Two issues with curatorial rationales

June 14, 2019

As an IA (Exhibition) moderator I very often read a) eloquent and frequently passionate curatorial rationales that do not achieve the mark that perhaps the student expected, and  b) rationales that are not eloquent, but instead tend to be convoluted, frustrating and...

Process Portfolio (PP) Questions

March 29, 2019

8 PP questions from new teachers Here are some Process Portfolio questions I have been asked in recent visual arts workshops. I’m posting them here on the visual arts blog because I suspect that some teachers may also be wondering about some of the issues raised. I...

The Visual Arts Upload Reminders/Advice

March 18, 2019

If you are teaching Grade 12/Year 2 Visual Arts students, by now you should be making final preparations for the upload to IBIS. The deadlines (next month) are listed below with details of what you need to upload. This information is available of course on My IB but...

“No sevens ever seem to be awarded? Even sixes are rare…”

January 28, 2019

In my last workshop, a teacher commented “One particular post on My IB raised an issue that has been on my mind a lot lately, the question of how to coach my students to get a seven – or near as possible to it – when no sevens ever seem to be awarded? Even sixes...

Blast from the Past

January 16, 2019

Thirty Years Ago In December I thought I’d dig a little into some IBDP visual arts memories and look at the course as it was 30 years ago, when I was a young and eager art teacher (not so young now but still eager!). I confess I have a slight tendency to hoard, and up...

Nudes vs. Prudes

December 12, 2018

Discussions, and what is ‘acceptable’ I recently had a conversation that reminded me that even in my school, which I considered to be fairly enlightened and progressive, there are corners of old-fashioned, conservative and conformist thought. The...