Where Is the Color in Art Education? A Critical Portrait of Thomas Watson Hunster

• In Event: The Past Is Present: Ignored Histories of Art Education

Abstract

Published histories of American art education seldom include the stories and accomplishments of Black art educators or art education in the segregated schools of the pre Civil Rights era. There is a need to research, teach, and publish these histories to provide a more inclusive and equitable picture of American art education and to encourage more people of color to consider careers in the field. This paper presents a Critical Portrait of Black artist/educator Thomas Watson Hunster, pioneer in art education for Black K-16 students in the Washington, DC segregated school system.
Hunster’s professional life is examined through the portraiture method (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997) paired with Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a conceptual lens. My adaptation of this pairing suggests a hybrid research method, Critical Portraiture. Critical Portraiture aligns with Chapman’s (2007) conception, highlighting the self-determination and resiliency of educators like Hunster in shaping curriculum to develop racial and cultural pride. Critical Portraiture combines the five features of portraiture: context; voice; relationship; emergent themes; and aesthetic whole (Lawrence-Lightfoot and Davis, 1997) with the four factors of racism: micro and macro components; institutional and individual forms; conscious and unconscious elements; cumulative impact on individuals and groups (Solarzano, 1997).
The Critical Portraiture method was used to analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources on Hunster gathered from the Sumner School Museum and Archives, U.S. Census data, Congressional records, the Moreland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University, digitized newspapers from the Library of Congress, and artworks and photographs from my family archives.
Results demonstrate the significant contributions of Black art educators like Hunster to the field despite barriers created by racist practices, which continue today. Hunster’s methods—blending fine art with practical training, arts integration, personal relevance, critical thinking, and empowerment through art making---show his awareness of progressive pedagogies and mirror contemporary practices. Examining the history of segregated schools provides a more inclusive picture of American art education and the accomplishments of Blacks and others in art/education worlds that marginalize and exclude them. Critical Portraiture research is one way to educate about the contributions of others to the profession through their efforts to confront and overcome racial, ethnic, and cultural barriers---creating a path toward educational transformation.

Author

• Pamela Harris Lawton, Virginia Commonwealth University