Art as Empathy: An Early Childhood Educator’s Reflection and Application
By Makai Kellogg
I first learned of Alma Woodsey Thomas and her work while reading Dream Big, Little One to my baby. I immediately remembered seeing her paintings but never knew about the artist. Dena Rapoport, from the National Gallery of Art, shared Alma Thomas’ biographical information during the session “Art as Empathy: How an Ordinary D.C. Hero Invites Us to Discover Beauty Wherever We Are” at the Black Lives Matter at School Virtual Curriculum Fair 2022.
During this session, Rapoport led participants in an activity where we thought about our favorite place and associated a color with it. We then added feeling words, more colors, and sensory experiences connected to the place. Rapoport invited participants to consider empathy as not just within ourselves and with others, but in relation to space and place, as well. We used art materials to create patches of color, shapes, and patterns.
During the activity, these questions were raised for me:
What are the criteria in which adults judge children’s art?
What is missing from observational assessment?
How do we interact with children as they draw, paint, or create in general?
In what ways do our expectations cause harm to children’s exploration and creativity?
Who gets to decide what is beautiful?
In my work with young children over the years, I’ve witnessed and participated in the pressure for them to create realistic representations. Through observation, work samples, and checklists for conferences, children are expected to produce. Thomas’ art exposes children to multiple shades of color, movement, and playful expression. While many early childhood educators are used to judging children’s art for assessment purposes or assume anything they create has to be “something,” offering Thomas’ art and life as inspiration opens a door and provides insight into children’s process instead of product.
What children convey through art is more than what the adult viewing it thinks of it. The exercise Dena Rapoport led was a lovely example of how to engage children through feelings, color, and connection to their lives. It allows us to demonstrate empathy toward our students and their abilities.
Instead of asking a child, “What are you making?” why not ask, “What are you feeling as you create?” Thomas’ art tells a story of where she found peace and happiness, and maybe we can do better at observing the story of our youngest students.
I applied these lessons in an activity for Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action as we explored the guiding principles of Black women, intergenerational, and empathy.
My group, the Sea Lions, observed Thomas’ use of color and pattern based on places she loved. Our friends were offered watercolor, small squares of construction paper, and glue. They used Thomas’ work as inspiration and either made similar works or created originals. This was the children’s first of many experiences to study Alma Thomas. We plan to incorporate various materials to create more works of art that draw from nature and spaces of beauty that will encourage the discussion of their feelings.
Please see these resources for more information on Alma Thomas.