***This article was previously published in Collage, Colorado’s Magazine for Art Educators, Spring 2020.***

Candy Chang is a contemporary artist with roots in urban design[1]. She became a public art superstar via her Before I Die project[2]. You may have seen Denver’s wall in Civic Center Park in 2012.

Chang invites people to share their insides with the outside, in an anonymous yet public way. This revelation of inner thoughts and emotions builds community and helps us feel less alone and more connected. Chang figuratively and literally breaks down barriers through transforming walls in public spaces into intersections of shared healing and catharsis.  

For example, the Before I Die phenomenon began when Chang lost someone close to her[3]. She was depressed and wanted to know how her neighbors were feeling. She walked across the street to an abandoned house in her hometown of New Orleans, covered the side with chalkboard paint, and stenciled: Before I Die, I want to: ___________ with lots of empty spaces (and chalk) to complete the sentence. The spaces filled overnight, and neighbors started gathering and conversing around the wall. A decade later, there are over 5,000 Before I Die walls around the world.

Another of Chang’s projects, A Monument for the Anxious and Hopeful[4], invites viewers to complete the following sentences on cards, which she then displays. I am anxious because_______. I am hopeful because_________. After reading the responses, one can’t help but feel more compassion towards oneself and others; we all have similar hopes and anxieties.

Unaddressed emotions are barriers to learning; they block our focus and engagement[5]. Adapting Chang’s work for the classroom creates space for emotions in a constructive, creative and safe way. Students feel heard without feeling exposed, teachers learn about their students, and students feel more connected to one another.

I have adapted Chang’s work for the classroom several times. For example, on the first day of Introduction to Art Education with college students, I structured class in the following way:

1.     Mindful breathing to settle and focus everyone (including myself!).

2.     Prompts: My first memory of creating art in school was ________. I want to be an art educator because _________. I recorded students’ responses on the board.

3.     Briefly introduced Candy Chang and her work.

4.     Prompt: Before this class ends, I hope to _________. Students shared their hopes, and I recorded them on the board.

5.     Prompt: My worries/fears in terms of studying art education are ____________. Students wrote their worries anonymously on notecards.

6.     Students dropped cards into a box.

7.     I wrote the worries onto the board.

8.     Candid conversations emerged.  Students related to each other’s memories, worries and hopes, and shared tips to help one another.

9.     To close, we energetically held each other’s hopes and fears and sent support and love to one another.

Candy Chang helped us set the tone for class. Throughout the term, students felt comfortable bringing their whole selves to discussions and projects, sharing not only their learning, but also their inner thoughts and feelings. Thank you, Candy!

References:

[1] http://candychang.com/

[2] https://beforeidieproject.com/

[3] https://www.ted.com/talks/candy_chang_before_i_die_i_want_to?language=en

[4] http://candychang.com/work/a-monument-for-the-anxious-and-hopeful/

[5]  https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_teachers_need_social_emotional_skills

Weaver, L., & Wilding, M. (2013). The 5 dimensions of engaged teaching: a practical guide for educators. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.