Art education is based on personal and conversational collaboration in order to produce work that presents an intimate view into the perspective of the artist. These aspects are integral to the creation of art, but also place students, the artists, at risk during the Coronavirus pandemic. This school year has brought about a plethora of changes to the ways in which students learn at Northern High School, but these changes can most directly be seen through the adjustments that the art department has made to adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines.
During previous years, if one walked past Mrs. Brink’s classroom, they would hear gregarious laughter or conversation as students collaborated on their projects, while simultaneously utilizing their time to socialize and relax, but the circumstances of the 2020-2021 school year have drastically changed the culture and curriculum within Mrs. Brink’s classroom. It is evident, by the classrooms devoid of students, that class sizes have decreased drastically since prior years. This decrease in students can be attributed to a large number of students choosing to move to virtual schooling this year because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Not only do the hallways feel empty within Northern High School, but many classrooms have fewer desks in order to maintain social distancing, such as Mrs. Brink’s classroom, which now has merely fourteen desks compared to the twenty-seven desks that were used last year. Another change brought about by social distancing guidelines and COVID-19 pertains to the curriculum of many art classes in the high school. Mrs. Brink noted that during “normal years” there is a lot more student choice in regards to projects within class. Also, she has had to assign smaller projects so students are able to take them home to work on during their asynchronous days, while resolving the difficulty that bringing home school issued materials presents to students. Mrs. Brink has adapted her classroom to ensure that students can safely utilize tools to create their art by devising a system where each student gets their own drawer to store their own materials, which reduces the physical sharing of tools. These changes reflect the physical adjustments within the art department to comply with Coronavirus safety recommendations.
Despite the limitations that the Coronavirus pandemic has placed on this school year and the art department, it is still important that students are able to create their own artwork and exercise their imagination. During this time of social distancing, many students may have trouble coping with the isolation that they are experiencing, whether from not seeing their friends in school or being unable to participate in activities that they normally enjoy. The isolation that many people are encountering can be dealt with through art. It is known that artistic methods can promote mental well-being, which is formally known as art therapy, and help people process their emotions. The use of art to promote mental health is essential during the Coronavirus pandemic as psychological distress may be negatively affecting Americans and students within Northern. The stress and chaos that are results of COVID-19 must be combated with comfort through the arts, which many students actively participate in. The benefits of an art education to the well-being of the students of Northern High School demonstrates the importance of the art department and how a holistic education can improve one’s well-being.
Pictured is art, which was created by last year's seniors, that was not able to be showcased because of the cancellation of the spring art show. The artwork in the top row from left to right was created by Sydney Grimm and Avery Keys. The pieces in the bottom row from left to right were made by Taylor Hoffman and Jackson Hazen. These images were provided by Mrs. Brink.
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