My presenter proposal was excepted for the the fall 2014 Florida Art Education Association (FAEA) 

I am presenting this weekend.

Florida Art Education Association

Below is my description of my presentation. Photo is of myselfconducting research in Cuba.

Part 1: In 2011 Beth Dobberstein was chosen to be part of a national research team to study Art Education in Cuba. The team was led by Dr. Bob Sabol, 2011 president of National Art Education Association. As one of the first art education research teams allowed into Cuba, the twenty-five US delegates from across the nation were permitted access to elementary, secondary, special needs and teacher training schools in Cuba to ask questions of leading experts and analyze art education pedagogies. In this open forum, Beth will share never before seen photos of the inside of Cuban schools as well as surprising outcomes gathered through her research trip to Cuba. 

Part 2: In a follow up project, Beth Dobberstein explored how cultural heritage reveals itself in the art of immigrant children living in Florida. As part of a case study conducted through the University of Florida, Beth Dobberstein documented the triumph and tragedy depicted in the artwork of students after they interviewed immigrant family members and then visually represented the stories in their own unique way. Photos of artwork and documented dialogue demonstrates how past and present cultures unpredictably merge and influence who our students are today. Online artwork and stories can be viewed on my blog: "Blending Colors with Cuba" - blendingcolorswithcuba.blogspot.com 

Part 3: Finally, Beth Dobberstein will provides examples of how teachers can gain a better understanding of their own students through the creation of meaningful, narrative art projects. The projects will not only visually provide a glimpse into the lives of our students but will also serve as a springboard for increased dialogue between students as they explore each others’ cultural heritage. 

*For those interested, a private, complimentary tour of the Cuban art collection located at the Museum of Arts and Science -Daytona Beach has been arranged. The tour will be led by a Cuban-American docent who will discuss the artwork as well as share fascinating stories of his life in Cuba.

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Family stories in Art.

Art reflecting cultural heritage.

The Journey To Cuba
My father came to America on a four foot raft. He came with one of his five brothers. They were surrounded by sharks with very little food and water. They were sunburned from head to toe. “I wanted to live the American dream” is what my father quoted. The front part of my father’s raft sunk after three days. They were saved by a fishing boat off the coast of Miami Beach where I was born. The waves were rough on the journey. The days were hot and the nights were cold but they made it through. It’s every Cuban’s dream to come to America.

The Food in Cuba
The food in Cuba is different, but really good. One of the foods I painted is chicken, rice and potatoes with my family’s homemade sauce that brings out the flavor. The flavors in Cuban food taste native to the Cuban culture. The only time we eat American food is on holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Halloween. Other Cuban foods are black beans, yucca and fried bananas. We eat lots of meat and rice.

The Cuban Life
In the painting of the houses you can see that many of them are cracked and run down. You are not allowed to own a house or car in Cuba. Only if Castro (the President of Cuba) gave you one. The beaches there are amazing though! I have been to Cuba about two times and we went to the beach a lot. It’s very hot in Cuba. I got sunburned a lot there. The Cubans do not have many rights at all. My father had to live in a three bedroom apartment. If Castro didn’t give you a house you move in with family.

Art work created by student's father.

Father and Daughter Share their Cuban Cultural heritage with us!

Art Exhibit: Art From many Cultures

Online Art Show Part 1 -”Art From Many Cultures”

The following exhibit is brought to us by a group of students ages 10 and 11 living in the Miami Florida area. Each child painted a picture of what they knew about their culture. And then another picture the next day reflecting the stories they were told by family and friends. Although the "lead characters" of my research has been the Cuban American students, the "supporting cast" of classmates and their stories resulted in an “Emmy” worthy performance. It reminds of the quote from Twila Tharp. “Leave room for the un-expectant.”  This project turned out to be a mutual sharing of cultures. What a wonderful group of children! Thank you parents and Divine Savior Academy!

Ana Sofia

“My drawing is of a Puerto Rican beach party. There is home made music.”

“My great grandmother wanted to wash clothes in the river like an Indian. But she did not know how. So, in conclusion, all the clothes went down the stream.” 

Regina

“My grandma and grandpa live in Mexico. My dad and mom are from Mexico too. I was not born there because my dad had to move to Florida for his job. My Grandma has dark brown hair and brown eyes. She is very nice and always smiling. My grandpa is bald and also very nice. He likes football a lot.” 

Mexico City

Skyler

“Painting of Christmas. My family is from Germany. Our family tradition is to go to church and open gifts on Christmas Eve.”

“My mom and her parents had two twin puppies. The puppies names were Bear and Bella. Katy, my mom and her parents loved them very much.”

Juan Suavrez

“My great grandpa had horses - old and boney.” 

A battle in Columbia

Juan Daniel

“One day my mom was playing and fell down and broke her arm and her leg.”

Chris

Food we eat in Columbia -  Eating Empanadas. 

Chris's mom stayed and was inspired to create art from her culture. Her is her work.

“ I am from Germany” This is a picture of me. 

Isaiah

"I am from Germany. This is a picture of a war."

Interview: "What I have been told about Cuba" by Mariel Garcia
“ There is not a lot of food. People eat lots of bread and drink lots of coffee.”
“The ocean is beautiful.”
Food - “Totades, croquettes, La Carreta.”

croquettes

“There are working cars but they are not new.”
“I have lots of cousins, aunts and uncles in Cuba.”
“They have no telephone.”
“My grandma came over from Cuba a long time ago. My Grandpa had to stay behind in Cuba for a long time. Grandma left late at night, got on an airplane and flew to the United States. She paid money to fly. She brought my mother over hidden in a sack. My mom was 6 years old.”
I would someday like to visit Cuba.”

"This is a picture of a street in Havana with an old car and a fruit and vegetable stand."

Mariel is working on more art work describing the stories told to her by her relatives. She is also is documenting her cultural demographics with photography.

The paintings are being displayed in the hallway of the children's school so that they can be view by friends and family. The paintings also offer a springboard for discussion of culture between classmates.

Findings During my research:

 Finding #1 - I found that students were excited to talk and illustrate stories depicting their culture.  

Finding # 2 - According to the students their relatives enjoyed the experience of sharing their stories with a younger generation.  The students really enjoyed hearing stories told to them by their relatives. 

Finding # 3 - In the large group discussion that took place towards the end of class, the students showed great interest in learning about the each others cultures within the art room. Students enthusiastically asked questions of each other.

Finding # 4 - Using cultural stories proved to be an exciting means to generate discussion that leads to a clear examples of what culture is rather than stereotypical examples of cultures. The story making project resulted in meaningful art that can be shared with future generations.

One additional story: As I was setting up for the art class,  a high school student of Cuban descent. She mentioned that her mother came to the United States by traveling to different countries first and then crossing over into the United States through Mexico. Interestingly she told me the story of her mother never seeing a balloon. Someone had once described a balloon to her mother but that was it. When her mother arrived in Florida, she was on the beach and saw a jelly fish. She picked it up because she thought it was a balloon. She ended up getting a rash all over her stomach. 

Art Show Part 2 - Coming later this week shows the art work of Cuban American students from the Port Orange, Fl area. 

Assume Not..Culturally Responsive Teaching

While in Miami, I had the opportunity to work not just with a delightful Cuban-American student but also a number of students from a variety of other cultures. In one art class, there were three students from Venezuela, two from Columbia, two students of German descent and one who described herself as Puerto Rican and Italian. Not every art room will contain such a variety of cultures as this one did. Location often times determines the makeup of the classroom. In Wisconsin for example, one might assume that the classrooms are most likely children of European decent, however, Wisconsin is also home to a large population of Hmong. Our world has become one of immigration, migration and integration. Assumptions and stereotypes have to be left at the door. 

So how can teachers best connect with students from so many diverse cultures who are blending with the world around them? The answer is to be a "culturally responsive teacher." According to Christine Ballengee Morris, editor of the Art Education - National Art Education Association,  (65, NO.6) teachers need to respond to students' experiences. These experiences give guidance to the creation of transformative curriculum design.

After spending only a couple of days with a diverse group of students who attend Divine Savior Academy in Doral Fl, it became apparent that teachers who understands their students' experiences will have a greater chance of relating to their students. Notice, I said greater chance, there are limits I discovered.  I have learned that no matter how much research, interviewing and experience one may have with a culture (other than their own) one will never truly be able to understand all of the complicated facits that contribute to a culture. Culture is such a complicated concept. Defining it in other than a traditional sense proves to be a challenge. Especially considering that all cultures are influenced by not just their past but also by their current situations and experiences.

I was captivated by the stories that this group of students chose to share with me. First I was surprised by how well the students could define the word "culture." Even more surprising was all of the details and information they shared right off the top of their heads. For example some of the answers that they used to describe "culture" was: my family traditions, our customs, what we eat, how grandma dresses, how we decorate our home, and what we think. They then proceeded to give very descriptive examples of each. These answers came from 9, 10 an 11 year olds. Here, I was all ready to have a lesson on what defines culture. They actually taught me...

Here are a few examples of student work and what they knew about their culture and then what they found out about their culture.

Family Home in Puerto Rico 

Day 2: This young lady interview her grandmother and was told about how her mother, as a child  tried to wash the families clothes in the river. The current was too strong and she lost all of the clothes. 

Day 1: Home in Columbia.

Day 2

 This young man interviewed his grandparents and was told about a battle that occurred in Columbia. This is his symbolic interpretation of what he imagined the battle to be like.

More stories will be posted in the next month.

Miami is a place that begs one to respond to culture. 

Blending Heritage With Cuba

Cuba blending with Budweiser

This past week I had the opportunity to experience Cuba in the USA. Although my primary research took place at Divine Savior Academy, my secondary research took place on the streets of Miami. There will be more on my primary research in a later post. 

On Tuesday, I hit the streets of Miami, home to over 700,000 Cuban-Americans. My goal was to achieve a better understanding of the Cuban culture as it blended with the many cultures prevalent in the US. 

Cuban Coffee in Little Havana

As I walked through Little Havana, Cuban pride was evident. From the restaurants, to the cigars, to the art -vive la Cuba.   The people in Little Havana may have left Cuba, however Cuba never left them. As I talked to an elderly man through the interpretation of his grandson, I found out that he was rolling cigars in the same fashion that he had learned over 50 years ago in Cuba. His grandson explained that the tobacco plant seeds had come from Cuba. Everything about these cigars were Cuban except for the location in which the leaves were grown and the location where the cigar was rolled. And in case you are wondering, yes we did buy one. 

Cigar rolling the Cuban way

Family Business

With a careful eye I noticed the blending of many cultures. What I found particularly interesting was the wooden statue of an American Indian in front of a Cuban cigar shop. Now, this you would NOT see in Cuba. Two cultures blended together through the common product -a cigar. When one stops to think about it, there are other similarities between the two cultures as well as obvious differences. Native Americans and Cubans were both forced to relocate away from the only life they knew as a result of politics. Both cultures attempted to hold true to many of their traditions and values. The Cubans, however appear to have been able to maintain their culture on foreign soil. The Native Americans  although living on soil that they believed could not be owned by anyone, were made to feel to be an unwanted foreigner who was then pressured to succumb to a lifestyle not of their choice. The Cubans were exiles escaping oppression and a lack of freedom. Native Americans also faced oppression and a lack of freedom. Oh, no… where is this going…I will let you fill in the blanks.

As I walked the streets of Little Havana, I found other icons popular in Cuba. For example, the rooster. We saw roosters in so much of the artwork in Cuba and now here it was apparent in art today. I talked to one artist who had a shop along the main drag. She told me that cock fighting was popular in Cuba. I could not help but think ..that was a long time ago, why is it still prevalent in their artwork today?  Could it be the political conflict that the rooster possibly symbolized?

Research for me has this “Through the Looking Glass” syndrome. As I follow the white rabbit down the mysterious dark hole in an ancient oak tree, I am inundated with more questions, ideas and wonderings.  I find myself up late at night and waking early in the morning filled with wonderings. I have this insatiable need to always find out more. As many of you know, I will be graduating from UF in December. Although that may mark an end to various chapters of my research it also marks a new beginning to the exploration of further wonderings…. 

One last blending of cultures took place between my own children (who accompanied me) and the Cuban culture that they were exposed to. The warm and friendly nature of the Cubans in Miami did not go unnoticed by my children (pictured above). Patiently with a smile, the people we met in Miami, actively engaged in conversation with my children on numerous occasions, answering all of their questions. My children had the opportunity to learn about Cuban homes, food, language, customs, art and soon to be posted... their stories.  What a valuable lesson for my children that I hope to share with other children as well as teachers.

Blending Colors in Miami

On October 6th, 2011, I boarded a plane bound for Cuba. With more apprehension than excitement I gingerly stepped out of a chartered plane onto soil uncharted by me. I could not help but notice Cuban police officers staring at me with questioning eyes asking, "What are you doing here?" 

Over sixty years ago 100,000s Cubans gingerly stepped out of planes onto U.S. soil. I would imagine that many were greeted with similar looks that questioned, "What are you doing here?"

Considering the fact, that unless you are a Native-American, most likely, at one point or another your ancestors have also heard "What are you doing here?" 

Have you ever wondered, "What are you doing here?" Why did your ancestors settle for example, in a Northern state? Or maybe your relatives began their life in the East. What trail of events did your life or the life of your ancestors follow resulting in the location you now find yourself in?

As I recently looked at the pictures of the sweet Cuban children, that I met on my trip, I could not help but wonder, "Why are you still there?"

As I looked at the sweet face of a Cuban-American art student of mine, I could not help but wonder, "How did you get here?" What series of events led to two children, around the same age and the same cultural heritage, living in two different countries?

For my upcoming research, I plan to explore the series of events that brought Cuban-Americans to the United States. Many of the Cuban Americans living in the United States arrived during the 1960's, 1980s, 1990s. In order to resurrect these events, I plan to use multi-generational story telling. These colorful stories will then be depicted in the artwork created by the youngest generation of Cuban-Americans. 

On October 9th, the one year anniversary of my trip to Cuba, I will be conducting research at a school near Miami, Fl. 

My research topic is: "How does cultural heritage reveal itself in the artwork of the Cuban-American student?" I plan to share the stories, artwork and photos that will be gathered with you on this blog. 

Here is the link to the school where I will be conducting my research. 

www.dslca.org 

Cuba Felt Through the Hands of Art

How can one feel thoughts, ideas and memories?  The answer is through art. Art grasps the power to feel in its ancient hand. The hand of art can stroke meaningful thoughts, cup new ideas that overflow with creativity or gently cradle memories reflecting bitter-sweet days. The hand of art can slap the viewer with disturbing images or wipe away the tears of deep emotions. Enfolded in the hand of art is the power to communicate in a manner that needs no words, no interpretation, only a quiet moment for one to grasp, reflect and be inspired. 

My Inspiration for Ceramics

UF. Summer Studio

I created the following artwork during my summer studio classes at the University of Florida. They are the ramifications of thought, idea and memory stemming from my research trip to Cuba. Research is such a sterile word to describe a life changing event. I would prefer the term happenings. After all, research, in its pure form, is nothing more than interpreting past and ongoing happenings. As I approach my final semester of Graduate school and another phase of research or happenings, I am reminded of the significance of my journey. The subsequent images are not meant to be museum quality masterpieces but rather my own personal interpretations of a journey that began with the idea of traveling to Cuba. In fact many of the drawings and paintings were created in less than 10 minutes. Fork drawings under three minutes. I wanted to capture feeling father than be concerned with precision. There comes a time when one realizes that creating art for oneself surpasses the need to create art that meets the expectation of others. 

Here is my hand reflecting my happenings in Cuba.

Cathedral shrine created out of clay.

Old coins in windows.

Sea Glass in Stained glass window.

Inspiration for fork book.

The image of a fork symbolizes the need for food in Cuba as well as the process of decision making -fork in the road.

 Inspiration for Tiles

Tiles created by Cuban Artist

Rustic Tiles that I made at UF Ceramics

Doodle sketches inspired by Cuban Artist

Amelia Pelaez

Altered Book