A cross-cultural collaboration exploring art literacy, creativity and social transformation in China

Two art educators, from the United States and China, reflect on their collaboration to plan, implement and assess a cross-cultural experience. They developed a ten-day residency for art education students at Nanjing Normal University in China. The pedagogy presented emphasized the interplay between skill development and personal expression, product and process, and social-directed knowledge and social transformation. Through analysing student critiques, reflective discussions and survey responses the authors framed five categories critical for planning cross-cultural exchanges and broadening the scope of art education: Sensing others' cultural orientation, Building community, Scaffolding art literacy, Minding the gap between technique and creativity, and Reflecting on identity and visual culture. In a global society, culturally responsive art educators benefit when collaborating to help their students gain new perspectives on cultural assumptions, analyse common concepts such as aesthetics, visual literacy and critique, and reflect on the interdependence of teaching, creating art and social responsibility.