Harold Pearse - A Fun Loving Spontaneous Guy

Dr. Harold Pearse

"I change my philosophy everyday". This is what was said by a fellow classmate in, Introduction to Art Education, course in the early 70s at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. This statement had been made by this student after my Professor Harold Pearse, told us that one of the best things we can do as student art teachers, is to have a philosophy.

His statement really struck me as being so wise, and was a very much welcomed one, by a rather naive young woman such as myself at the time, who had a philosophy, but really didn't have a clue how to apply it to my life for a myriad of reasons, at the tender age of 22 years. I was relieved to hear Harold say this, and I knew I was definitely in the right class.

Years after, I realized this was one of the very best things Harold Pearse could have said to a bunch of green horns wanting to become art teachers in a public educational system that seemed devoid of any real tangible philosophy.

My Art Education teacher Harold Pearse, is a man of great integrity, intelligence, commitment, spontaneity, kindness and generousity. Not only is he a wonderful artist and person, he is teacher of exceptional quality dedicated to art education in all it's forms. He is also a dedicated and disciplined artist.

A cliche you often hear is " Those who can't do teach. " In the Annie Hall movie, Woody Allen said those who can't do teach, and those who can't teach, teach gym.
Harold is an artist and a teacher and excels at both. He is and has always been truly a very fine mentor to both students and artists.

Harold writes in his blog "Never ask your students to do anything you would not do yourself." "The other old adage of course is that teachers should “practice what they preach”." Harold walks the talk.

I have to tell this story that I never will forget, and have told it a number of times through out the years to some of my artist friends. It is a very fond memory that always makes me laugh.

While I was a student of Harold's, he decided our art education class would have a parade and our route would be up the hill to Scotia Square, a shopping Mall closely located to NSCAD. We all got dressed in various costumes and outfits and a way we traversed up the hill. One of the students was wearing a Joker outfit I believe, and proceeded to make the same noise like a siren of some sort which I'm sure drew attention, but none of us thought anything about it and we were all pretty excited, having way too much fun to worry about it.

 Upon our arrival we were not long there, when the manager of Scotia Square appeared and greeted us in a very disgruntled, annoyed manner, stating emphatically. "How many times do I have to tell you people? Let us know when you are coming!" Harold very politely, innocently and humbly told the manager. " Well, we didn't know we were coming, it was a spontaneous thing." Then the manager promptly shot back. "well don't ever be spontaneous again!"
         
I still laugh about it, but that was Harold, a fun lovin' spontaneous guy, who was serious about his art and his teaching.

I am so grateful to have had the privilege of being one of his many students so many years ago, and I am also very grateful that we have reconnected after all these years.

Harold knew how to make learning come alive.
And now I will never, ever not be spontaneous again! Thank you Professor Pearse!               

How To Make Learning Come Alive

Courtesy of Ada Leaphart Integrated Arts Academy at H.O. Wheeler

Sir Ken Robinson understands very well how children learn through creativity, and how essential it is to learning. His presentations about the education system being in such disparate need of a paradigm shift, clarifies how educational institutions must be about the kind of creative learning, that's not serving consumerism, bound up in a society more concerned with employment, over creativity, and doesn't consider the kind of economics that Dr. David Suzuki references as a priority, who also speaks of a need for an economic paradigm shift.

 “Eco” comes from the Greek word oikos, meaning home. Ecology is the study of home, while economics is the management of home. Ecologists attempt to define the conditions and principles that govern life’s ability to flourish through time and change. Societies and our constructs, like economics, must adapt to those fundamentals defined by ecology. " The challenge today is to put the “eco” back into economics and every aspect of our lives."
― David Suzuki, The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature

 I believe there are great parallels found between these two very high calibered, proactive thinkers. Sir Ken Robinson encourages and urges us to have new ways of thinking about education. Scientist and environmentalist David Suzuki, promotes the re-connection between school and nature. These two points of view compliment and converge with one another, enabling learning to come alive, through direct integration and interaction with others, and with the environment. 

Early on in my art education as a student art teacher, I very vividly remember certain books that were required reading. One book was, Teaching as a Subversive Activity. Although it's a book that was published in 1969, it's still very relevant today. The most poignant thing I read in the pages of this book, will  forever be imprinted into my thinking about learning. Authors Neil Postman, and Charles Weingartner express in their book, that each and every subject taken by each student is related, and should be integrated. Creativity is what can, and does connect each subject, acting as a powerful conduit to academic learning.
  

 
One of my first great art education teachers I had, who taught me about the importance of philosophy and spontaneity, was Harold Pearse. He knew how integrating art into all subjects was so vital to learning, and he made sure all of his students knew it as well. Last week he posted this wonderful article from the online site, Mind/Shift called, How Integrating Arts Into Other Subjects Makes Learning Come Alive. I hope you'll be sure to read it!