Julia Karll + Learning Labs for Educators

grey/re(a)d: in response
June 23 – August 1, 2008

Essential Questions
What is truth? What is a lie? How do you know what you know? What is reported? How do statistics impact your daily life? How does media impact your daily life? How does the news make you feel and what do you do with those feelings? What does art do? Why do artists choose the materials they work with? How can I have hope knowing what I know?

Julia Karll worked with six art teachers in PlatteForum’s first Learning Labs for Educators. Under her guidance they transformed the gallery into an environment that expresses the daunting challenge of finding hope while immersed in the tragic context of world events that surround us. Karll grounds the gallery at one end with Knotted, a rope of twisted newspaper threads that creates a huge “intestinal-like” knot hovering above the gallery floor. Here, the sheer scale and beauty of the material is contrasted by the weight of event content reported. The suspended knot hangs in front of a wall covered by thousands of hand-written headlines that reflect world events during each of the 39 days of her PlatteForum residency. Karll seems to ask the question: how does one get through the day and still have hope?

Seven individual sculptural works created by the teachers lead the viewer through the gallery to the Knotted. Each of these works use the raw material of newspapers, video, audiotape, and mixed media to interpret the theme.  Combining new materials with traditional latch-hook, crochet, embroidery, and book art techniques, the artists worked collaboratively to create an environment which expresses not only how the news stories are a part of our everyday lives, but their deep and lasting effect. Artist statements for all the work can be downloaded.

Lesson plans were created that can be used in their classroom to address the essential question addressed in the workshop. These lesson plans can be downloaded and used as inspiration by teachers and after-school facilitators. Each participant received three certificate credits and/or graduate credits for the course.
Two participants used the lesson plans in their classrooms. To see the results of their work, click here!

Learning Lab participants and their work:
pressure ≥  mass + media,
 by Laura Zoromski, Clear Lake Middle School
by Cheryl Wilsey-Cleveland, Littleton Preparatory Charter School
by Marcy Mitchell, Bruce Randolph
turn and repeat,
 by Noelle Jung, Blessed Sacrament School
cairn: marking the path.
  by Beth Erlander, Florence Crittenton School
false statements, words they sent home,
 by Theresa Ducayet Clowes, Colorado Academy 
 by Judy Anderson, Artistic Director, PlatteForum

Special thanks to
Diane Krough, University of Northern Colorado; Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins; Karen Saenz, Your Beveragemeister; Gourmet Fine Catering, Darby Donahue, owner