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The Surreal and the Sublime

Born to Move the World

When I began my tenure as principal at Deerfield High School, I began familiarizing myself, as all new principals do, by meeting with staff, students, parents, community and attending events. I also spent considerable time walking the school and campus to ensure I was familiar with the facility.

Chris Surreal Quote 1

As is sometimes typical with high schools, you know when you are near the art department when you see student paintings, drawings, and photography lining the walls. Unfortunately, in many high schools, departments are philosophically and physically “departmentalized,” with artifacts created by students only showcased around one particular area of building. Aside from the occasional display case near a main office for rotating various student achievements, student artwork is seldom featured around high schools for exhibiting the profession.

Most employees within high schools seldom notice but to visitors and the casual observer, it is evident. You know where you are based on materials decorating the hallways. You can tell where you are because, visually, the brain communicates, “The art department is here, the science department is there, and athletics is this way” based on related artifacts.

Deerfield High School Art Gallery 1

While it is completely logical and important for departments to decorate their respective areas with regards to artifacts students have created in their content area(s), it is also visually telling in terms of the ways students are educated at the high school level. The natural curiosities of the mind are interdisciplinary and not compartmentalized. Unfortunately, beginning in the latter elementary grade levels and throughout middle school, there is less and less emphasis on discovery learning and more and more emphasis on departmentalization of thought.

The alarming concern for me as an educational leader regarding this phenomenon has always centered on special education. Countless high schools tend to “limb” their special education classrooms in a wing or area of the school, as if they are a separate appendage of the student body. This has always made me feel uneasy because all students are general education learners. However, some general education learners are also special-needs learners. It is one thing to place work together and quite another to lump people together.

Chris Surreal Quote 2

While walking the hallways, I was happy to find several pieces of artwork that were particularly picturesque. These art pieces were a pleasure to view and brightened up areas of the school that were otherwise stereotypically institutional. I later learned that the artist who created this artwork was Deerfield High School’s own art teacher, Tim Bleck.

I got to know Tim during my tenure at DHS and found him to be as personable as he is talented. Tim was affable, approachable, and welcoming. Tim familiarized me with the work of the art department and a number of projects he and his students had been involved with over the years. One day, Tim showed me a couple of rooms that were used for storing miscellaneous items, including student artwork. The rooms were so cluttered with random materials that one could barely navigate a path across from one wall to the nest.

I asked Tim if he thought there would be support for an art gallery, as there was no such space in the school and there appeared to be a couple of rooms that were possible candidates. Tim shared with me he wanted something like this at DHS since he was hired but there was no support from administration. Transforming one of the spaces would provide an art gallery to showcase student work and serve as a space for hosting exhibits and events such as poetry readings or presentations by other departments in a professional setting.

One of the spaces observed included an old, unused darkroom but there were obvious ventilation issues. Another space, near the student union, was the perfect candidate. There was one wall that would need to come down but it was not a load bearing wall and without electricity or ventilation running through the wall. The location was also ideal. It was in a high traffic area and near the student cafeteria.

I approached our facilities director and was immediately told it was not possible. We did not even walk the space together and I was told talking down the wall would be unsafe. However, through experience, I have learned over the years that most times, when you ask someone in facilities or tech to do something they do not want to do, they immediately answer with, “It is not safe” or “It cannot be done. It is a security concern.” 

Dream About the Things We’d Like to Be
After becoming superintendent, I was able to hire a new facilities director, John Fuhrer, as a member of my Cabinet. We were fortunate to be able to hire John and he was an asset to my Cabinet. The district was in the middle of a $114 million dollar referendum and John and I would be working closely together. John was extremely capable and was also personable, and responsive.

John practiced due diligence as he was transitioning into his new position. He asked a lot of questions, met with staff, and became familiar with our campuses. He and I also met so he could learn from me, firsthand, any facilities items I was handling or considering outside of the referendum. John and I spoke about a variety of items, including the art gallery. As I described what we wanted to do with the art gallery, he said, “Chris, can we take a walk so I can see the space?” John was genuinely interested in assisting and leading, which was a wonderful change.

When we toured the space, he told me everything that could be done rather than what could not be done. There were no issues with respect to any walls nor were there any structural safety concerns. The only thing we were unsure about was if we could have an exposed ceiling with the ceiling and ductwork painted black. This was purely aesthetic but something I was hoping could be included with the work.

The DHS Art Gallery was added to an extensive list of other projects we were maintaining district wide. We had a variety of projects outside of the referendum that included indoor and outdoor maintenance and construction. Although it took a couple of years to complete, we were able to transform an existing, unused space into a living, breathing educationally beneficial area.

Chris

Referenced links and documents:
Deerfield Students Take ‘Art of Influence’ to Heart, Chicago Tribune

DHS Opens Up a New Window into the Visual Arts Program, DHS Media

Losing it by Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart

Nights with You by Chris Dignam

The Importance of Exhibitions and Competitions in Organizing Fine Art Clubs in Schools, Sultanov Eralievich et al., Journal of Critical Reviews

Understanding the Value of Arts & Culture, Geoffrey Crossick and Patrycja Kaszynska, The AHRC Cultural Value Project

When Going Gets Tough: Barriers and Motivations Affecting Arts Attendance, National Endowment for the Arts, NEA Research Report #59, January 2015

CANE Dubh Publishing

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