Summary of Project Findings

Interviews of community members:

There seems to be a disconnect between community members and the arts. Most of the parents that we interviewed on the street stated that they are aware of communal arts sites in Newark (i.e. NJPAC, NSA, and the Newark Museum), but they have never been to these sites with or without their children.

Street Art:

We found one street artist painting name banners, painted trashcans, banners hanging on the streetlight poles, historical sculptures, and music playing at street vendors. These forms of street art seem to all convey aspects of advertisement, but they are also reflective of the community of Newark and the current trends of society.

Interviews with teachers:

We interviewed a bunch of teachers at the Arts High School. All of the teachers we interviewed seemed very passionate about teaching. The teachers incorporate elements of the arts into their classroom curriculum. One math teacher gave us an example of teaching math functions using balls of clay. The teachers also ranted and raved about the disconnect between the support of the parents and the arts.

Teachers also commented about the struggle between the teachers, who want to teach our of the box, and the administration. One teacher said, "they [the administration] want you to teach out of the box, but they keep putting you back in! I carry a box cutter!" This teacher continued to say that teachers teach out of fear; fear of getting fired if they do something wrong, fear of budget cuts, etc.

Teachers also explained that there is a strong disconnect between the parents and arts education. Economic reasons alone prevent parents and their families from seeing their children in school performances. Also, parents do not see a the arts as an area that is suitable for making money. Consequently, students do not respond well to out-of-class field trips to the Newark Museum.

The Arts High School was very inspiring for me, a future art teacher. It was such a great experience, and the students and teachers were so friendly and helpful.