What is the Bulldog Art Collective? The bulldog is the mascot of George Wythe High School in Richmond Public Schools (RPS), and the collective is made up of the students who are working with art teacher and department chair William E. Johnson, as well as visiting artist Keith Ramsey, to create paintings that depict African American themes. This project, Historical Perspectives and Storytelling Applied to Contemporary Art, was funded by a Partners in the Arts Engaging Creative Thinkers (ECT) award in 2011.
Artwork by Dashawn Lamar Meredith
Art and Culture Intertwined
To develop the themes and connect them to notable events as well as lived experience, the young artists studied narratives, letters, photography, videos, music, dance, fashion and artwork pertaining to twentieth century African American culture and history. Mr. Johnson developed the project and collaborated with US History teacher Sarah Boyd and AP English teacher Kim Jones, among others, to implement the project. RPS Arts and Humanities Center Resource Teachers Dorothy Rice and Mary Alice Shaker also assisted, while Principal Reva Green made it all possible by giving her teachers the time and space to innovate.
Ramsey is an artist, designer, and metalworker from Richmond. Working with their teachers, Ramsey, and their own great ideas, Wythe students created paintings that integrate English and History content. PIA Director Liz Sheehan sat in on a “crit session” with Mr. Ramsey and members of the Bulldog Art Collective. This is a detailed discussion format in which artists critique each others’ work and give feedback. For example, the work of Dashawn Lamar Meredith (pictured) showed he is already an excellent draftsman with a rich sense of color.
The Joan Oates Institute
Mr. Johnson and Wythe colleagues Nate Boyd, Ta’Neshia Ford, and Tiffanei Terrell attended the 2011 Joan Oates Institute, Partners in the Arts’ annual summer course that trains teachers on arts integration. There, they developed a unit plan about the Harlem Renaissance and gave an excellent presentation at the end of the institute. It was given in a form of 3D, sensory graphic design: iconic poses, striking visual art, and a plaintive trumpet solo (courtesy of Band Director Boyd), all combined to send its own powerful message. This project’s combination of teacher inventiveness and student passion is only the beginning.
Joan Oates, second from left, attending her namesake summer institute
Partners in the Arts (PIA) awarded Engaging Creative Thinkers (ECT) grants to teachers from 1994 to 2021. These grants made possible over 200 innovative, interdisciplinary projects in Richmond area schools. Since then, the PIA consortium has supported both educator professional development and in-school project implementation through the Joan Oates Institute for Integrated Learning.
The ECT Awards provided opportunities for teachers to reach all students across content areas, while developing critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and citizenship. ECT projects engaged a class, grade-level or, whole school, and connected teachers, students, families, and the community.
