Dear former students of ART1020,
I wanted to inform you that the UCONN School of Fine Arts finally cancelled my last remaining teaching contract. The Art1020 class will continue in a new form by whomever they decide to have teach it, but my relationship with the School is finished.
I very much enjoyed teaching this subject and learning from you.
Your feedback and participation in the teaching methods and purposes allowed me to create a class that I believe responded in an unusually effective and direct way to your learning challenges and longings.
Unfortunately, the institutional culture, both at the School of Fine Arts and at UCONN in general, appears to have little interest in what actually happens in the classroom, or in innovative experiments in improving the learning experience of students.
Towards the interest of improving the experience of students at the SFA and UCONN in general, I would offer you a philosophical provocation. Many of you spoke passionately about your feelings regarding your educational experience at UCONN and felt some of the practices we engaged in ART1020 were especially helpful. If you are moved to do so, I would invite you to express how you feel about the fact that ART1020 as I structured it will no longer be offered, in a letter to the Dean of the School of Fine Arts or whomever you think may be interesting in listening.
If you do choose to express yourself, do not do so for my benefit as I am choosing to move on, but for the sake of the art school and the education of future students at UCONN generally.
You are most welcome to visit Jen and I at the Sanctuary (www.oursanctuary.org).
All Change is Good.
Sincerely Yours,
Justin
Hi Justin, it is year 2019 and I wanted to reread some of the materials from this class so I found my way back to your blog. It's a tremendous loss on the university and the dept of arts to cancel this class. Your class has helped shape me in many ways and is still influential to my life, because you didn't just teach a class, you planted a seed in my mind, awakened a part of me that will try to stay awake through out the years. It's like a light switch being turned on, and now I know what it really looks like. Thank you for your teachings, I look forward to attending one of your ACIM sessions again. With love and warmth, Fei Fei
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