Abstract

Adolescents who are at risk of dropping out of high school tend to feel less worthy than average students their age. They may put themselves down, after having experienced failure in their lives. Therefore, at-risk youth may not see the value in their own works of art because they are overcritical. Despite their troubled pasts, these youth can be very resilient, expressing their individuality through art, which may provide a stable source of positive affirmation. In this study, two at-risk secondary students explored questions about art, responding to their own artwork and other works of art. Artworks were sampled from historical, multicultural, modern, contemporary and popular cultures. When the participants responded to art, the process led them to insights relating to (1) formal and technical qualities; (2) historical and cultural content; (3) symbolism or message; (4) thoughts on art and society; (5) value judgments; and (6) personal feelings. The artistic dialogue we engaged in was a tool for learning and a path towards clearer communication. Both students constructed their own meanings. For example, one of the students used a wolf in her artwork to symbolize her ties to her own native culture. The other student tried to figure out how artists become famous and questioned the notion of beauty in society. They shared their art-making processes freely and were concerned with conveying messages about issues in society that affect their daily lives such as racism or feelings of emptiness