Lessons from the junk drawer: Possibilities for sustainability in art education

Authors

  • Jackie Stendel Mcgill

Keywords:

art education, environmental education, new materialism, environmental crisis, material culture

Abstract

From planetary warming and natural disasters to pollution and community unrest, the sensorium of the climate crisis pervades our daily life. Art education has the potential to help us better understand the sensory reality of the climate crisis. However, the materials used in artistic creation are ecologically unsustainable and therefore may hinder learner’s connection to ecology. Through exploring the metaphor of the junk drawer, the author positions materials as potential teachers and, subsequently, as important parts of meaningful teaching and learning. The article explores the pedagogical impacts of different art materials while arguing that sustainable materials can lead to eco-consciousness for educators and students. 

 

Author Biography

Jackie Stendel, Mcgill

is an award-winning art educator and community organizer from Tkaronto/Toronto, currently living in Tiohtiá:ke/Montréal. They hold a BFA in Art Education from Concordia University and an MA from McGill University in Education and Society. Enchanted by the more-than-human world, Jackie investigates foraged and found objects as pedagogical agents and potential collaborators through material inquiry, art-creation, writing, and education. They have presented their research in several conferences such as the CSSE, EGSS, and the RBJSE, have taught countless workshops across Canada, shared their artworks in numerous group and solo shows, and have received numerous grants to undergo their research and art practice, such as the SSHRC and the PFF. Due to a deep passion for environmentalism and community, Jax founded C.R.O.W – a network for community members to trade materials destined for the landfill for future use. This group has now expanded into a community of 3K+ individuals who are brought together through frequent trading, exhibitions, and online workshops. Currently, Jax is developing Root-to-Branch, an organization that features arts-based environmental programs for youth and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. jacqueline.stendel@mail.mcgill.ca   

References

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Published

2022-03-31

How to Cite

Stendel, J. (2022). Lessons from the junk drawer: Possibilities for sustainability in art education . McGill Journal of Education / Revue Des Sciences De l’éducation De McGill, 57(2). Retrieved from https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/10041

Issue

Vol. 57 No. 2 (2022)

Section

Notes from the Field

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