On the Same Page

The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

Communications from the Director

On the Same Page: Lab Schools and the Arts

January 1, 2006
David W. Magill, Director

Many of you know that prior to moving to Chicago, I spent most of my life in the greater Philadelphia area. One would think having lived there so long that every once in a while I might feel homesick. For what I believe are a variety of reasons, it is just not the case. With the exception of some close friends, an occasional Philly cheese steak, and Rita's water ice in the summer, I am perfectly content to be right here in my home in Chicago. This city has so much to offer and I love it here. But there remains one thing in Philadelphia that is unique and, unfortunately, I discovered it far too late to appreciate what I missed for so many years. I am speaking of the Barnes Foundation.

The Barnes Foundation is, for at least a little while longer, located within the boundaries of the school district in which I most recently served and houses the personal art collection of Dr. Albert C. Barnes. Barnes was a physician who made his fortune by creating an antiseptic silver compound called Argyrol. Argyrol had an international appeal as it was used on the eyes of newborns to prevent infection.

Barnes' art collection consists of over 2,500 pieces and is considered one of the finest collections of post-impressionistic and early-French modern art in the world. Over the years, the collection grew to include 180 paintings by Renoir, 60 by Matisse, 59 by Cezanne, and 35 by Picasso. While noted primarily for his interest in Modernist art, Barnes also was passionate about African art. As a child, Barnes attended African-American camp revival meetings; it was at these religious retreats that he developed an appreciation for African-American culture, especially music and creative expression. His support for emerging artists who were not part of the mainstream of art culture was generous and, in an effort to thumb his nose at the Philadelphia art establishment, he granted control of his Foundation to Lincoln University, a historically African-American university in Oxford, Pennsylvania.

While most would agree that his collection is priceless, it has been insured at over six billion dollars.

Barnes was described as a contrarian with an irascible personality who held views that were most definitely anti-art establishment. He believed that art had a much higher value than exposure in galleries only, and he refused to allow functions other than observation and education to occur on his property.

All of this is background to what makes the Barnes Foundation so interesting and different from mainstream art galleries and museums of art. Dr. Barnes had a complex vision that stressed aesthetics yet included pedagogical or political overtones. He believed that every person had the organic capacity to see beauty and that through formal training, even a person with little education could enjoy a higher quality of life.

His teaching methods were based on a belief that the power of art depends upon aesthetic qualities including light, color, shape, and texture. It was by these qualities that he arranged his collection at the Foundation. But to this novice art aficionado, the display of his collection made me feel like it was on steroids! I have never experienced such artistic overload in my life. No labels exist on the walls…no historical vignettes describe who the artist is…no cultural or geographical descriptions are present. Barnes did not tell people what to think. He wanted them to feel and experience art even though there were no breaks in the experience he created. One cannot leave the Barnes Foundation without feeling something. I'm just not sure that what people feel is the emotion that the good doctor was seeking.

With one other prominent twentieth century philosopher, Barnes developed a shared vision of what he referred to as an objective art education. And who, pray tell, was that other person? None other than Professor John Dewey from Columbia University, the same John Dewey whose educational experiment became the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. Barnes attended lectures given by Dewey, and their association led to an unlikely friendship that lasted until Barnes' death. Barnes appointed Dewey to become the first Director of Education for the Foundation.

These two men shared a commitment. They believed that in teaching people to enjoy living more fully by seeing beauty in one's ordinary environment, that society could be reformed. Both believed that art serves as a tool, that it clarifies and expands perception, and that it communicates, promotes, and deepens shared experience. By cultivating habits of inquiry, Dewey stated in his address at the 1925 opening of the Barnes Foundation, that it would serve "the cause of bringing people from all over the world in greater harmony."

Interestingly, Dewey opined very little about the value of the arts during his days in Chicago, and it wasn't until his later years that the topic became more focused in his writings. In spite of his lack of educational specificity during our early years, the arts became a very important part of the educational experience.

Our mission statement says it best: "We provide an experienced-centered, rigorous, and well-rounded education for a diverse community." An education is not well rounded without a quality experience in the arts. Given the facilities that house our arts programs, I think our children experience some very interesting things. In spite of some inadequate and aging facilities, there are moments of true brilliance in which children express themselves in both the visual and performing arts. Much of this brilliance is the result of the dedicated work of our teachers.

It disappoints me that because of schedule or tradition that most of our high school students do not continue their experience in the arts past the ninth grade. We will be looking for ways to change that. We will also focus on the spaces housing the arts in any future building improvements. In the next several weeks, we will be receiving the results of a space and feasibility study from our architectural consultants, Skidmore, Owens and Merrill. Preliminary information tells us that there is remarkable consensus emerging from the expressed needs of our buildings and that spaces for the arts are at or near the top of the list. I'm excited about what is ahead and look forward to being part of a thoughtful decision-making process that will assure a well-rounded education for many of our current students as well as the next generation of Lab Schools' students.

The educational theories of Barnes and Dewey are indeed interesting. I don't know if I agree with them all, but I do know from personal experience that the arts have made me a better person. Music and theatre have always brought me joy, and the visual arts have become much more meaningful to me in recent years. Who would guess that I would enjoy listening to a Puccini aria more than watching a football game? Who would guess that I would spend hours thinking about and visualizing what I had just seen in an art museum or gallery? Who would guess that I would have this unfulfilled fantasy of playing Fagan in the musical Oliver? Certainly not those who knew me as a child!

I have to believe that it was the cumulative effect of hours spent in art class, playing in the orchestra, singing in the choir, and taking piano lessons (much against my will) that helped me become a more well-rounded person. And now, as an adult and professional educator, I will advocate that an exposure to the arts be given the same respect and importance as the development of skills in language, mathematics, science, and history. For the arts have been described as the soul of education. To use the same metaphor, we must feed the soul and, by so doing, souls will be saved.