Artwork Scholarship: International Perspectives in Education Art, Sustainability and Learning Communities

Raphael Vella and Victoria Pavlou do not offer us miraculous solutions to address the ongoing environmental challenges faced by the world. Instead, they advocate for three crucial components - art, sustainability and learning communities. They, along with their contributors, view these elements as fundamental in the process of reevaluating priorities and making positive changes. By engaging with education, contemporary art and global sustainability goals, this book connects the artistic way of communication with ecological obligations and social issues and promotes a sense of active citizenship. International, empirical and curricular research presents a case for strong learning communities that take a clear political stand in favour of socially engaged art pedagogies. The ‘call to action’ of the title is the network of threads that links these three components together and pulls them forward, making it possible to draft new artistic, ecological and community-based coordinates beyond the limitations of national territorial lines. By engaging with education, contemporary art and global sustainability goals, this book connects the artistic way of communication with ecological obligations and social issues and promotes a sense of active citizenship. International, empirical and curricular research presents a case for strong learning communities that take a clear political stand in favour of socially engaged art pedagogies. The main aim of is to show how shared spaces for exchange in the fields of art education and continuous professional development can reflect, inspire and integrate sustainability principles that are becoming crucial in today’s world. The authors propose the idea that coordinated action can lead to a more sustainable future by promoting a sense of community, lifelong learning and confidence in the possibility of changing current conditions. Its three parts combine expertise in visual arts education, education for sustainable development, contemporary art practice and sustainability activism. While Part I focuses on literature in the field and the interrelation of different disciplines, Part II provides concrete examples of professional learning communities and pedagogies that can be used to enrich the field of art education. Finally, Part III presents brief case studies illustrating international projects by contemporary artists, curators, environmentalists and others, providing educators with several inspirational models of concrete and creative action.