THE REAL WORK OF ART MAKING — September 7 - October 26, 2022
THE REAL WORK OF ART MAKING — September 7 - October 26, 2022
(ONLINE)
THIS IS AN EIGHT-WEEK COURSE THAT RUNS EVERY WEDNESDAY EVENING
SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 - OCTOBER 26, 2022
6:00PM - 7:00PM PACIFIC TIME
VIA ZOOM
Registration closes at 5:00pm the evening of the first class. Be sure and reserve your spot!
INSTRUCTOR:
MARSHA DINELLI
This course is a hands-on look at the art making process and its relationship to the universal energy and aliveness of the natural world. Westerners are most familiar with this energy in terms of acupuncture and the Eastern practices of tai chi and chi gong, popular meditative practices designed to promote health and well-being in the individual. By focusing on this subtle energy and our ability to connect to it through our art-making practice, we are reminded of the many Indigenous and East Asian cultural practices that utilized art making to connect their own health and well-being with that of the planet. The reciprocal nature of this energy flow between components of the ecosystem is key. By strengthening this energy flow, we help to build its resilience to withstand the onslaught of climate change and in the process transform our perspective from a Western industrial cultural context to an interconnected holistic one. By immersing students in the mechanics of a new perspective, they will be able to make the information their own to initiate new behavior patterns that honor the intention of this different way of knowing.
Course Outline:
Week 1: Intro — Explanation of the course and the fieldwork and what participants will need to do, etc.
Week 2: Ellen Dissanayake's research as a basis for interconnectedness
Week 3: Universal Energy
Week 4: Interplay between restorative and transformational learning that is part of this process
Week 5: Indigenous Worldview
Week 6: East Asian Traditional Worldview
Week 7: Industrialized Western Culture
Week 8: Putting it all together — art making and universal life energy
In addition to the online gatherings there will be personal fieldwork involved in this dynamic program.
You will need a journal or notebook to write in throughout the course.
TUITION: $80 - $120 SLIDING SCALE (plus processing fees)
DISCOUNTED TUITION FOR PRESCHOOL TEACHERS: $40 (plus processing fees)
Please let us know if you need further tuition assistance.
SUPPORT NATURE CONNECTION: Please consider making an additional donation to help TreeSong, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Anything helps and we thank you in advance!
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has." — Margaret Mead
Processing fees are only applied to tuition amounts, never to donations.
Instructor bio:
Originally trained as a dancer, I have a master’s degree in Culture, Ecology and Education and a doctorate in Arts Education and Ecology. I have been studying the relationship between the art-making process and the subtle energy in the ecosystem for about 40 years. In that time, I have come to understand that all the science and technology in the world won’t help us get a handle on climate change if we don’t change our relationship and behavior with the natural world.
—Marsha