I strongly believe the media is a stronger force than Susan Walton. I wish I could say that the fundamentals that I put out there in the course of a day make a difference to the students. But I look along with them at the media and try to dovetail art class with media. At one point it seemed like every day there was another hurricane, fire, flooding — another tragedy. If you want to stop this tragedy, what would you do — in social action, as a social activist — we need to be that as artists. So in that sense, I, Susan Walton, did it. I do social action in relation to art — I have the students make a sign, a poster, take some action for themselves, for their community, to empower them in an aesthetic way. They must have some have some sensibility about it.
I would like to give kids a sense of entrepreneurial spirit and engagement in their work. I noticed at the end of the year they were thirsty for work — people of color, in particular teens; there are very few jobs for them. It’s because their skin is a different color? And I didn’t understand that fully until I heard them speak and would talk to them. We would go places and see that it was the Caucasians and Asians who had the jobs.
My greatest hope is to give youth the choice of making money through art v drugs. If I could help them see that as a vehicle, that would be a step in fighting the war on drugs. I would say — you can make T-shirts. I wrote a grant: “Create Your Destiny” — to get money for airbrushing: for murals, graffiti — but also for clothing – Hip-hop — airbrushed clothing very popular with the teens.
Gang warfare and drugs — that’s where it’s all moving towards. It comes from poverty. When you drive in the streets, (our streets of the flatlands) you understand there are poor, poor, poor people. And if an entrepreneurial Mexican vendor is selling corn, he knows how to make money. That pushcart guy or the ice cream vendor — now, if we can get the students to do something similar — create a commodity for their community, that can put money in their pocket. If the city officials can create certain hours for a teen a peddler’s license. This would be great! Once they have sense of upward mobility, that they will be empowered.
I met with the school psychologist who deals with our youth. They think about flashy cars, we discussed; but they need a house first. They need to learn to save and manage the money they earn. They need to know how to use money if they learn to be entrepreneurs.
I set up an exhibit of kids dressed up: the other kids were in party clothes, ours were in grunge, hoodies. I took pictures. I was fun. I want to give them more of those experiences.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee sought out the school (Castlemont was so big and always ignored because it was in the most impoverished area.) Lee had her team of aides and caseworkers all go to her district schools and invited them to the Artistic Discovery event. Caseworkers came — I sent one of my best artists and also an incredible football star to escort the caseworker through the school, he gave her his whole history — so we made an incredible contact.
Student art is juried. The selected student gets to attend an awards dinner, for all Congressmen/ Congresswomen staff and parents in Washington, D.C. and they have artworks hanging there in the tunnel of the mall for a year and then go back to the students. Even though our students did not win, they participated and understood more of social action through the arts. Barbara Lee loves our school because there are students of color who are not getting recognized. She wants action in this area.
The next caseworker called to invite me to help organize the next exhibition as it was going to be at the Chiodo Studios in West Oakland which will be the largest outdoor sculpture this side of the Mississippi (Fall-opening 2010) So we have an immediate political voice through Barbara Lee. If I had to get help, in a crisis, she’s that close and very connected to support the arts.
For AIDS, there was an education campaign, and local business leaders and foundations set up— inaugural contests and scholarships. I jumped on it. So the kids learn about AIDS, the contests increased the amount of scholarship money, the campaign increased the educational component with science. We did an experiential thing — used test tubes so students could see the exchange of fluids and what that does to you. These are tough- tough city kids. I said, “Get a test tube and come up here.” They all jumped up and did it — this is AIDS — it was a visual — and they shook up all the test tubes. The fluids got cloudier. “That’s what happens if you don’t use protection.” That’s why you have to do this contest and get the word out and help solve this disease.
Another resource for the building to have an arts teacher implement this information. The principal might not have his job next year. This district is state-managed, everything is up in the air. There’s a new superintendent, the fiscal manager still under the state.
Administrations tend to come and go – teachers tend to stay constant. Kids need that consistency and continuity. They don’t have that at home.
There’s a high turnover in staff, that’s detrimental to a school and for high-school. The staff is about 20, maybe 8 will return. That’s tough for a school.
