Sustainable Practices in the Art Room 1

Sustainable Practices in the Art Room

Brooke Bolduc

26 March 2017

University of Florida
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Purpose

It is no secret that humans have had a negative impact on the environment.

Landfills are overflowing, water supplies are polluted, and the worlds natural resources

are becoming more scarce. Abeledo & Vince Cruz (2016) explain:

The large amount of scientific evidence supporting the need to protect natural

resources has been used to try to sway society towards adopting more

sustainable practices, but the failure to execute better policies and practices is

rooted in how information is received and perceived by different members of

society (p. 260).

Many art classrooms have some sustainable procedures in place, such as

recycling paper, to reduce their carbon footprint on the world, but they still produce a

large amount of waste throughout the school year. While recycling is an important first

step that should continue to be used in the classroom, it is not the only sustainable

practice that should be utilized. In this paper, I propose other sustainable art practices

and the importance of teaching students how they can protect and save their

environment.

Background

The degradation of the environment has become a concern to many, resulting in

numerous conversations throughout the world focusing on what practices can be

utilized to reverse the damage. Taylor (1997) argues, Students are bombarded daily

through television and print with the message that their world is being destroyed, but

oftentimes, conclude that there is little they can do about it (p. 15). However, art
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education has the ability to address these issues and bridge the gap between children

and the environment by providing them with opportunities to make a difference.

Protecting and improving the environment is an important issue to address in

schools today, and it is imperative for students to develop a connection to their

environment for this to be successful. This connection instills a desire for change and

promotes the preservation of materials and resources. Inwood (2010) believes art

education and environmentalism can be combined to enhance each other and provides

examples by stating:

This could be done by modeling the environmental 3Rs (reducing, reusing, and

recycling) through waste reduction and the reuse of found materials; utilizing

sustainable approaches to artmaking such as the use of biodegradable materials

and natural processes; emphasizing the environmental content of artworks (in

addition to their artistic form and technique); and framing discussions about art to

highlight its connection to environmental concepts and issues (p.37).

Art Education and the Environment

Sustainable art practices in the classroom begin with an understanding of how art

education connects to the environment. Over time, environmental art education has had

many different aspects and focuses, ranging from nature study drawings to using art to

solve ecological issues (Ulbricht (1998). It started to gain popularity during the 1970s

and the 1980s during the post-modern movement, but has developed even further in the

contemporary art world (Inwood, 2010; Ulbricht, 1998). Per Inwood (2010),

environmental art, also referred to as eco-art or ecological art, can be used to help

activate students senses. She further explains, Eco-art education integrates art
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education with environmental education as a means of developing awareness of and

engagement with concepts such as interdependence, conservation, restoration, and

sustainability (Inwood, 2010, p. 34). In other words, environmental art education helps

students form a relationship with nature and provides them with the opportunity to use

art to make a difference and improve their environments.

Where to Begin

A first step that can be taken is helping students learn to utilize sustainable

practices until they become habit. Small steps add up to become big habits and

developing these interests and desires within students is key to a successful program.

Teachers also need to model these behaviors and be consistent with the expectations

of each policy established.

One method to begin this process is to encourage students to consistently

practice sustainable and ecologically friendly actions in the classroom, such as

producing less waste (Inwood, 2010). This requires a conscious awareness of how

much is being consumed. As mentioned before, recycling is important, but Taylor (1997)

believes it can actually lead to more consumption, resulting in recycling centers having

the same issues with overflow as landfills. Instead, art teachers should be cognizant of

how many supplies they offer for student use so students are more mindful of how much

theyre using or the amount of waste theyre producing.

Another method is to attempt to use more natural materials and less highly

processed materials (Abeledo & Vince Cruz, 2016). This not only reduces cost, but also

reduces the carbon footprint that is commonly associated with art-making due to the

heavily processed materials. My point isnt to throw out the processed materials, but
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rather to practice incorporating more natural materials within artworks. The more natural

the material, the smaller the carbon footprint.

A final method I will suggest is to make simple changes in the classroom that will

reduce waste. Some examples are switching from paper towels to fabric hand towels

and utilizing scrap paper bins for students to reuse recycled paper. These two things

alone will significantly decrease the amount of unnecessary trash that accumulates

daily. It also promotes reusing recyclables instead of discarding them in the same

manner one would discard garbage.

Conclusion

Sustainable practices are an important addition to the art room because they

help teach students environmentally friendly practices and cut down on waste. It These

beginning steps are an ideal way to begin incorporating sustainable practices in the art

room, but the possibilities are endless. Eventually sustainable practices will become

second nature and both students and teachers will think of new, innovative methods to

protect the environment.

Critical Intervention Plan

In order to advocate for the implementation of more sustainable practices in art

rooms, I would develop a presentation for the other art teachers in my county discussing

the importance of sustainability. My presentation would include the above listed ideas

and examples of challenges and successes I encountered in my classroom. I would

also challenge them to change some of their own practices to model the behavior they

wish to see in their students. Its important to start small and add new ideas as practice

becomes habit.
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References

Abeledo, R. B. & Vince Cruz, C. C. E. (2016). Environmental reviews and case studies:

Art, environment, and sustainability: Case studies on the Philippine art

practice. Environmental Practice, 18(4), 260-266.

Hays, S. (1981). The environmental movement. Journal of Forest History, 25(4), 219-

221.

Inwood, H. (2010). Shades of green: Growing environmentalism through art

education. Art Education, 63(6), 33-38.

Taylor, P. G. (1997). It all started with the trash: Taking steps toward sustainable art

education. Art Education, 50(2), 13.

Ulbricht, J. (1998). Changing concepts of environmental art education: Toward a

broader definition. Art Education, 51(6), 22-34.