Viewfinder, an online publication focused on the intersection of museum education and social justice from the National Art Education Association's Museum Education Division, is looking for abstracts and proposals for our 16th issue with the theme of Contemplative Practices. We encourage museum education professionals, researchers, and students of all levels to submit by the deadline of August 1, 2022.
Contemplative practices include a range of activities that foster a nonlinear and non-discursive consciousness. They can help people create meaningful connections to what they care most about. Activities such as meditation, journaling, activism, or visualization are often included (see the above illustration from The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society). Contemplative practices might be vast, but this only makes the methods more approachable and amenable to individual design. Studies have shown that contemplative practices support areas of learning such as concentration, well-being, and social and emotional health. In today's classrooms, where we're addressing trauma, systemic oppressions, and topics that are demanding on minds and bodies, contemplative practices can support healing and social justice education.
The contemplative practice of creating space to address racism, ableism, and other forms of oppression within art museums has grown, but more space needs to be created for people who have been historically excluded from museums to bring in their art, culture, and their ways of knowing. Art museums are not just spaces for civic engagement; they're wildly unique public spaces where differences are celebrated, making them ideal spaces to explore alternative ways of knowing. We look forward to hearing about all the ways in which educators are experimenting with contemplative practices that promote open and activated minds.
Questions to consider: How can contemplative practices support social justice work in museum education today? Has a visitor taught you a contemplative practice? How can contemplative practices help us move from passive and active listening, to deep listening? Can they teach us new forms of awareness about each other? How can we integrate art making and viewing with social justice and contemplative practices? How can contemplative practices be used as a tool for wellbeing while learning about oppression?
We are interested in traditional and experimental formats for submissions including:
Academic articles
Personal narratives and reflections
Artworks/poetry
Syllabi/lesson plans
Interviews
Exhibition or book reviews
Audio/video submissions
Lesson plans
Letters to emerging educators
You tell us! We want to support you and your vision.
Please fill out this form by August 1, 2022 to submit your abstract: https://forms.gle/7c5tBFq1yQg3Hpiz9. We look forward to reading your submissions!
The Viewfinder Editorial Team
Daniela Fifi, Ed.D., Co-Editor-in-Chief
Hannah Heller, Ed.D., Co-Editor-in-Chief
Sierra Van Ryck deGroot, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Guest Editor Shannon Murphy (she/her) is an art educator and administrator. She has taught in schools all over New York City, and has held teaching and programming roles at Teachers College, Columbia University, The Noguchi Museum, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. She holds a BFA in Photography from The Rhode Island School of Design, and an MA in Art History from The City College of New York.