Institutional Time: A Critique of Studio Art Education

by Judy Chicago

A revered teacher and the most influential feminist artist of our time, Judy Chicago provides an autobiographical look at higher education in art, a must-read for aspiring artists and educators in studio art programs.   How should women―and men―be prepared for a career in today’s art world? For more than a decade, Judy Chicago has been formulating a critique of studio art education, in colleges or art schools, based upon observation, study, and, most importantly, her own teaching experiences, which have taken her from prestigious universities to regional colleges, and across the country from Cal Poly Pomona to Duke University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.   Founder of the first program dedicated to feminist art, at California State University, Fresno, in 1970, she went on to initiate the Feminist Art Program at California Institute of the Arts with artist Miriam Schapiro, the first program at a major art school to specifically address the needs of female art students.   Creator of the celebrated The Dinner Party, a monumental art installation now on permanent display at the Brooklyn Museum, Chicago reviews her own art education, in the 1960s, when she overcame sexist obstacles to beginning a career as an artist and became recognized as one of the key figures in the dynamic California art scene of that decade. She reviews the present-day situation of young people aspiring to become artists and uncovers the persistence of a bias against women and other minorities in studio art education. Far from a dry educational treatise, Institutional Time is heartfelt, and highly a book that has the earmarks of a classic in arts education.

Genres: Art

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at the Dollar Store and immediately started reading it and had a hard time setting it down for the next 18 hours. It was thought-provoking, at times incredibly intense, and a bit more triggering than it should have had any right to be. Very grounded in feminism. I had surprising things in common with the author. Definitely worth the read. Learned a lot. Still processing the experience. It brought insight into how I approach myself and my work as an artist and helped solidify, for me, why I haven't pursued art as anything "serious." Chicago made reference to many books that I will have to go on and find one day and read.

[Leslie Sotomayor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judy Chicago's Institutional Times book is a resource for educators and learners, artists and scholars, in participatory art and research process. Chicago's candid voice throughout the book feels like a personal conversation which engages the reader. It is more than her story of what she's done and how she's done it; but also delves into the struggles as an artist, researcher, and educator within studio practice and how she has overcome many of these struggles by implementing pedagogical principles that she has worked through over the years. A fantastic resource to any shelf for the artist, scholar, researcher, historian, educator and student and those of us who fall in all of those categories simultaneously and are navigating through how to develop personal voice and collaborative participatory pedagogy.

For more information and to join the conversation with J. Chicago go to:http://judychicago.arted.psu.edu/dial...

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author and publisher for this book that I won in the Goodreads First Reads contest. This book is the pedagogic journey of Judy Chicago and her impact on education and, in a broad sense, women's art. I am not an artist, but someone who values art. I never thought about the struggles that women artists have faced over the years. This book made me reevaluate the male artist in his exclusivity. This book is not for everyone if you are looking for escapism. This book is a way to understand what we have been missing in art education and to appreciate the determination of Judy Chicago to improve academia and open minds.

[Anthony Sudol · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful look into Judy Chicago's long career and pedagogy, specifically focusing on her work at universities where she fostered feminist art programs. It is an important read if you want a good understanding of institutional critique and second wave feminism.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I entered to win it for my friend who is currently in art school. He enjoyed it! Cool book.