Art21: In terms of becoming an artist, what educational experience had the greatest impact on you?

Mark Bradford: I would say that the greatest educational influence was art school. It sounds obvious, but for me I was not brought up with people who dedicated themselves to sustained artistic focus. There was a whole world out there I just didn’t know existed, but at the same time I always had an intense curiosity, which demanded a creative outlet. Art school gave me the structure to hang some of my interests on.

Interview courtesy of Art21, a PBS series on art in the 21st century. Read the entire interview (and more) on the Art21.org. site.

Speaking for myself, exposure to the arts was a formative and substantive factor in my education. I should say “was and is,” affirming my dedication to life-long learning. I won’t be alone in this conviction when the NAEA Conference comes to town. (Here’s an insightful list of the values advanced by art education.)

The National Art Education Association (NAEA) is a non-profit organization promoting art education through professional development, service, advancement of knowledge, and leadership. Every year, their annual conference attracts thousands of visual arts teachers, scholars, researchers and professors, students, administrators, and art museum educators, and artists. This year, the conference takes place in Minneapolis and the Walker’s involvement includes the appearance of guest artist Mark Bradford, a pre-conference focusing on museum education, and a range of conference offerings such a workshops and sessions.

Here in the Walker’s education department, eight of my colleagues are busily rehearsing their workshops and presentations — between us all, 15 unique events are being crafted for the conference. Susan Rotilie, Program Manager, School Programs, plays a significant role in the coordination of the pre-conference. Dedicated to museum educators (a subset of the NAEA multitude), the pre-conference will take place on April 16th at both the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center. The conference itself (April 17-21) encompasses a broad range of themes including Early Childhood through Higher Education, Research, Museum Education, Supervision and Administration, Curriculum and Instruction, and more.

Even if you’re not an art educator by profession, this event has something for you: The Walker is pleased to welcome artist Mark Bradford. With support from Aaron and Carol Mack, Art21, and NAEA, Bradford will give an artist talk on Sunday, April 19th at 2:00 pm. This event is free and open to the public and will take place in the Walker Cinema.