Building with The Bauhaus: Integrating art and maker education

Abstract

The Bauhaus, a German art and design school active from 1919-1933, changed how artists and designers are educated. Previously, art students were typically trained at Royal Academies where they learned by copying the masters. At the Bauhaus, students completed foundational courses before declaring a medium-based major (ceramics, metals, weaving, etc.), a method still used today. After a brief introduction to the Bauhaus, it’s history, and it’s educational philosophy, this interactive workshop, led by an art librarian and a makerspace librarian, will identify the connections between the Bauhaus and the learning that takes place in contemporary makerspaces, including experiential learning, collaborative learning, distributed learning, and using basic understanding of materials as a gateway to creativity . We will also explore how some of the outcomes of maker-centered learning, empowerment and civic-mindedness, connect to the utopian vision of the Bauhaus. Participants will then complete maker projects inspired by the Bauhaus’ curriculum , allowing them to gain hands-on experience with the methods of the Bauhaus and how those methods connect to modern maker-centered learning experiences. The session will also include examples of how the presenters have led workshops for university students that unite Bauhaus and maker-centered learning practices, giving participants actionable tools to use in art and maker classrooms of all ages.