Growing a garden-based approach to art education

Garden-based art education programs can promote environmental awareness and advocacyMany schools are beginning to recognize the rich potential of their outdoor environment for fostering student learning in all areas of the curriculum, including art. Taking students outside to learn about art is a holistic approach that activates cognitive, experiential, affective, and environmental learning. Some schools are intentionally using artmaking as an age-appropriate form of environmental activism. This approach combines the teaching of traditional art concepts with place-based and inquiry-based pedagogy and can result in permanent eco-art installations on the school grounds.

Students at the Runnymede Public School in Toronto, for example, created a grapevine nest-like structure to protect plants in the garden. Environmental images and/or messages have also been embedded in student-created fence paintings, large-scale murals, and clay relief tiles. The process not only prompts students to think creatively about incorporating nature-related images and natural materials into their artwork, but also helps them realize that they can play a role in bringing about positive environmental change.

The way in which Runnymede Public School has been using the school garden as a site for art education over the past decade has not gone unnoticed. The student-developed art projects not only enhanced the school grounds, but they also generated community interest in environmental education and inspired other teachers to try this approach, as well. Additionally, Runnymede Public School achieved gold-level status in Toronto’s EcoSchools program in 2011 – “with the school’s outdoor artworks playing an integral role its certification.”

Recommendations for starting a garden-based art education program include starting small and doing it well. The potential benefits of a well-executed garden-based art program include raising awareness of environmental issues and helping students “develop strong connections to the environments in which they live.”