Art and Commitment: Galleries without Walls

The chapter is part of a book about adult education in the sphere of public museums and art galleries. The aim of the chapter was to enrich and expand dialogue and understanding amongst adult and community educators, curators, artists, directors, and cultural activists who work within and beyond the walls of these institutions. The chapter takes up the complex and interconnected pedagogics of subjectivity, identity, meaning making and interpretation, knowledge, authority, prescription, innovation, and creativity. This chapter explores the role of the artist in adult education within the art gallery and artist-led learning projects in galleries are situated in terms of their commitment to art and their commitment to intentional learning. As stated in a review of the book by Hironobu Shindo “Overall, this work’s contribution is twofold: (1) In response to the fundamental questions of who museums belong to and what their purpose is, it suggests that muse-ums are public fora, where social justice and democracy can be built, and (2) it explores how museums function as adult education centers.” (Hironobu Shindo, 2018, Sage) When I speak of learning environments I am referring directly to adult education. The Chapter takes on developments from Tate Galleries initiation of a research centre dedicated to Learning and the “gallery as a site for learning,” (Emily Pringle 2013) and places it in context with my analysis of the role education plays in reproducing oppressions, power and politics. I argue cultural production and knowledge exchange can be inclusive, and that learning experiences can be co-created in a manner that acknowledges the institution, the artist, the art work and the participant. The chapter has been downloaded from Springer 872 times (Springer, 2020). It has been cited 10 times (Altmetric.com) directly.