Guest Erin Mooney from Open Studio Project in Evanston

This week our guest speaker was Erin Mooney from Open Studio Project. I have never heard of this organization before now. I am drawn to their mission and can see how both art education and art therapy play a role here. The process of art making is emphasized and this is something I am acknowledging in my thesis, teaching experiences, and personal artwork. I was a little skeptical of the "no comment" policy that is implemented during the art making and sharing process. How can relationships be built if there is no communication? Possibly they could emphasize on positive commenting. Maybe because of my experiences in educational settings I am all for dialogue. After doing the activity it was easier to digest this "no commenting" policy. I was not proud of my collage and was happy not to hear comments from teachers and classmates suggesting composition changes, subject matter, etc. It was simply a therapeutic activity. I gain power from my own work and writings, not from what others have to say about it.