Geoffrey Holder: Prismatic Blackness
Chapter 12
Abstract
Teaching Art Diasporically: What Geoffrey Holder Brings to New Approaches to Arts Education
The predominance of White, Eurocentric artists prevents art teachers and curriculum developers of introducing and integrating Afro Caribbean artistic practice, history, and lived experiences in the classroom. This chapter challenges the white canon in art education and its impact on secondary teaching resources in the United States. The author highlights the underrepresentation of Caribbean artists and expose the limited teaching materials to develop a diverse art education curriculum. The scope of this chapter focuses on Geoffrey Holder’s paintings as a teaching resource that can introduce the field of art education to Afro Caribbean life. By examining Holder’s artwork, the author establishes strategies for developing comprehensive art education that engage students with a curiosity exploring art through art criticism, art history, and aesthetics. This chapter uses visual analysis approaches to illustrate visual communication and social meaning in Holder’s artwork for students. Highlighting the artwork of Holder can help art educators, pre-service programs, curriculum developers, and administrators to diversify, inclusion, and address the inequalities of teaching resources. The analysis of his artwork illustrates the greater need to provide learning opportunities to incorporate inclusion and diversity in teaching resources to enhance student learning of new cultural and historical knowledge beyond those traditionally offered in a high school art education program.