its wholeheartedness by Community Consolidated School District 21.
In addition to having curated gallery exhibitions throughout the country, Jess has produced photoshoots for notable brands including The New York Times Magazine and American Express. They have been invited by major institutions, such as the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, the Oregon Museum Association, and Portland State University, to present their research publicly. Their essays, which have been published by Routledge, the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, and the Daily Herald, further evince their art expertise and staunch advocacy of literacy.
Jess earned their MA in Art History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and their BFA with an Emphasis in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Course Description
“If what you want is a change in policy, you’re not likely to get it from art [...] But if what you want is a vision of the structures that produce both the policies we’ve got and the desire for alternatives to them, art is almost the only place you can find it.” - Walter Benn Michaels, The Beauty of a Social Problem
Generating clear and powerful images, objects, and texts bolsters a student's agency to inspire profound change. Accordingly, students will formulate their own artistic inquiries to scrutinize the designs and images that brace their daily lives, constitute history, and represent divergent cultures. They will gain technical skills in various fields of design (e.g., architecture, fashion, typography, etc.) and explore 2D, 3D, and 4D media. To broaden their means of expression and discernment, students also will examine visual cultures from a global perspective.
Classroom Ethos
- Academic standards are made accessible and relevant to all students.
- Work habits matter more than talent. Talent is merely a skill that has been refined through practice. Everyone can learn a skill and get better at it through practice.
- Work is iterative; feedback is diagnostic.
- Truth, corroborated evidence, and cogent reasoning frame all communication and messaging.
- Logical consequences enforce both personal accountability and collective stewardship of classroom resources. If a student repeatedly misuses materials or tools, for example, they may lose access to those resources and complete a pencil-only assignment instead.
- ABCF mantra: Always be curious first. Feeling angry? Ask yourself why you are having such an intense reaction to your current situation.
- We strive to achieve mastery goals, not performance goals. (See the linked PDF under "For Parents.")
- We are justice-driven problem solvers, not tattlers. We talk to people, not about people.
Art Class Affirmations
Building a skill takes time and effort. I will put in the time and be persistent. I understand discomfort, frustration, and failure are all parts of the process. If I avoid these things, I prevent learning. I will make mistakes, and they--along with the feedback I receive--will teach me. I can and will do hard things!
Behavioral Expectations
Posts
Students in grades 6-8 are starting their unit on architecture with perspectival drawing. They're documenting their progress and notes in a student-created sketchbook.
A plan, a revision, and the final iteration
Alone the students only had enough time to create a character at most. As a team, they were able to build an entire world!
A first grader generating a plan with their partner to ascertain a common vision: the Love Tower
Teamwork makes the dream work! Students in grades K-2 mapped out the concept of teamwork by describing its characteristics and brainstorming ways to solve disagreements. Students then worked in pairs to practice explaining their thinking, sharing materials, making decisions collectively, and ascertaining and achieving a common goal.
A different student used a toy as a part and source of inspiration for their drawing.
- VA:Cr2.1.K.a. Through experimentation, build skills in various media and approaches to artmaking.
- VA:Cr1.1.K.a. Engage in exploration and imaginative play with materials.
- VA:Cr1.1.1.a. Engage collaboratively in exploration and imaginative play with materials.
K-2: Experimenting with various media and approaches to artmaking
During week two, students in primary school reused materials salvaged from the former Makerspace to explore sculpting via self-directed learning. Many thanks, Ms. Petropoulos!
For the first week of school, students discussed class expectations by completing a social-emotional learning lesson on responsible decision-making. They collaborated with their peers to strategize how best to communicate visually their analysis of the purpose and implications of art studio norms. Click on the picture to zoom in to check out the details of each drawing!
