Making Eye Contact: The performance art of Mary Beth Edelson as public pedagogy

Abstract

Abstract In the context of a university community, this article presents a visual and textual first-hand reflection by the co-authors (participating faculty and student) on public performance as an art intervention challenging alienation. Making Eye Contact, led by internationally known feminist artist Mary Beth Edelson, offered students and community members a way to connect with unknown ‘others’, and cross barriers of race, gender, class and the busyness of life in a digital age. The authors will situate the performance art of Making Eye Contact as a significant art event that became a form of public pedagogy. This article offers a generic template for others to create a Making Eye Contact performance. It also attempts to articulate the learning rendered possible through public performances, offering a case for introducing arts-based interventions into classroom and campus environments as learning opportunities.