FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the exhibition about?
Unleashing is a site-specific multi-media art exhibition that highlights the concepts of the American philosopher Maxine Greene. Artists responded to an open call with a proposal that discusses Maxine Greene’s idea of “social imagination”. Works of 28 international artists have been chosen that are now on display throughout the Teachers College campus and encourage visitors to undertake a tour across the five buildings that are involved in the display.
How did you select the artists?
An initial open call for artists was developed by Richard Jochum and Lauren Bierly in Spring 2017. In Winter 2017/18, two curators, Isin Onol and Livia Alexander, invited select artists to submit work based on their conceptual strength, their site-specificity, feasibility, and accessibility. Mixing media, well established and emerging artists, as well as all modes of inquiry, were welcome.
What is the connection between the artworks and Teachers College?
The exhibition and its title Unleashing are inspired by Maxine Greene’s book “Releasing the Imagination.” This title has become a hallmark of Greene’s educational philosophy, a philosophy that stands out for its powerful language and ability to connect to the lived experiences of countless educators across the country. Maxine carried forward a vision of teaching that engages all learners and reconciles an existential understanding of learning with a vision of equality and social justice. Had she decided to redo the title of her book—said her colleague, Janet Miller, who worked closely with Maxine Greene—she would have called it “Unleashing the Imagination.” Maxine championed a notion of education grounded in aesthetic experience. She received her doctorate in education from New York University in 1955. In 1965, she joined the faculty at Teachers College, establishing herself as a lone female voice among her male philosophy of education colleagues.
What was the previous exhibition about?
Unleashing is preceded by Doing and Undergoing, which took place at Teachers College in 2013, celebrating its 125th anniversary. Drawing from the philosophy of John Dewey, Doing and Undergoing made the seminal importance of experience for art and education the center point of the exhibition.