The Other Side of the Presentation Story

This week, I wrote a brief post discussing the graffiti presentation that I was a part of on Saturday; I also ended up adding a comment clarifying Elizabeth Morin’s role in the workshop (sorry Liz! – and no, this was not in response the first commentor, despite what she may have thought). Unfortunately, there is more to the conference story: to be blunt, this wasn’t a very good presentation, in my opinion. Mark is almost too generous in calling the presentation “mediocre” (though his story of what happened after is a fun read if you’re feeling especially spunky).

The presentation was exactly what it was – an overview of graffiti and ways it can be incorporated in schools. Elizabeth was on point with what she was to say, the two artists did an exceptional job at demonstrating expertise. However, the presentation never engaged the audience and I don’t think Mark or I did our best to bring all of these elements together to create the kind of critical dialogue around graffiti that we were able to do at our first presentation on this work back in October. Of late, Mark and I have been going back and forth on our respective blogs about graffiti and our thought process in creating the curriculum Mark is currently teaching and that I’ll be teaching in three weeks.

I agree wholeheartedly that there needs to be the critical discussion that was missing last week. Largely, this is what the curriculum that we’ve created is about. There are no absolutes (graffiti is…, it’s good when it is used for …). This project stemmed from personal interest in getting students to think critically about their surroundings and the possibilities of these surroundings – isn’t that what all this talk of Critical P. is really about?

I’m not going to stew any further over the presentation. I don’t think it was able to convey the critical topics in graffiti I would have wanted to have discussed if I was a participant in my own workshop – it was a cursory overview, it probably didn’t add a whole lot of useful resources for budding teachers, and it didn’t get to the root of why and how the curriculum is going where it will go.

2 thoughts on “The Other Side of the Presentation Story

  1. paul zies

    I could not disagree with you more. Graffiti has no place in any school…period. The particular style of painting that is used by a majority of taggers is an art form, grand, let students express themselves on a suitable canvas. It is irresponsible to continue to foster or nurture the long-romanticized and glorified practice of defacing public property by way of graffiti. Even if a tagger were to use oil & acrylic to create a recreation of “The Mona Lisa” or “Water Lillies” on a wall behind a Ralph’s grocery it’s still defacing public property and it is still disrespectful. My point is that the term graffiti has a negative conotation, teach art in school, let students express themselves through art; however, do not continue to glorify the inane act of defacing property that does not belong to the student. It is not a cultural rite, it is not acceptable, and it should not be encouraged. Encourage art, encourage a street style BUT NEVER encourage a young mind to begin down a road where cowardice, disrespect, and blind territorial allegiance can land them in a box. You are a teacher, teach your students that to express themselves on property that isn’t their own-“graffiti”-is disrespectful.

    I would like it very much if you would respond to this note. I would like to take you on a walking tour of my neighborhood (Valley Village) to show you how taggers have marred our landscape.

    Paul Zies
    [phone number removed]

  2. Mark Meza-Overstreet

    Graffiti in Southern California can be a dangerous act. People have been killed for painting graffiti and for painting over it. Millions of our tax dollars are spent to take down what vandals put up. Teach art as a way to express oneself. Teach core values of respect for property. I have been an educator (school counselor) for over 30 years (with many honors). I let it be known that gang activity (appearance included) and graffiti is not acceptable behavior. I paint over graffiti in my neighborhood and have a cautious eye for gang members who might harm me in the process. We, the good citizens of the neighborhood will be in control, not the taggers and gangs.
    We all have the power of choice. We need to teach our students to make wise decisions.
    Teach the history of graffiti and the reasons for graffiti. Anyone who teaches or encourages our youth to vandalize should not be credentialed.

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