Our Space: Debating the Field of Art Education and Its Disciplinary Territory

Abstract

In October 2008, in Ruth Behar's (2009) American Society Invited Plenary Address, Folklore and the Search for Home, she suggested that folklorists often struggle in their search for the - meaning folklore's disciplinary territory. Like folklore and many other disciplines in our postmodern world, art educators often are perplexed about how to define our field of study and who should be included as group members. And like Behar, I assert that our also could be wide, much wider than many of us dare imagine (p. 264).This Special Issue of Studies in Art Education is about debating the field of art education and its disciplinary territory. As we engage in this continuing conversation, we attempt to understand and further define our identity. We look to establish the borders of our field, the content of what we teach, and the way in which we teach. Each part of this search is connected, and multiple perspectives help define art education's we. Often, repositioning ourselves and examining a different creative space can help us better understand the complexity of our definitional questions.In the winter of 2008, I was fortunate enough to visit Leonard Knight's spectacular environment in Niland, California, called Salvation Mountain. Knight was born on a Vermont farm in 1931. When he went to visit his sister in Lemon Grove, California, in the mid-1960s, he had a religious experience that motivated him to want to spread God's message of love. After a failed attempt to praise Him by building a 230-foot-high hot air balloon, he successfully constructed a mountain in Niland's desert landscape that was painted with gallons of donated house paint. The environment spans well over 1 00 feet and is three stories high. An extension of the mountain is a cave-like structure he calls a museum that incorporates tree-like forms, old tires, windows, car parts, bales of hay, and donated found objects. His entire environment is brightly painted and covered with his signature adobe flowers (Congdon, 2008; Knight, 1998; Ludwig, 1998; Manley and Sloan, 1997).One might ask where Salvation Mountain's boundaries begin and end. What is it about, who created it, and who owns the artwork? Is it ecologically sustainable, does it contain a message that should be promoted and in what context? Also, who has the power, or who should have the power, to answer these questions? This mountain promotes a religious message, which is problematic because the artwork is on public land - real estate that Knight does not own. Questions have been raised about the ecological viability of the mountain since some of the paint has lead in it. If a visitor who climbs the mountain falls and gets hurt, who is responsible? Because people come from all over the world to work with Knight on the mountain - not necessarily to promote a Christian message, but to experience the artist's creative spirit - is the artwork one person's vision or a collaborative piece?The questions that define the work become even more complex when the residents of Niland are considered. Because this small town has a weak economic base, the business community reaps benefits from the many visitors who come to town to visit or work on Salvation Mountain. In 1994, when the county government wanted to destroy the structure, the town's residents responded en masse. The government's desire to bulldoze the environment was partly an effort to discourage people from squatting in nearby Slab City, an old World War Il Marine base that lacks minimal services to support the many people who come to winter in recreational vehicles, trailers, and trucks. Fans of Salvation Mountain from all over the world joined Niland's residents and Salvation Mountain was saved. Supporters continuously give the artist hay, paint, food, and money to keep the site growing.Clearly, it is difficult to know who owns Salvation Mountain and where its boundaries lie. The work's subject matter is problematic because the United States' Constitution demands a separation of church and state, and the work resides on public land. …