This is the first of two days of my annual Teaching Artist Conference at the wonderful Grounds for Sculpture near Trenton, NJ. As a Young Audiences roster artist, I try to take advantage of these opportunities to meet up with fellow TA’s. It was nice to reconnect with a bunch of these familiar faces.
The first session was the ‘state of the arts’ presentation from the bureaucrats in NJ state education field. Seems things are staying level, though they still have their jobs. Edu-speak….
The afternoon sessions included a Pechakuchas session – each artist had 20 minutes to present 20 images in a power point. An interesting way to get snapshot of each artist’s work.
The second one seemed interesting: The Use of Reflection and Questions in Responding to Arts Education. I was hoping to use the session to hone my reflection skills here on this blog. But, not to be. It was more about asking the right questions after a performance or residency, a useful tool, but somewhat apart from my needs. Still, it was a chance to interact with other artists.
I opted for the third session, a ‘walk-in salon’, a chance to share ideas and work with fellow TA’s. There was only one other artist there, so we chatted about our work, but not much more than that.
I took some time to browse the fabulous sculpture on site. Seward Johnson’s pieces all over the place, including several three-story installations, including Marilyn Monroe.
There was a get-together over snacks and beverages in a pleasant outdoor cafe. A good chance to catch up with Young Audience staff and some other kids’ musicians.
A rush hour drive back to Bethlehem, somewhat energized from the day, but more so the Grounds for Sculpture atmosphere.