Art Educator and Mentor

Art Educator and Mentor
Vernell Morgan, Art Educator and Artist 11/9/2009

In 1938 when Viktor Lowenfeld and his family arrived in New York City, he spoke very little English, and knew almost no one. He came with a Master’s degree in art education from Weinerkunstge Schule, also, a PhD in psychology from the University of Vienna. Viktor had already published several books and articles before arriving in America. The Nature of Creative Activity became his first English publication. With the help of family friend Gordon Allport, head of the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, and an organization called Refugee Teachers; Lowenfeld secured a position with Hampton Institute.
Hampton Institute President Howe offered Viktor Lowenfeld the position of associate professor over the Industrial Arts Department. This was a trade school at the time (Ritter, 1990).
Upon Viktor Lowenfeld arrival at Hampton, he began asking Howe for permission to teach art classes. Lowenfeld couldn’t understand why there were no visual arts offered at Hampton. He saw Black people active in music, dance, and theatre, but not in the visual arts (Grisby, 1977). To identify with his students from Hampton, Lowenfeld chose to live in a Black community, using drinking fountains, and community facilities which were restricted just for Blacks (Peter, 1988).
Howe was reluctant to allow teaching art, if it was not related to learning trade and industrial careers for the students who would receive training in those areas. The institute was divided in the following academic areas: the schools for Agriculture, Business, Education, Home Economics, Summer School and Social Studies. President Howe had said, “These people are not interested in the visual arts,” Lowenfeld refused to give up and accept President Howe’s answer. He asked for a chance to offer classes in drawing with no credit given to see if anyone would attend.
Howe finally issued a letter November 8, 1939 to all departments at the institute, informing students that there would be classes starting in November consisting of drawing, modeling and painting (Ritter, 1990). According to John Biggers, one of Lowenfeld students stated that 700 students attended class that evening without receiving credit (Grisby, 1977).
Some of the students that enrolled in his classes were John Biggers, Charles White, Samella Lewis, Elizabeth Catlett and John Bean. There were many more that enrolled later at the insistence of other African American students (Ritter, 1990, Wardlaw, 1989). According to Grisby this is how the art program at Hampton Institute began.
Lowenfeld believed art is related to mental health; i.e., a creative person was a healthy person. The value of art was not in its beauty, but in the outlet for expression its creation provided. His goal was to help his student’s develop a healthy sense of confidence and emotional well being. Lowenfeld therefore provided enlightened art classes which would allow “self adjustment through creative activity,” a phrase he would often say to his students (Ritter, 1990).
According to Lowenfeld, art education serves two purposes. First, it promotes psychological well being. He states that emotional growth and creativity could be stifled if one was not provided with emotional outlets. Second, art education helps provide cultural identity. For the students at Hampton this meant racial identity. Neither of these concepts was a Lowenfeld creation. Both had already been developed in America and in Europe.
As Lowenfeld taught at Hampton he developed his own theories about Black Art in America. He believed Black art was influenced by three basic factors:
1. The African heritage of Blacks
2. The social status of African-Americans in the United States
3. Western Civilization
Because these factors are different from those affecting white artists, Lowenfeld taught that black art must make a different statement from mainstream white art (Ritter, 1990). He felt the awareness of self was necessary to break away from this limitation.
In “New Negro Art in America” (1944) Lowenfeld stated that the art work that is created will enhance awareness and reflect the experiences of the Afro-American in society. In short Lowenfeld taught his students not to feel they had to produce art work to please others opinion on what art should look like, but they should paint from the heart. And paint they did (Ritter, 1990).
What made the students at Hampton so distinguishable was the radically expressive style they collectively and individually developed. In Hampton’s art program the students were vested in Lowenfeld belief that art was communication ,a tangible expression of feeling ; that art was not an end, but a means; and that art was a very personal product , a view into one’s inner self (Ritter, 1990).
Victor Lowenfeld recognized the need for self- actualization and self-development in the art work of his students, his life’s work was a result of efforts to meet this need.


References

Grisby, J.Eugene. (1977) Background for Teaching; Youth in a Pluralistic Society. Art and Ethnics, Wm C. Brian Publishing Company, pp 133-135

Ritter, R. E. (1990) Five decades: John Biggers and the Hampton Art Tradition. Hampton University Museum. pp. 8, 9, 11, 13

Smith, P. (1988) the Hampton Years; Forgotten Legacy, Art Education Journal Nov. 1988. pp. 38-42

Wardlaw, AJ. (1990) A spirited libation; promoting an African heritage in the black college, The American Impulse in African American Art , Dallas Museum of Art. pp. 70