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vmaldonado's comments:

on Measure 58: English as a Second Language

As a Mexican immigrant I can personally speak to the challenges of learning to speak the English language. I guess I was lucky because my school district in California has a great ESL program and we had teachers who cares about us. Having a learning environment that is safe is the most important thing - no matter what. I remember how scared I was the first day - people who spoke English represented what I feared. I wonder if what's at stake with these forced "immersion" classes is that you prime the classroom to ignore the reality of the student. One size fits all education never works. Now that I have received both a BFA and and MFA and teach at the Pacific Northwest College of Art here in Portland - putting my students through the same hoop doesn't work. Having the opportunity to travel abroad lets me realize how anemic our relationship to language is. Not only are our ESL students at issue here but also the English only students - who are being left behind by students around the world who speak multiple language. I was a part of an immigrant culture from Mexico that knew that speaking in English was a means to express the kind of social oppression that a mono-culture can represent - the way we teach our students language primes our view about the true multi-ethnic profile of our country. I wonder how fluent English only speakers truly are. Measure 58 seems to lower the bar for all of us. Our our children, including immigrant children the undereducated "workers" of the future - with no need for comprehensive thoughts or are they the leaders and communicators in an increasingly complex world?

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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on The Public's Art

I wonder if textchampion isn't confounding publicly funded art and public art that is funded by the percent for art initiative? There are a lot of misconceptions being posed as facts. Be specific with your complaints - which government buildings that DMV runs? Where is there room for a discussion about how to make these sites open? Are you asking for art that is installed in government buildings to be opened to the public? Visiting hours for the art? I believe that our public arts programing deserves our consideration and participation. Public art is more than just an employment opportunity for "starving" artists. Public art is an antidote to the cliche of the lone artist in there studio. Public art is about creating value in an open forum that includes more than the minority of Oregonians who are artists. I would challenge the assumption that public art only has a utility for its makers because it's in its nature to be a germ for emotion and contemplation for the viewer as well - even when it challenges us and especially when it upsets us. Let's not take that away from our public spaces. We have such a vital public art collection in Oregon because mindful people have taken the time to build the necessary checks and balances that allow for growth and change. Let's put our heads together and figure out how to continue to enfranchise more people into realizing that art has a place in their lives out in the world - not just above their private couches.

posted 5 years ago
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on The Public's Art

I disagree that public art should be a low priority. In fact, because Orgeon has made Public Art a priority since the 70's we have developed proven methods to make sure that the community actually has a voice in the process. I wonder if those arguing agianst tax dollars being used for public art have specific examples that could illuminate some common ground. Can we get beyond easy dichotomies concerning Public Art? Is funding Public Art just about paying for an "end result" or is it also a way to actually facilitate complex cooperation that builds repore within an engaged community? Our challenge now is how to build value outside the private/commercial gallery world. Public art is an attempt at owning something, together.

posted 5 years ago
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on The Public's Art

Far from being a HUGE waste of money Oregon's public art collection is an example of how to use our tax dollars in creative and innovative ways. If you're looking for ways to save tax dollars I would challenge you to look at the war budget being debated by our Senate right now - Needless war - that's a HUGE waste of money. All of the so called "ugly" public art works we own are the product of community engaging in an artisitc experience. Our public arts are the product of citizens taking the time to get involved and to find creative solutions, together. Lazy looking and thinking only take focus away from the vitality that public arts programming gives to a neighborhood and a city. Taste may be subjective but it's no exuse for arbitray critique. I welcome considered arguments for how to make our vision for public art better. There are too many misconception about public art and its true value to our community and I'm glad that OPB is taking the time to air the issue to a wide audience. I would hope that with every complaint presented that a solution can also be included. Thinking creatively is what public art projects facilate outside the artists studio. Get involved - if you're not happy with the quality of art around you - join a committee or answer a call for artists. Let's keep setting our standards higher for what we expect out of art and what art expects from us.

posted 5 years ago
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