But here's one last story I want to leave you with, for the time being. (NOTE: I'm a visual person, and as hard as I try, I'm no good listening to words, even if the August Randall Darwall is reading or telling stories close to his philosophy and aesthetics. Unless I have the text in front of me, my mind wanders and tries to visualize what I'm hearing. So I'm missing some important details, but you'll get the gist.)
Randy was fresh out of Harvard with an Art History degree, and found himself teaching art to 9th graders (15 year olds). One day, he read something, which made him realize that his task as a teacher was not to discover and encourage the one or two in the class who "got" art, but to convey to all his students, in whatever level each student was capable, the joy and appreciation of living with art. Or something like that.
I don't know about you, but it seems pretty incredible for a young chap in his early 20's to have this kind of maturity and generosity, and he's been doing it to different audiences ever since. And that's the kind of man he is. We were lucky to have had a chance to study with him. His teaching transcends weaving.
Even a giant loves his ice cream.
2 comments:
"the joy and appreciation of living with art."
wow... that's the kind of teacher I'd love to have, and to be!
If you ever have a chance to hear him, or visit the Open House in Cape Cod (more so than the stalls in the trade shows) and talk to him, he is really quite inspiring, not only to weavers I'm sure. I keep thinking of the world 'humanity', and I'm not sure if it's his person or personality, or his views about art/s. I would be wonderful if I can find out what you think.
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