Graffiti, Poetry, Dance

How Public Library Art Programs Affect Teens

Shannon Crawford Barniskis

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EXQUISITE CORPSE

1. Consider the line that was just written.

2. Fold the paper down over the line you read.

3. Write one line of poetry/wisdom/whatever that follows more-or-less logically from the previous one & DON’T BE RISK-AVERSE!

4. Pass the page to your left.

5. Read aloud when our time is up.

CC BY-SA 3.0A Cadavre exquis by Marc M. Gustà, Bernat M. Gustà & Irene Alcón.

This is happening right now…

… in a library

near you.

TEENS ARE

drawing henna tattoosremixing songsmaking flash videosknittingcookingdancingmaking altered books…

CREATING ALL KINDS OF ART

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Why?3

(Johnson 2010, p. 147)

“If the provision of information is no longer its

most important role, how should the library reposition itself to remain relevant to municipal funders?”

LIBRARIESCIVIC

ENGAGEMENT

How do art programs in public libraries affect civic engagement in teens?

4

subquestions

• What does civic engagement look like to teens?

• How engaged do teens feel within their communities?

• What are the barriers to civic engagement? • How can art affect this sense of engagement? • How do libraries support civic engagement?

How can they support it better? • How do libraries support teens? How can they

support them better?

Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities

It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.

(Ehrlich, 2000)

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and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and

motivation to make that difference

THE LITERATURE

Research & theoretical works onTeens, Libraries, Civic Engagement, & Art

Including: • How art effects civic engagement• Public Libraries’ civic engagement

mission• Social capital• Empathy• Forced “volunteering”• Best practices for teen library services

But articles or papers on the library art programs? Nope. 6

“My interests are valued by the community, and the library proves it.” says Eli Neuberger in Gaming and Libraries (Levine, 2009, p.16),

method

1 library

6 art programs

14 teens interviewed7

Teen-centered research

LIMITATIONS

the theory

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ART MOVES US

“When I see a painting I think of why the artist would paint that way or have his thought in that vision. I tried to pretend I’m that artist and try to look at something, and paint it the way that they would paint it.”

(Nick, 16)

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WE WANT TO CONNECT, WE WANT TO OPEN UP

“I’ve taught chain mail to a woman that was I believe was like 67 years old and she picked it up like that … you can really brainstorm with people from different generations that have different ideas on the same things.” (Eric, 18, who has taught classes at a library)

IT’S AN ADULT’S WORLD

strongly agree

agree

don't

agree or disagree

I feel like a valued member of my com-

munity (after)

agree

don't agree or disagree

strongly dis-agree

I feel like a valued mem-ber of my community (be-

fore)

“They just have their own reality and it doesn't have anything to do with your reality.”

(Emily, 12)

WE WANT TO HELP, BUT DON’T PUSH US

“I think adults and parents are thinking that our generation should go out and pick up garbage and stuff and try to make other people happy but most of us think that it should be helping make us happy and other people happy.”

(Megan, 13)

CREATING A COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS US

When you paint with someone and you the share the paper you will see two different stories collide … and it makes a spark.

(Callie, 14)

don't agree

or dis-

agree

disagree

strongly dis-agree

When I am over 18, I will likely remain in commu-

nity I live in now (be-fore)

agree

don't agree or disagree

disagree

strongly disagree

When I am over 18, I will likely remain in

community I live in now (after)

LIBRARIES CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR US

I definitely do feel closer to the libraries that I go to…the more programs that you go to the more it feels kind of like home in a way. Not a real home but like a really comforting awesome place.

(Eric, 18)

DOES OUR ENGAGEMENT SHIFT?

Leveling Up: “Now I feel like I’m a little bit freer…with different ways that I could affect other people.”

(Kayla, 12)

strongly agree

agree

don't agree or disagree

strongly disagree

I am willing to take action in my commu-nity to make things

better (before)

strongly agree

agree

don't agree or disagree

I am willing to take action in my community to make

things better (after)

CAUTION:

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“If you only feel like you are valued and you aren’t actually valued then you’re not going to get any sort of civic stuff done.”

(Rachel, 16)

communicating relevance

planning programsconnecting with teens

getting fundingmarketing services

engaging communityfacilitating democracy

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ART FOR ART’S SAKE

ART MOVES US

studio space

teen-created music for library publicity

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IT’S AN ADULT’S WORLD

intergenerational programs

adult response13

WE WANT TO CONNECT, WE WANT TO OPEN UP

flash-in-the pan clubs

hire teens, 20-somethings to teach

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CREATING A COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS US

teens on the Board of TrusteesTeen photo-journalism on social networking sites

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WE WANT TO HELP, BUT DON’T PUSH USannounce protests, volunteer opportunities, donations

teens to steer projects while not being overwhelmed by them1

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DOES OUR ENGAGEMENT SHIFT?

connect library programs with real engagement opportunities (such as a knitted graffiti project after a knitting class)

ask teens to do the book-talking, perhaps using xtranormal or other web-based digital tools

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LIBRARIES CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR US

participate in arts programs with teens to build the sense of a shared experience

ensure that the library participates in local art or community festivals to build the sense of the library as an artistic community institution

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Research needed

• More case studies• More one-on-one

interviews• Quantitative

evaluation of 7 themes• Study of other teen

programs• Study using other

metrics• Study of other creative

programs and services 19

Teen Ink images used with permission.

1. Graffiti IS Art. By xcrunnerchicka16, Carthage, MO. http://www.teenink.com/art/photo_illustrations/19445/Graffitti-IS-art/

2. Henna. By Amanda Manfredi, http://www.amandamanfredi.com/3. Potpourri. By polskavic51, Las Vegas, NV. http://www.teenink.com/art/all/16935/potpourri-4. NO. 3 study of time, By j.Dieppa, Northridge, CA.

http://www.teenink.com/art/pen_ink_drawings/49870/NO-3-study-of-time/5. Teenagers. http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/MCA/91691.htm6. Johanna. By CrystalBlood, Clinton, CT. http://www.teenink.com/art/computer_graphics/58294/Johanna/7. Stop Yelling at Me. By Kimmy_Krak, Macomb, MI.

http://www.teenink.com/art/oil_paintings/56661/Stop-Yelling-at-Me/8. Pinhole Camera. By AliceCrowley, Concord, MA.

http://www.teenink.com/art/photographs/58479/Pinhole-Camera/9. Goodbye, Think. By sgrace, West Chester, PA.

http://www.teenink.com/art/photo_illustrations/9961/Goodbye-Think/10. Wrong Way. By ladybug95, Milwaukee, WI. http://www.teenink.com/art/photographs/58498/Wrong-Way/11. The Addiction Tree. http://www.threefishandaram.com/2010/06/12. School Work. Alice1995, Sierra Vista, AZ.

http://www.teenink.com/art/photo_illustrations/95765/School-Work/13. Untitled No. 1. by mbean876, Ferry, WV. http://www.teenink.com/art/charcoals/7398/untitled-no-1 /14. Widened.  TheWrittenMe, Prosser,WA. http://teenink.com/art/computer_graphics/89808/Widened /15. Really. saher, east windsor,CT. http://www.teenink.com/art/woodcuts/27039/Really /16. Santiago. josehadathy, Marietta, GA. http://www.teenink.com/art/oil_paintings/92875/Santiago /17. life's only a dream. By AlyssaC, morrisville, PA.

http://www.teenink.com/art/oil_paintings/86539/lifes-only-a-dream /18. Birds. By Tambriell, Salyersville,KY/ http://www.teenink.com/art/oil_paintings/88620/Birds /19. I to see. By KedaBeta, Orlando, FL. http://www.teenink.com/art/photographs/44903/I-too-see/

Other images taken by SC Barniskis