ESPrit de Corps

Phil and Stephanie had some questions for me as a relatively new Director of Education and as a practicing artist.

SP and PA: What are some of the radical new ideas you are bringing to the table?

HH: I think I bring a radical and inspired honesty to my interactions with colleagues. I am very transparent about what I know and what I hope to learn. My passion for life, art and inspired learning is right out there with every person or group I talk to. I feel like arts administration is like throwing a really good party or orchestrating a large happening. Bring inspired talent to the table in a great setting along with good food and innovative tools for mapping the way and just watch it happen. Make each step count. Bring people of many talents in to partake and keep the dialogue rich and diverse! Be square in the moment and have the big picture in mind too. Can you all find a common language to build something of this magnitude and to continually record and search for any and all evidence of learning? I am honest with my team about how big this is and when we feel lost…we search for answers in each other and all of our hard working colleagues around the state. It’s radical to be honest about where you are and where you are not.

SP and PA: What have been some of the challenges?

HH: In the complex world of arts partnership, clarity and patience are the twin sisters of confusion and what I like to call “the knee jerk reaction”. Adults are not the most patient people and this is a very large complex pedagogical blender! Principals, classroom teachers, parents, artists, students, the arts ed community, the funders, the public, the Dept. of Ed…everyone has a perception of success. Everyone has a comfort zone. I have been very surprised by comments like: “There’s too much art going on in this room!” or “Our students are testing lower because art is in the room.” I thought Art in Ed was THE inspired brainstorm. Now I see the need for inspired patience. We are participating in a transformation of school culture. Brick by brick my friends, student by student.

SP and PA: Who have been your allies (you can think in terms of roles here)?

HH: My small dedicated team! Each and every first or second person that opens the door of a school to a more serious partnership conversation. The willing who come to all avenues of inspired discussion, planning, action, re-action and then have the stamina and inspired focus to take to action again! The many state wide and city wide working groups where these incredible people with years of experience willingly give you gems of thought, guidance and support.

SP and PA: What have been some of the unexpected lessons?

HH: We do not have to panic. We are not alone. When things are falling apart in one arena they are coming together in radical new ways in another arena. I have finally found and plan to cultivate inspired patience. As they say in my home town Coney Island: “I’m in it to win it!”

SP and PA: How has your background uniquely played into the work you are doing as Ed Directors?

HH: Whenever I need focus and seriously inspired brainpower concerning our arts partnership I always order the platter that includes an expanded variety of cake slices for my Classroom Teachers and Artist Teachers. Not to mention I have been known to transform the dorms at Summer Seminar into a sanctuary…just add Christmas lights, fresh lavender and a cooler of beverages!

Please respond to my post with the groundbreaking happening that inspires you as an artist and as an educator this very moment!