Vision & Mission Statements / Wabi-Sabi Aesthetics

Unit: Conceptual Art

Theme: Vision & Mission Statements / Wabi-Sabi Aesthetics

Introduction

Statements of a school’s vision and mission are important for keeping a school focused on its core purpose. The statements can act as a guiding north star for school administrators who aim to make decisions that live up to the statements. They are also important because they are documents that parents use to see whether the school meets their family’s values.

Learning Objectives

Understand the meaning of a school's vision statement
Explain the importance of a school's mission statement
Gain awareness of the role they play in a teacher's decision making
Experience the Wadb-Sabi aesthetics and its application withing the context of a school's vision and mission

III

Main Lesson

Concepts

Mission Statement
It is a formal summary of the aims and values of a school, company, organization, or individual.

Vision Statement
A vision statement is a declaration of an organization's objectives, intended to guide its internal decision-making.

Examples of Mission and Vision Statements as they appear in the websites of three schools.

a)
New World School of the Arts

https://nwsa.mdc.edu/about/

Mission

New World School of the Arts (NWSA) is a Florida Center of Excellence in the Visual and Performing Arts. NWSA provides a comprehensive program of artistic, creative, and academic development through a curriculum that reflects the rich, multicultural State of Florida. The school empowers students to become state, national, and international leaders in the arts by challenging them with innovative ideas as they prepare for professional careers in a global community. These principles guide intensive and rigorous education for talented high school and college arts students

Vision

We are committed to providing educational and artistic excellence for our students.

Miami Arts Charter School

https://www.miamiartscharter.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=153154&type=d&pREC_ID=299441

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Design and Architecture Senior High School

https://dashschool.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=509337&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=981020&hideMenu=0

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Wabi-Sabi Aesthetics

In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a world-view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete."
Wabi-Sabi refers to the kind of beauty found in asymmetrical, uneven or unbalanced things. The asymmetry of a ceramic bowl is an example of wabi. Sabi is the beauty of aged things and speaks to the impermanence of life through the passage of time. An example of sabi is the lovely patina found on a rusted old metal wall.
Wabi-sabi is a concept that motions us to constantly search for the beauty in imperfection and accept the more natural cycle of life. It reminds us that all things including us and life itself, are impermanent, incomplete, and imperfect. Perfection, then, is impossible and impermanence is the only way.
With roots in Chinese Zen Buddhism, the story of wabi-sabi can be traced back to a 16th-century Japanese legend about Sen no Rikyu and his tea master, Takeeno Joo. The tale tells how, upon his master's request, Rikyu cleaned and raked the garden to perfection.
Zen Buddhists use a round symbol called enso (円相) to express their version of wabi-sabi. This perfect circle of black ink painted with a thick brush is made of infinite motion: always moving, never standing still. Sometimes, a painting will feature a gap in the circle.

5 principles for living the wabi-sabi way

Get rid. De-clutter your living space and it will help to de-clutter your mind.
Head outside. Give yourself time to sit and think in the outdoors, amongst nature.
Live seasonally. Observe the seasons as they come and as they pass.
Embrace the imperfect. ...
Enjoy your emotions.

Question 1

How can wabi-sabi principles advance your commitment to make the arts part of the general curriculum?

A Note to Remember

Using simplicity as one of the key principles for organizing the environment brings many benefits to children's well-being and development.

Case Study

Discussion Questions

How can wabi-sabi principles advance your commitment to make the arts part of the general curriculum?

How does the concept of wabi-sabi apply to installation art work?

VII

Activities

Gather in groups and come up with your group's mission and vision statements in accordance to your ideal school.

Individual Work: Bring nature indoors with flowers, foliage, twigs, bark, grasses, feathers, pebbles, shells, rocks, crystals, pine cones, conkers, nuts and seeds. Use the nature items to reflect the seasons and create interesting provocations through an installation art piece.

VIII

Journaling

Glossary

Sources

Statements in School. https://helpfulprofessor.com/school-vision-and-mission-statements/

LINK: https://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/articles/wabi-sabi-keeping-it-simple

Simplicity by Design. https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2021/Simplicity-by-Design

Students' Work

Mission & Vision

Griffin Wellington

Mission

Through the arts, academics, and freedom of expression, our ideal school will concentrate on developing a student's whole development. We will give students the resources they need to realize their potential and inspire goals to achieve. This school will offer a curriculum that equally balances each subject to give pupils experiences they can use once they graduate and enter the working world and society.

Vision

In our school, active learning will be used as a tool to teach children all subjects, as active learning is the most effective way to communicate knowledge. To do this, we will give students more hands on- and writing-based projects that encourage creativity in place of traditional written tests.

Wabi-Sabi

Using wabi sabi principles can advance your commitment to make the arts part of the general curriculum by encouraging students to live in the moment, take one step at a time, and truly enjoy being present in a free, accepting environment.

Alec Bleyer

Mission

I want to create an ideal school that promotes creativity and wellness while fostering a platform of openess and a space that feels safe.

Vision

My vision is to help individuals get out of their shells and push them to love learning and be happy about who they are and what they want to do.

Wabi Sabi

The Wabi Sabi principles can become normalized in the general curriculum by having more classwork done in the nature. In my emotional intelligence class, we often did activities in emotional support groups outside of class and this promoted us to be one with nature. I think that if each week, we were prompted to be with nature this would influence the arts.

Jess David & David Galli

Mission Statement:

Our mission is to provide an environment that encourages creativity, builds confidence, and faciliates innovative thinking through high caliber artists and educators. We prioritize the unique needs of each student over test scores and rankings. We want to provide for them a foundation of excellence that they can bring with them to their life after school.

Vision:

Our vision is that each and every one of our students leave the school having been enriched by the arts. As well as a sufficient background in traditional academics.

We would like to highlight the importance of the creative process, mistakes, flaws, happy accidents and all, over the final product/performance.

Andressa Goes Paes Mendonca

& Claudia DeSilva

Mission Statement: We are a school that values diversity and inclusion. We foster creativity in all mediums and want every student to feel accepted and valued. We teach by example and aim to create a safe learning environment where every student, teacher, memeber of the community can be their truest and most honest self.

Vision Statement: We strive to build a community where every person is heard, accepted and loved. We believe in the power of learning and the importance of expanding ones mind.

We encourage our students to make mistakes and learn from them. We believe mistakes help people grow and develop a much healthier environment.

Henry Parish & Brashard Smith

Mission

We believe in working out everyday. Having the ability to get better at something, working out is not hard or easy. It's something that people find challenging. We will help people with their workout, showing them the proper technique and movements. Students will learn the right technique to avoid injuries. Proper technique will help students find ways to get better at their craft.

Vision

Students will be able to find the balance between working out and being just average. They will actively integrate this experience into their daily lives.

Mikaela Sanders &

Mikaela, Kristophe

Vision: We aim to cultivate our world's future thinkers. We provide the highest standard of education that allows students to unlock their fullest potential.

Mission: We are committed to thoroughly preparing our students to be confident leaders when they enter the workforce and society. We provide an interactive classroom environment and nurture our students' creativity, allowing them to thrive.

We encourage our students not to strive for perfection, but to acknowledge that mistakes happen and to learn from them.

Caitlyn Chartier &

Jaron Katz

Mission:

Our ideal school will be focused on creating a well rounded student through arts, academics, and language. We will provide students with the tools needed to achieve their goals and reach there full potential. This school will provide a curriculum that balances each subject equally to provide students with the opportunities that can be used after they leave the school and enter the real world.

Vision:

Our school will include active learning as a tool to educate students through arts and humanities. We will do so by offering less written exams and more project and experience based assignments that will allow them to be more creative.

We can use Wabi-Sabi to make art apart from the learning experience by welcoming imperfection and by viewing mistakes as a learning opportunity.

Claudia Berthold &

Evie Strauss

Mission

To encourage every artist to step outside of their comfort zone and experience all forms of art.
To provide a well-rounded and interactive educational experience.
To incorporate art into every academic lesson within the academic curriculum.
To utilize funds in order to promote creativity and diversity.
To ensure every student is treated with respect and equity.

Vision

Our vision is to highlight the importance of art in our society and educational experiences through academic and art aligned curriculum.

Olivia Lee & Molly Ferris

Mission Statement: We aim to make classrooms a safe learning environment by encouraging taking risks, reflecting on failures, and celebrating achievements and diversity. We assess and provide the best professionals that aim to dedicate personalized learning to students. Through open, non-judgemental communication between faculty and students, we believe our students will be successful in and out of the classroom.

Vision Statement: To create a safe and comfortable learning environment to facilitate the growth of young adults in both personal and educational careers. We strive for bright and forward-thinkers, who can leave the classroom feeling confident in every experience they have.

Martha Philipos & Sophia Fernandes

Our mission: We will provide a safe and unique learning environment tailored to meet the needs of each student and to insure their success. We are going to support all employees so that they have the tools they need to help students grow intellectually and personally. We will enrich students with critical thinking and problem-solving skills in order to prepare them for life. We will cultivate an inclusive and welcoming environment. We are going to allocate funds and resources in an appropriate manner with the primary focus being the students.

Our vision: We work endlessly to create an environment where students feel comfortable and safe to explore their passions and grow. We cherish our opportunity to be mentors for the future leaders of the world. We promise to always guide students towards curiosity and success.

We will ensure that students feel comfortable making mistakes and that they realize the value in imperfection.

Ethan Hartz & Daniel Raphael

Mision:

Our mission is to create an environment where students feel empowered to be themselves, express their interests in their art and learn as a result of that authenticity.

Vision:

We strive to create an environment that is abstract but effective for students of all cognitive capabilities.

There is no greater magic than the experience concocted by a loving space. United minds with shared values and diverse backgrounds have great potential to enhance each other's human experience. This is an organic learning tool that spawns joy and vibes.

Mia Rothberg and Lauren Yu

Mission Statement:

Bring unity, creativity, and passion into the classroom. To bring students to their fullest intellectual abilities and brighten their futures. We want to invest ourselves into a child's knowledge and growth. We need to create opportunities for careers and long term goals.

Vision statement: Our vision is to empower young students and bring out their fullest potential. We want to watch them grow and thrive.

Its better to be yourself than to be perfect!

Wabi-Sabi

Olivia Lee

Title: Beauty in Balance in Unbalance

Brashard Smith

Title: The eye of a Lemur!!

Henry Parrish

Title: More Energy

This branch dead. The meaning of this piece is that the branch needs "more energy."

Caitlyn Chartier

Title: Nature Trio

This piece represents balance. The three sets of the three pieces in nature resemble completeness and symmetry. In the chaos of every day society and the world around us, it is important to find what balances you and keeps you at peace. Even though all of the elements to the piece are not the same size or shape (imperfect), they are made up of the same components and are more beautiful together than apart.

Jagger Walk

Untitled

Junjie Huang

Untitled

Jiaxin Ning

Untitled

Martha Philipos

Title: Harvest

My piece includes basic colors that are very prominent in nature. It includes green, brown and yellow. These items of the piece, grass and leaves, are what I notice when going on walks the most. This piece also reminds me of Fall. Because of this, I have named this piece "Harvest"

Mikaela Sanders

Title: Serenity

My art piece is colorful and has a calming joy to it, which is why I titled it Serenity. The mix of orange, green, and yellow has a pleasant energy to it, which contrasts well with the white rock.

Daniel Raphael

Title: Sticks and Stones

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but without someone to hold them, they’re just sticks and stones.

Daniel Galli

Title: Reflection

This piece shows the the relationship that the animal and plant worlds have with each other. There is a feather of a bird laying on top of an array of leaves set up to resemble the spread of a peacocks. The beauty in both compliment each other. The broken leaf shows that it is not a perfect beauty, for a beautiful peacock may be aged, or have been through fights, but according to Wabi-Sabi this only adds to its beauty.

Andreessa G.P. Mendonca

Title: Flower

Mia Rothberg & Lauren Yu

Title: My Art of Nature

My art shows that nature grows from nature and that there is beauty everywhere around us.

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Education in Arts - H / Spring 2023