The Artists Community Teaching and Creative Action Programs are pleased to co-host a screening of Creativity Unlimited, a short film created by four artists from two progressive art studios in Southern California—ECF Art Centers and United Cerebral Palsy Los Angeles. Through in-studio interviews, Marilyn Schmidt (ECF), James Basilio (ECF), Chris Brown (UCPLA), and Joanna Krall Wilkins (UCPLA) discuss what inspires them, their art making process, and their unique creative drive, while showing just a glimpse of their vast portfolios of work. The artists connect with each other through a shared perspective on community and life in their studios. The film was created with guidance and support from Otis alumna, Eugenia Barbuc (BFA '12), a former ECF Supervisor. The screening will also include a series of shorts made by artists from both studios, followed by a Q&A and reception.
Since 1968, the ECF Art Centers have provided adults with developmental disabilities a place to explore their creativity and freedom of expression. ECF Art Centers are a program of the Exceptional Children’s Foundation (ECF), improving the lives of children and adults with special needs since 1946. The UCPLA Washington Reid Gallery, and adjoining Washington Place Adult Day Program, support a vigorous community of working artists with a variety of developmental challenges, such as autism, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome—people whose perspective is vital within the contemporary art world.
Funding for this project was generously provided by the Mary Pickford Foundation.
The Faculty Learning Community on Diversity is meeting during the Spring 2020 semester to continue our discussions on diversity in the curriculum at Otis.
There is a discussion space for participants on OSpace.
“The growth of any craft depends on shared practice and honest dialogue among the people who do it. We grow by trial and error, to be sure—but our willingness to try, and fail, as individuals are severely limited when we are not supported by a community that encourages such risks.” —The Courage to Teach
Teaching is too often an isolated endeavor. A faculty learning community is a committed, collaborative, collegial group of faculty across disciplines who are interested in participating in discussing, researching, and recommending meaningful curriculum and pedagogy to improve teaching and learning. The topic for this FLC is infusing diversity into the curriculum. Infusing diversity into the curriculum means that multiple social, historical, political, and theoretical paradigms and concepts, based on the knowledge and experience of diminished groups, are included in all areas of study.
This Spring 2019 FLC established a definition of diversity that will be presented to the community for stakeholder input through the now-forming Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. In 2019-20, the FLC will continue to explore issues of diversity around critique, campus programming, curriculum, and inclusive pedagogy.
Eligibility
All full-time, adjunct and part-time faculty who have taught for a minimum of 1 year at Otis and have Chair approval are eligible. All faculty are encouraged to apply. Those selected will receive FLC Participation grants of $400 for 6 meetings.
White Teachers, Diverse Classrooms by How can Otis College enhance/improve multicultural competence for faculty and staff across campus?
How can we encourage and facilitate multiculturalism and inclusion beyond structural diversity? What does this look like?
How can we train our faculty to discuss/present diversity content in their courses in a way that is respectful, sensitive, and accurate, especially concerning issues of race and ethnicity of which they have no direct experience?
The students are concerned that the emphasis of diversity initiatives will be primarily focused on visual diversity, but they are concerned about gender fluidity and the challenges they face with faculty and during the job interview process.
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