quilt making in art education: toward a participatory curriculum metaphor

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National Art Education Association Quilt Making in Art Education: Toward a Participatory Curriculum Metaphor Author(s): Linda F. Ettinger and Elizabeth Hoffman Source: Art Education, Vol. 43, No. 4 (Jul., 1990), pp. 40-47 Published by: National Art Education Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193214 . Accessed: 15/06/2014 14:26 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . National Art Education Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Art Education. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 185.2.32.28 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 14:26:59 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

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National Art Education Association

Quilt Making in Art Education: Toward a Participatory Curriculum MetaphorAuthor(s): Linda F. Ettinger and Elizabeth HoffmanSource: Art Education, Vol. 43, No. 4 (Jul., 1990), pp. 40-47Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193214 .

Accessed: 15/06/2014 14:26

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

National Art Education Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to ArtEducation.

http://www.jstor.org

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Linda F. Ettinger and Elizabeth Hoffman

Quilt Making in Art Education:

Toward a Participatory Curriculum Metaphor

Introduction Art educators Collins and Sandell (1984) clearly describe numerous categories of sexual bias that have existed historically in many art education programs in higher education. At the same time, they identify a trend in which "... institutions of higher education have begun to provide a richer more accurate picture of western art for students preparing to be artists and have begun to offer special courses in which women students can discover their heri- tage as women artists" (p. 86). One result has been a dramatic increase in the num- bers of courses available nationally that address the topic of women in art. Collins and Sandell list four areas of women's studies courses in art, including those centered around studio art, art history, sociological women's issues, and art education. It appears that these bounda- ries are blending in many courses today, and certainly in the course described in this article. Before these courses become prematurely standardized, it is important to examine not only what is being taught, but to whom, and with what results.

The purpose of this article is to examine a curriculum experiment in a university art education course titled Women and Their Art.1 The goal in this experiment was to examine ways in which classroom dynam- ics and educational outcomes were affected by the introduction of a quilt making project. The role of the quilt as both a key curriculum component and an appropriate structural metaphor for a more participatory, and thus balanced, approach

'The course is offered in the Department of Art Education, University of Oregon.

to art education is presented. The following topics are addressed: (a) historical func- tions of quilts and women's roles in society, (b) the evolution of a participatory curricu- lum, and (c) the educational outcomes identified by both students and faculty. The dynamic ecological nature of these three topics is constructed.

Quilts and Women: Historical Functions and Contemporary Roles As noted by the art critic Lippard, quilting is neither a new form of communication nor a unique metaphor for aspects of women's lives. She states, "the quilt has become the prime visual metaphor for women's lives, for women's culture" (Gouma-Peterson and Mathews, 1987, p. 333). Women have been culturally associated with various forms of textile production throughout recorded history. Biblical sources tie the "virtuous woman" with those "who seeketh wool and flax" and "maketh coverings in tapestry" (Proverbs 31: 10-25). This association continued and strengthened in the United States through the 19th century, when prowess at needlework was associ- ated with marriageability and worthiness. A young woman who could not sew was at best considered odd and certainly not ready for marriage, which was her social mission (Swan, 1977, p. 18).

In the latter 19th century, with the development of an industrialized techno- logical society, a distinct separation between home and work place evolved. Home was viewed as the only safe haven from the "wicked world" of factories and big cities, and women were portrayed as the guardians of family morals. Through hand

Art Education/July 1990 41

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42 An EducatronrJuly 1990

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work young women leared patience, precision, and a work ethic which equated idleness with evil. They realized their moral duty toward those less fortunate by creat- ing functional textile items for families in need. Quilts became so much a part of the domestic scene that they were viewed negatively by some women during the suffragette movement in the late 19th and early 20th century. Many women during this time had hopes of gaining access to more worldly arenas, and quilts became a convenient symbol of subjugation and dependence. The Oregon Suffragette Abigail Scott Dunaway attacked the hand needlework exhibits at the Oregon State Fair in her newspaper The New Northwest. She claimed that "quilts are the primary symbols of woman's unpaid subjection" (Ferraro et al., 1987, p. 94).

This attitude of devaluing quilt making and many other forms of domestic art2 for political, social and/or economic reasons by both men and women has influenced how we consider quilts in the 20th century. Only quite recently has the import of the quilt as visual historical text been realized3. Quilts as end products and quilt making as a process have served a variety of func- tions in women's lives. Beyond satisfying the physical needs of warmth, protection, and packaging, quilts are now examined as records of rites of passage, statements of political allegiance, and as avenues for religious and aesthetic expression (Ferraro et al., 1987).

Today quilts are also valued and cate- gorized in quite diverse ways. Current perspectives on quilts span a large number of categories, from a simple bed covering (variously labelled folk art, domestic art, or family art) to a work of fine art. In 1971 an exhibit of quilts opened at the Whitney Museum of Art in New York. The quilts were presented not as domestic art or social/historical text but as powerful, albeit anonymous, graphic medium. Due in large part to this show and others like it, the definition of quilt became very distanced

2Domestic art is a cumbersome term that denotes objects made predominantly by women in fulfillment of domestic duties, primarily for the home and family.

3The term text is ued to refer to every semiotic structure of meaning including language, music, architecture, picture, event, and social action. Many folklorists follow procedures that suggest objects can be read and analyzed like texts (Bronner, 1986, p. 5).

from the production context. Though all types of fiber arts are still seen as some- what of a step child in many professional and academic art environments, the popularity of quilts outside of formal institutions is strong. The number of publications on the subject, related busi- nesses, and national and regional shows attest to a powerful contemporary local, national and international interest. It has been estimated that over 700 quilt guilds have been established just in the last decade (Naderstern & Hancock, 1988, p. 4). Political activists have capitalized on the collaborative nature of quilt making to publicize their concerns in such works as the Peace Ribbon, the Names Project, and the Boise Peace Quilt Awards.4

Participatory Curriculum: Expectations and Realities The decision to include the making of a class quilt as part of the course Women and Their Art can be attributed to a number of things. Initially the project was proposed by a graduate student who had taken the course previously. This led to discussions with other interested students and a series of realizations: (a) the rich history of quilts; (b) an increase of literature in which many authors are examining material culture, including quilts, in exploratory ways; and (c) the great interest shown in many facets of contemporary society in quilts and quilt making. Coupled with an interest in the participative design of curriculum, these ideas provided sufficient impetus to add the quilt making assignment.

The experimental course was framed as a piece of research designed to provide grounded information that could be com- pared to these initial realizations and to the earlier course design.5 Earlier offerings of Women and Their Art were structured around a slide/lecture format as a way to present historical information about women

4These projects all used the collaborative aspects of quilt making as a mechanism to present social commentary. The Ribbon was sewn together by people protesting nuclear war and tied around the Pentagon in a public demonstration in August, 1985. The Names Project is a collective response to AIDS. Each segment of a quilt top was sewn in commemo- ration of the death of a loved one. The Boise Peace Quiltmakers of Idaho promote "people-to-people" peacemaking. They award quilts as prizes to people who work towards world peace. Write them at: P.O Box 6469, Boise, Idaho 83707; (208) 378-0293.

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as artists, art critics, art educators, and art administrators. Text book for the course was Parker and Pollack's Old Mistresses: Women, Art, and Ideology supplemented with selected course readings. Although the original course was designed to be participatory, hindsight reveals that the ways in which students were encouraged to participate fell primarily into two catego- ries, including: (1) oral classroom presenta- tions on topics pre-selected by the instruc- tor, and (2) group discussions focussed on

pre-selected topics related to readings. The experimental course format was designed to be more participatory. Stu- dents were expected to contribute an oral

presentation about a woman artist, teacher, or art critic of their choice. A midterm take-home essay provided the opportunity to begin research on a topic, again student's choice, that culminated in either a final term paper or a visual project. And students participated in the on-going quilt project.

Twenty-seven students enrolled in the course.7 The film Quilts in Women's Lives8 provided an important orientation to the class, and probably did much to set the overall tone. The use of quilt making to initiate strong kinship bonds, develop intricate networks of friendship, and support personal growth is reviewed through the presentation of engaging individual profiles. Pre-cut fabric packets were distributed to students the first day of class, consisting of sewing needles, fabric pieces, and detailed instructions for piecing

5Two graduate students helped design and implement this curriculum. Kassia Dellabough developed a questionnaire to be given to students early in the term, and another at the end of the course. Liz Hoffman developed the orientation introduction to the actual quilt project.

6Text books tend to fall into one of two categories I describe as (1) traditional which present an examination of women as artists according to predominant, art world criteria; and (2) reconstruction which present an examination of women as artists, questioning historical and social ideologies, and building another point of view. Old Mistresses falls within the reconstruction category.

7Enrollment was not limited to women. However, this all women population undoubtedly had an affect on course outcomes. In a question about class makeup on one survey, most felt the all women population had a 'significant' affect, and presented diverse reasons why.

"The film is available from Ferrero Films, San Francisco, 1980. It runs 28 minutes.

a quilt block. The pattern Ohio Star was selected for its simplicity and rich history as a traditional quilt block pattern. All of this was preliminary to the introduction of the quilt assignment at the second class meeting. A worksheet for the quilt block was distributed, with the belief that the class would collectively decide the quilt's theme, size, materials, and end use. This belief turned out to be somewhat naive. Initially, working in a collaborative manner proved to be quite problematic. Many of the students in the course did not know one another, and it took a great deal of time to examine personal attitudes towards the course, women's issues in general, and the quilt project before any progress could be made on collaborative issues. It was quite apparent that even though the class was composed of all women, backgrounds, values, and expectations differed. For example, students with experience in fine arts courses voiced concerns about working individually on an image that would ultimately be "surrendered" to a group quilt. There was resistance among this same subgroup to delimiting any design constraints. Others, with little or no sewing or art background, viewed possible design limits as helpful guidelines. Several students expressed concerns about having their block sewn to another person's block. Skill and experience differences among individuals, both in visual arts and fabric arts, were discussed at length. One woman proposed that the project be switched to making individual quilted pillows instead. Another suggested that two quilts be made, one for beginners and one for the more experienced sewers. Several stu- dents professed a personal antipathy toward the whole notion of sewing. Others admitted outright fear of the process.

The early flood of discussion was scattered, disoriented, and generally frustrating to everyone. The quilt worksheet was quickly abandoned. Major decisions were tabled for a while, and the class returned to the more familiar (and subse- quently more comfortable) lecture format for several sessions. None-the-less, the group persevered, and some decisions were made allowing students to begin working on individual blocks. It was agreed that the general theme would be personal image, the size of individual quilt blocks was set at 12" square, and that there would

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be no limitations on materials. As the term progressed, the group

became more cohesive. Several students volunteered to help those learning to sew. Others brought personal resources to share in class, including fabric, objects, books, and slides. These activities of helping and sharing became important aspects of teaching and learning in the course.9 Students brought their blocks to class, worked on them during some lectures, and gained positive feedback and interchange. A wealth of unanticipated topics was generated in this dialogue concerning personal histories, course materials, and the relationships between the two. By the final class meeting, the atmosphere of the course had changed dramatically. Students appeared to be generally more involved, confident, and supportive, as evidenced in the easier flow of dialogue of all types and the increase in sharing among participants.

During the final class meeting each student presented a finished quilt block to the group and reported on its significance. Here the power of this collaborative effort to bring together individuals with quite diverse backgrounds became truly evident. The last hour of the course was spent arranging twenty-five of the original twenty- seven individual blocks into a larger whole. One student chose to keep her block (an option the class made available). One student did not feel her block was complete enough to include in the final quilt design. A final set design was planned in a five by five pattern. The arranging process further emphasized the qualities of collaboration and connectedness the quilt inherently represents. A one unit seminar to put the actual quilt together was scheduled to meet the following term in a private studio belonging to two of the students; ten students were able to attend. A Mennonite quilt maker with 50 years quilting experi- ence was invited to join the seminar.10 She generously shared her experience, orienta- tion, equipment, and friendship with the group. Although class participants defined

9Belenky et al. (1986) describe a need among some students for confirmation and community in their education. "Most of the women we interviewed made it clear that they did not wish to be told merely that they had the capacity or the potential to become knowledgeable or wise. They needed to know that they already knew something" (194-5).

her as the expert in this leaming/teaching environment, she refused to be placed in that role. In her own words, she "just wanted to help people get started". The class learned from her not only how to put a quilt together, but how to interact as a group. The quilt was completed in early summer, 1989.

Educational Outcomes: Curriculum for a Balanced Art Education The goal in this experiment was to exam- ine resulting classroom dynamics and educational outcomes in light of quilt making as a participatory curriculum metaphor. Lakoff and Johnson (1980) discuss the role of metaphor as a means of structuring experiences. A change of metaphor, though not necessarily a simple or direct process, can change the way individuals conceive, behave, interact- i.e., the ways of experiencing reality. They suggest that some metaphors are capable of giving new understanding of experi- ences in several ways; by providing coherent structure, highlighting some things, and hiding others. Such was the case in this curriculum experiment. The quilt making process seemed to affect the entire orientation of the class. Many behaviors frequently noted appeared to reflect the kinds of interactions that report- edly happen during traditional quilt making. These behaviors included: (a) sharing ideas: (b) making group decisions; (c) developing social ties; and (d) producing something meaningful. Jones (1988) discusses participatory curriculum, course content, and multiple perspectives as contributing components in the develop- ment of art education with a balanced emphasis on subject, students, and social context. In keeping with the goals of the paper and in line with Jones' direction, conclusions will be discussed in terms of educational outcomes related to course content and participants.

Sharing Ideas Sharing ideas is an integral part of tradi- tional quilt making, and was an important aspect of the participatory design of the course. Class participants shared not only

'?The quilt maker is Ethel Lind who quilts frequently with relatives and members of her church.

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past experiences and knowledge in a verbal manner, but also objects, skills, books, and slides. Sharing revolved around academic discussions focussed on histori- cal, cultural, and critical information interspersed with stories of every day life. Although most students felt there was never enough time to discuss all the topics they would have liked to cover, there were differences in response to the kinds of sharing that occurred in class. Some felt that sharing personal stories took up too much time. Others felt that the telling of these stories was an essential empowering process, especially when stories closely paralleled the more traditional academic content.

From the instructor's point of view, the change to a more participatory format meant that only half the amount of lecture material was presented compared to the previous year. This is an important consid- eration, given the fact that historical and cultural information about women and their art is still generally absent in many educa- tional (and other) environments. On the other hand, by allowing students to partici- pate in academic discussions mixed with personal experiences, more students developed what may be described as a sense of ownership in this class than in the past. 1

Making Group Decisions Many students reported feeling frustrated with the collaborative process in so large a group - nearly everyone felt the class size should be limited. As was demonstrated in this experiment, it is critical not to underes- timate the complexities of collaborative work. Students (and faculty) do not ordinar- ily expect to encounter collaborative efforts in higher education and some preliminary time to discuss goals and objectives seems warranted. One of the more time consum- ing yet important aspects of collaboration is the need to develop a quality of trust among participants. Although this quality may exist in traditional classroom settings, it must often be taken-for-granted, rather than part of personal, lived experience.

As a result of implementing a group

"Keifer-Boyd discusses this participatory/respon- sibility/ownership phenomenon in her Master's De- gree Thesis which is a case study of participatory curriculum development.

decision making process, the traditional roles of student as novice and learner, and instructor as expert and teacher began to shift. Although it was not always smooth or comfortable, students took responsibility for defining the criteria of two major class components- the quilt project and their own research topic. Some were eager to assume this responsibility, others were hesitant. For example, in response to the selection of the theme personal image, the content and design of each quilt block was quite different from every other block. And, because it was no longer the primary role of the instructor to dictate what to do nor to evaluate success, students evaluated (negotiated seems a better term) the ways in which each quilt block met established criteria. In many instances the group was clearly able to defend the inclusion of a particular block approach, even when the individual maker (or makers in the case of three blocks jointly produced) felt unsure- none was denied.

Developing Social Ties This class was special to the students. By their own admission it made a difference in their lives. The quality of interaction in the classroom including various kinds of dialogue and activities was important to many individuals who, in other class environments, might have remained silent or stayed in the background. Early on, several students reported that it was valuable for them to "listen to others' personal experiences and how they affected their sense of self". Friendships lasting beyond the end of the term devel- oped. Location may have been another factor affecting the quality of interaction. The class was held in a meeting room of a campus restaurant. Several students mentioned enjoying this change of space from the usual sterile classroom facility, and proposed that it was conducive to the kinds of relaxed, personalized interactions that often occurred. The seminar class, scheduled the following term to construct the actual quilt, met in a private studio of two students. The dynamics in this space were even more fluid than would be found in most traditional classroom environ- ments.

Producing Something Meaningful As reported by students on the question-

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naire at the end of the term, making a quilt not only fulfilled an assignment but pre- sented a means to reflect upon and continue from a historical past, organize issues and ideas of a present, and produce a meaningful visual object. It would be wrong to suggest that the quilt project had a direct, immediate, or positive connection to the lives of all students in the class. It did not. On the other hand, the project opened the door for discussion of a number of issues of great concern to all, including gender differences in the home and work place, our economic system, and our educational institutions.

Through various kinds of sharing and group decision making, distinctions be- tween teacher and student blurred, course content changed, and tolerance for varied points of view increased. Jones (1988) supports these aspects of participatory curriculum. She states, "(This) participatory approach acknowledges that teachers are experts in making choices within their own community, and that students are experts in determining their own educational needs at a particular time within a particular setting. It is only by considering all of these expert opinions as well as those of subject matter experts that a functional curriculum may be designed" (p. 49). She recom- mends "(E)xpert participation rather than expert domination of programmatic devel- opment" (p. 48).

Introduction of the quilt making project into a previously more traditional academic curriculum allowed students to interpret and give form to their experience both verbally and visually. In addition, they leared to value diverse points of view. Recognition of verbal and visual knowl- edge as part of art curriculum is valued in our field. Increased tolerance for individual, social, and cultural diversity is also a valued educational aim. McFee and Degge (1977) examine the importance of validat- ing both verbal and visual knowing, and personal experience and cultural back- ground in curriculum.12 Survival in a pluralistic society may be based on the ability to operate within more than one set of cultural conventions. At the very least this curriculum experiment appeared to be meeting more than just one kind of learning

12This examination is part of McFee's Perception/ Delineation Theory of art teaching.

style and one set of student expectations. At the very best, most class participants appeared to have gained a more interac- tive, balanced, and meaningful exploration of the subject matter, themselves, and each other.

References Belenky, M. F., Clinchy, B. M., Goldberger, N. R.,

and Tarule, J. M. (1986). Women's ways of knowing: The development of self, voice, and mind. NY: Basic Books.

Bronner, S. (1986). Material culture and region: Lessons from folk studies. Kentucky Folklore Record, 32 (1-2), pp. 1-16.

Clifford, J. (1988). The predicament of culture: Twentieth-century ethnography, literature, and art. Cambridge: Harvard University Pres.

Collins, G., and Sandell, R. (1984). Women, art, and education. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.

Ettinger, L. F. (1988). Essay review: Old mis- tresses: Women, art and ideology. Arts Education Review of Books, 4 (1), 7-10.

Ferraro, P., Hedges, E., and Silber, J. (1987). Hearts and hands: The influence of women and quilts on American society. San Francisco, CA: The Quilt Digest Press.

Geertz, C. (1983). Local knowledge: Further essays in interpretive anthropology, NY: Basic Books.

Gouma-Peterson, T. and Mathews, P. (1987). The feminist critique of art history. The Art Bulletin, LXIX, 3, 326-257.

Jones, B. J. (1988). Art education in context. Studies in Art Education, 6 (1), 38-54.

Keifer-Boyd, K. (1989). A case study and theoretical analysis of a participatory process to develop an art curriculum for grades K-6. Unpub- lished Master's Thesis, UO.

Lakoff, G. and Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lippard, L. (1984). Get the message? A decade of art for social change. NY: E. P. Dutton.

McFee, J. K. and Degge, R. M. (1977). Art, culture, and environment: A catalyst for teaching. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

Merritt, J. (1985). The ribbon: A celebration of life. North Carolina: Lark Books.

Naderstem, P., and Hancock, L N. (1988). Quilting together: How to organize, design, and make group quilts, NY: Crown Publishers.

Parker, R. and Pollack, G. (1981). Old mistresses: Women, art, and ideology. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

Ruskin, C. (1980). The quilts: Stories from the names project. New York: Pocket Books.

Swan, S. B. (1977). Plain and fancy: American women and their needlework, 1700-1859. NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Swan, S. B. (1986). Quiltmaking within women's needlework repertoire. In Lasansky, J. (Ed.) In the heart of Pennsylvania: Symposium papers. Pennsyl- vania: Oral Traditions Project, 8-15.

Linda F. Ettinger and Elizabeth Hoffman are on the faculty at the University of Oregon, Eugene.

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