Educators hope that the impact teaching and curriculum have on students extends far beyond the classroom, making practical connections to daily life. Powerful myths about where art happens, who participates in the art world, and the communities that judge art, however, can cause feelings of exclusion, where even formally trained artists can feel…

Students can be inspired as they examine the art and life of Clyde Connell (1901-1998). Connell was a woman who lived almost her whole life within a 50-mile radius of Shreveport, Louisiana, but traveled to New York City regularly for years. Connell was nearly 60 years old before she focused full attention on making art, and her most creative years…