Graphic Novel Reviews: Teaching Artfully

Teaching Artfully is the delightfully unique debut of a Master’s thesis completed by Meghan Parker–all in the form of sequential art!

Parker’s presentation is one that describes her experiences with teaching visual arts and sharing her fervor for its fluidity in expression. This graphic novel is reminiscent of Scott Cloud or Lynda Barry’s sequential art narratives that many have come to know and enjoy as essential reading in comics scholarship and general education. Teaching Artfully certainly introduces an additional viewpoint that challenges the reader to think about the elements of art, use those elements to expand their view and the way they may interact with others, and above all challenge the traditional norms of academia. Should structured scholarship be limited to many-paged papers, citations formatted according to a predetermined style, and a classroom where the brain is valued more than the entire body and its potential to freely express itself?

Parker doesn’t think so.

The entire dissertation is handmade–from the art to the lettering, the creator pens their thoughts, depicts their life, and crafts creativity with use of traditional tools–pens, pencils, paints, and more. The drawings are simplistic but are far from being simple. Each panel and page is intricate enough to allow the reader to deduce the meaning, to find the rhythm and flow of the page. It really is amazing how Parker uses art to tell her story and to inform about the importance of visual arts in education as core curriculum–not an elective.

I would recommend this title for anyone over the age of 13. While it is not a graphic novel with a story-driven plot, it is a wonderful take on the unraveling of academic tradition and a reminder of how essential art is in all of our lives. Educators would especially benefit from giving this a read, as Teaching Artfully does not have to apply solely to art teachers but can foster ideas on how to create meaningful discussions and connections with students by thinking outside of the (report card comments) box.