Art appreciation is on display in Lindsay Johnson’s art class at Roosevelt Middle School, where students are not just making art, but also finding new ways to grow into the adults they want to be.
As students wrap up their time in art class, on this day making mugs, they gather around the center of the room with their work on display.
The students walk around the table, viewing their peers’ work and then spend the last few minutes of class talking about their process, the challenges they faced that day, and how the projects made them feel.
All of this starts with a deep and intentional breath, led by Johnson.
“Don’t we all [need a deep breath]?” Johnson asked.
Ending each class by looking at the art pieces without it being finished helps students connect with the “iceberg” of work that goes into the art.
“In general, we look at a final product and the process is hidden,” Johnson said. “And that is not just art, that is so much of life.”
Art and creativity had always had a place in Johnson’s life, as she recalled her early childhood days always active in creating things herself.
Johnson pursued that passion through a visual communication degree from the University of Kansas for graphic arts and design, which she loved but found to be lonely, as much of her day was spent in front of a screen and working alone.
A change of careers led Johnson to a classroom, where she spent a few years as an elementary teacher after receiving a master’s in arts and teaching from National Louis University and then a few more years in the technology sector as a technology specialist.
Now, as the art teacher at Roosevelt, Johnson said she has been able to “marry” those two passions.
“I love it, it is such a joyful content to teach,” Johnson said. “It is a nice break for the students … there is this innate drive in human beings to create something from nothing and I think people find a lot of satisfaction in working with their hands and I am glad that I am able to provide that space for them.”
The opportunity to have a time during a busy academic school to be “hands on” was welcomed by many students, including seventh grader James Winter.
James said it was fun to add textures to his mug, which used slabs of clay to form it body.
As he works through the process, James said he was focused on making his mug as smooth as possible and as useful as possible so he could drink from it.
Johnson is intentional about how she cultivates her students’ passions, starting each class by introducing them to a new artist or a new piece of artwork they might not have been exposed to. The passion instantly lights up in their eyes, said Johnson.
“They have their own life experiences that they equally want to put out into the world,” Johnson said. “The relationship they have with their families or their hobbies or interests. They have it and it is my job to help them pull it out.”
That intentionally can be seen by allowing students something as simple as “time.”
In a world that is very fast paced, children are also having to “keep up” with intense classes, homework, after school activities and more. In Johnson’s class, they find the luxury of time to rest and reflect, connect with themselves, and decide the type of art they want to put out into the world.
“It is so peaceful and affirming,” Johnson said. “They are so proud of themselves afterwards to make something from nothing or make something from a small seed that otherwise they didn’t have time to explore.”
Calvin Lee, a seventh grader in Johnson’s art class, said he uses this time to “let his mind loose.”
“In school, you have to think so hard,” Calvin said. “I feel like sometimes people might not think school is fun but when you have art class and other classes where you actually get to do stuff like this, it makes everybody happier.”
Through art, students are learning valuable skills they will be able to later apply to life outside of Roosevelt Middle.
“That is where I think art is not only fun and peaceful but also offers transferable skills,” Johnson said.
Through art, students learn how to problem solve, they learn how to explain their process, how to stop and reflect, and how to pivot and find a different path to the end goal if necessary.
“The course is not linear, it is all over the place,” Johnson said. “It zigs and it zags, and you are not alone.”
Part of that value is learning to share “the messy middle.”
But instilling the confidence to stand behind their work takes time, Johnson said.
“I think the shame and the fear fall away because they see they are not alone,” Johnson said. “Again, that is transferable life-like. You are not the only person struggling with the issue that you have, there is a community of others. We care about you, and we are here to support each other. We are here to support you.”
And a way students support each other at Roosevelt is through “fan mail,” little messages that other students who see the art piece address directly to the student artists, letting them know that not only was their work seen, but it was also appreciated.
“You can make something that impacts someone that you don’t even know, even when you weren’t there to see that happened,” Johnson said.
