Kathleen has been a studio artist since 1998, living and working in Winston-Salem and exhibiting throughout the Eastern United States. She is in her fifth year of collaboration with a gallery in Washington, DC to create and promote art for social and political change, based on the premise that art, being a universal language, has a vital role to play in the human conversation and condition. This collaboration involves organizations and authors addressing national & international issues, media personnel, civic and religious groups involved in social and political activism in DC and the surrounding states.
With the integration of visual arts and history, participants have the opportunity to become more aware of art with voice and will respect the right to have voice about our human experience (even if they disagree with the statement). From this experience we hope participants feel empowered to share their voices through art.
By exploring these major history ideas/topics through summer reading/research, through creation of 3D design responses, and through written reflection, participants will deepen their understanding of the content standards, improve their visual arts skills, and understand how artistic expression impacts culture and community.
In the first three weeks of school, Kathleen has worked with students and history teacher, Cris Wiley, visual arts teachers, Amy Cruz, Ashley Hurst, and Emily Beach, and Magnet Director, Karen Morris to develop a design for outdoor installations around the theme of access. Students read the UN Declaration of Human Rights, researched displaced persons/groups, created concepts for installations, and are now working on the pieces to be installed outside surrounding the picnic area.
What are areas of access that have been granted or denied? Who does the granting (or denying)? What does the UN Declaration say about areas of access and rights that are to be afforded all people?
These are some of the guiding questions that students in AP Human Geography, AP Art Drawing, 3D Design, and World History have been grappling with.
Below, artist Kathleen Ramich shows one of her pieces that was displayed in DC--"The United Fates of America"--created after the Newtown shootings.