Artmaking as Protest

What is a message?
Where do messages come from?
Who sends messages?
Why do messages matter?
When can messages change?
How can messages be used to influence others?

WHO: Elizabeth Catlett

WHEN: 1912 - 2012

WHAT: American Printmaker, Sculptor, and Educator

FAMOUS FOR: Artistic explorations of race, class, and expression of her own African American female identity.

IN HER OWN WORDS:
"I have always wanted my art to service my people.... We have to create an art for liberation and for life."

ARTIST'S HISTORY:
Catlett was born and raised in Washington, D.C., to parents working in education, and her grandparents were formerly enslaved people. Always interested in art, Catlett attended Howard University for undergraduate studies and then The University of Iowa for graduate school. She eventually moved to New York, then to Mexico City, where she was inspired by the city's experienced printmakers and muralists. Catlett embraced a socialist practice that would have been very controversial in Cold War-era America. Throughout her career, she not only made her own artworks but also was a practicing art educator and visual arts advocate.

IOWA CONNECTIONS:
In the late 1930s, Catlett studied drawing and painting with Grant Wood at The University of Iowa in Iowa City while obtaining a Master's of Fine Arts (MFA) degree. In 1940, she received one of the first MFA degrees in the nation and was the first African-American woman to do so. Based on her influence and achievements, The University of Iowa honored her legacy by naming its newest residence hall in her honor in 2017.

ARTIST'S WORK:
Drawing from personal memories and autobiographical sources, Catlett composed expressive portraits and sculptures that highlighted the intricacies of Black, particularly female, identity. Manual labor, historical struggles, and the civil rights movement were frequent themes in her artwork. She sought to humanize and dignify people who were often overlooked.

ARTIST'S WORLD:
At the beginning of Catlett's career, communities of learning and most civil activities were racially segregated in the United States. The Civil Rights Movement and the Cold War dominated the political landscape. In addition, the inclusion of women in not only higher education, but also art was rare, especially for a person of color.

Students will learn about the life and influence of artist Elizabeth Catlett, who was the first black woman to receive an MFA and her legacy in Iowa. Using Catlett’s artwork, Red Leaves, 1978, as inspiration, students will research how color(s) are often associated with a political or social movement, and often used in protest. Then students will choose a political or social movement that is important to them and create an artwork using the movement’s associated color. Students will choose a variety of visual materials (2D or 3D as desired) based on their chosen movement to create an artwork. Then, students will write an artist statement that describes the work and steps they took to create the artwork and why they chose that particular political or social movement.

• SS.9-12.1: Compelling Question
• SS.9-12.3: Sources
• SS.9-12.4: Sources
• SS-Gov.9-12.19: Civics/Government
• SS-Gov.9-12.20: Civics/Government
• SS-WH.9-12.20
• SS-WH.9-12.21
• SS-WH.9-12.22

Students will analyze and discuss the artwork and life of artist Elizabeth Catlett and her connections to The University of Iowa in Iowa City.;Students will research and choose a political or social movement that is important to them and create an artwork using the movement’s associated color. ;Students will present in a written or verbal form explaining the steps and materials used to create the artwork and why they chose that particular political or social movement. ;Student will participate in peer critique on the efficacy of the artwork’s representation of the students’ chosen political or social movement.