Teaching artists are creative individuals who work with youth to provide arts instruction, but are not part of the traditional educator system. They don’t receive the same benefits or support as other teachers, and yet they are often the only provider of arts education for multiple schools. In many cases, teaching artists work at schools where regular arts instruction has been reduced or cut altogether.
As members of a new field in education, what challenges do teaching artists face, and what about the power of arts education compels them to dedicate their lives to this work? The Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area is a unique organization that provides professional development for teaching artists, and KQED Art School visited a conference sponsored by the San Francisco Arts Commission to interview these educators about their work, successes and challenges.
Are you a teaching artist? What challenges do you face working in the San Francisco Bay Area or elsewhere? What support do you need to be successful? Share your thoughts in the comments section below or via Twitter @KQEDArtSchool.