How do we nurture a sustained and evolving artistic investigation with materials? Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) artists Mark Alcazar Diaz and Niema Qureshi lead a workshop that aims to shift the dynamics of a conventional art classroom into a space of evolving artistic research.

The workshop engages art educators in exploring artmaking as a practice that considers the existence of materials beyond our everyday use and understanding of them. We’ll work closely with common materials through play and loosely structured prompts to unlock processes that blur disciplinary boundaries and undo the “maker’s” role. The workshop will last 3.5 hours, with a short break for provided lunch. Part of the workshop requires cell phone use. Make sure to bring a charger.

As part of Gallery 400’s Learning Together: Art Education and Community summer workshop series, this program coincides with CPS Teacher Institute Days and offers CPDU accreditation. Make sure to check in and fill out attendance paperwork upon arrival.

ABOUT:

Mark Alcazar Diaz is an artist, educator, and arts administrator. Diaz serves as Associate Director of Education at Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education. He oversees in-school programs and exhibitions and provides ongoing professional development to teacher and teaching-artist partnerships to expand their pedagogical arts practice. His artistic practice examines issues around migration, the memory of place, and nature-culture through video, sound, and object making. He is a Lecturer in the Art Education Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Niema Qureshi is an Assistant Professor, Adjunct at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), an interdisciplinary artist, and, since 2011, a teaching artist with Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE). She is also a SAIC Faculty Supervisor in the Art Education Department, working with graduates and undergraduates to earn their teaching license. At CAPE, she collaborates with Chicago Public School (CPS) teachers to design and co-teach an inquiry-based arts-integrated curriculum that combines art and technology. Niema’s research focuses on how the integration of these disciplines engages underrepresented youth. In 2017, Niema was nominated for a 3Arts Award and in 2016, Niema joined CAPE’s Board. She previously worked as a museum educator at The Art Institute of Chicago and taught at Marwen. Niema holds an MA in Fine Art from University of the Arts London, England.

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Tags: Chicago, Gallery 400, Mark Alcazar Diaz, near west side, Niema Qureshi, The Language of Materials