Art and Activism
The idea that art can be used to help others is at the core of Clemente Milne’s teaching
philosophy. “The goal in my art room, and we talk about this a lot, is to be more
thoughtful, more empathetic, and more of a problem solver in the world. We can use
art to do that.”
In fact, Woodbury Creating Change has its roots in a unit on art and activism that
Clemente Milne – affectionately known as Ms. CM – has done for years. Early projects
included artworks funded by a grant from Cleveland’s Young Audiences, as well as a
school-wide fundraiser for the Nepal Orphan’s Home, an organization with which fifthgrade
teacher Carola Drosdeck is involved.
But it was while attending the National Art Education Association Conference
several years ago that Clemente Milne started to think about going big when it came
to arts and activism at Woodbury. She sat in on a presentation about the Empty Bowls
Project, an arts-inspired fundraiser that has spread across the United States. In it,
artists and educators work with community members to make soup bowls. Guests are
invited to pick a bowl and enjoy a meal, in return for a charitable contribution. The
proceeds are donated to local organizations.
“I thought it would be great to make bowls out of clay and get Shaker chefs to
come. We have such great food talent in this town. To tap into that would be fantastic.
That’s basically how it started,” explains Clemente Milne.
After returning home, Clemente Milne talked to fellow Woodbury art teacher Robert
Bognar about the idea. He jumped on board and, in 2012, the duo worked with Woodbury
students and teachers on what came to be known as the “Souper Bowl,” which, like Creating
Change, turned art – in this case, more than 1,000 handmade soup bowls – into a fundraiser
for four Cleveland-area not-for-profits. That event raised more than $6,500.
“I’ve been in education for 30 years and, in all seriousness, the event was one of the
coolest things I’ve seen,” recalls Woodbury principal Randall Yates, who retired this year.
“We came in the next day and wondered how we could do this again.”
After purchasing their mugs, attendees
were invited to enjoy delicious desserts and
beverages donated by 25 local restaurants,
bakeries, and markets. Photo by Caydie Heller
48 SHAKERONLINE.COM | SUMMER 2014