In 2016 I traveled to India on a Fulbright scholarship to research art education topics and work with local teachers on art curriculum that could be implemented in government school classrooms in Tamil Nadu. There was a special interest in using art as a way to integrate art into other academic subjects in regular classrooms. I worked with NalandaWay to create curriculum that would be accessible to local teachers and offer a ways of using their own rich culture as a basis for integrating art education. An additional project allowed me to work on an art curriculum that engages participants in yoga and mindfulness practices to enrich the experience of making art, but also to practice self-regulation, self-reflection, and access tools for self-care. After I completed my time in India, it was time to return home, but I continue to work with them as a consultant. In 2018 I was invited to participate at the Youth Speaks Summit where I provided workshops on the use of art as a tool for self care and mindfulness.
Artlight Global
Artlight Global is a collaboration of two Fulbright Colleagues, Kate and Deepa. They met in India in 2016 at a Fulbright Conference in Jaipur. After giving separate presentations on the educational panel, they realized they shared common interests in the exploration of math, art, and social emotional practices. When the two reconnected in Washington, DC the idea for ArtLight Global was born.
In 2017 ArtLight Global traveled to Bangalore, India to work in collaboration with Parikrma Foundation to conduct their first international workshop with a focus on math and art. Below you will see the results of the week by demonstrating how all of the students used proportion and estimation to create enlarged self portraits from photos. Students also demonstrated their skills in understanding ratios by learning to mix paint colors from a limited palette which allowed them to tell an expressive narrative through pattern, color, and symbolism.
Kate Fitzpatrick 