By Maite Barragan, PhD candidate at Art History, Tyler School of Art, Temple University

Throughout the fall semester at the Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Art History graduate student Maite Barragan has been part of a project funded by the KnightArts grant to bring attention to Philadelphia-born artist, Charles Searles. The artist was celebrated in concurrent spring 2013 exhibits of his works at the Tyler School of Art and the LaSalle University Art Museum.

Charles Searles, The Street, 1971, acrylic on canvas, 66” x 72,” collection of Kathleen Spicer

While these shows were well received, the impulse to continue to make Searles’ work known to broader publics and a new generation granted Maite the opportunity to visit local high schools to give presentations about Searles’ work and his relationship with the city. The enthusiastic and warm response from students demonstrated once more how relevant Searles’ art is, as they engaged with her and pointed out associations that came from looking at the artworks.

Art History PhD candidate, Maite Barragan, speaking about Charles Searles to G. W. Carver High School students

Art History PhD candidate, Maite Barragan, speaking about Charles Searles to G. W. Carver High School students

The exhibits at LaSalle and Tyler produced a catalog that became the cornerstone for the venture. Not only did the catalog serve as the basis for the presentations, but copies were also distributed to area schools, cultural institutions, public libraries, and Tyler’s Art Education students for classroom use. One of the most gratifying experiences to come out of sharing the catalog was when these Art Education students, currently practicing in area schools to become future art teachers, responded to the presentation with an immediate rush of ideas. (Link to Tyler Art Education website: http://tyler.temple.edu/programs/art-education ) They pictured innovative ways to teach Searles’ art, ranging from how to present the work to students in order to inspire them to broaden their ideas of ways an artist can make art or how his works can exemplify composition and patterning for pupils still learning to look at art.