What does it mean to be an arts educator? American education, in many subjects, ultimately revolves around being suited for a career. In some sense, every part of our education is preparing us to be good at working rather than thinking both creatively and critically. Arts education is not exempt from this type of pedagogy; even if there are less rigid worksheets and tests, there is still a notion of what it means to be a “good” artist within the classroom. Art is oftentimes created for monetary gain, and bought and sold by some of the most powerful people in the world. An example of this is Leon Black, the former chairman of MoMA who had ties with the Trump administration and Jeffery Epstein. Art has the power to fuel harmful systems if the motives behind it are not to bring power back to those who need it most. As educators, it is important to further ignite the tradition of creating art that has the power to dismantle the harmful structures in the world rather than uphold them. Teaching is about helping students create a better world for themselves, one where they have the ability to have strong and hopeful communities. That can be achieved through art, but only if it is taught effectively. The following pages of this zine outline new ways to teach art that center student experiences and push students to imagine the better future that they deserve.

(Cover Banner Art by Ricardo Levins Morales)