GREAT ARTS & DESIGN STARTS HAPPEN HERE
We’re always fascinated about how geniuses, superstars, and legends got their starts. Beautiful starts come from all kinds of places -- inspiring ones, tough ones, nurturing, and starving places.
They are taught by all sorts of teachers.
We take a look at a new book, about an old fashioned idea about how to teach excellence. And we look at 10 top schools that have offered beautiful starts to notable creative artists and designers.
First, meet Mr. Kupchynsky, a high school music teacher who starts his students off with great expectations.
Photo: Courtesy of Chicago Tonight. Kupchynsky with his students.
“Strings Attached: One Tough Teacher and the Gift of Great Expectations
Photo: Courtesy of Hyperion books.
Everybody has that one teacher who changes his or her life forever. For us, that person was a tough-as-nails New Jersey music teacher named Jerry Kupchynsky— known as “Mr. K.” He pushed us harder than our parents, harder than our other teachers, and made us better than we had any right to be. It was only later that we realized how much we loved him for it.
If Mr. K wasn’t a real-life character, somebody would have had to invent him. A Ukrainian-born taskmaster, he yelled and stomped and screamed. But he also pushed us to dream bigger and to achieve more than we ever imagined. What’s remarkable is that he did all this while enduring a life of almost unimaginable tragedy.
Photo: Courtesy of Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Kupchynsky at work teaching.
His is an unforgettable story about the power of a great teacher, but also about resilience, excellence, and tough love. Mr. K’s subject, of course, was music. But the lessons he taught his students are universal.
It’s hard to imagine a Mr. K in today’s world. Parents would be outraged; administrators would be pressured to fire him. Yet he was remarkably effective. His methods raise the big issues we grapple with now ourselves, as parents. Are we too soft on our kids? How do we best balance discipline with praise? How hard do we really want our kids’ teachers to push them? And if our kids do complain, how do we know when—or if—to interfere?
The latest research on kids and motivation, it turns out, comes down in Mr. K’s corner.
"Moving and motivating.... While tactics like [Mr. K's] may not have earned his students' immediate devotion, they never forgot him and often found the could achieve more than they ever dreamed.... A Must Read." (Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review)
Photo: Courtesy of Circle of Art Movement. Hector Lopez.
One measure of how well schools prepare students -- how they start them up and launch them off -- is by their number of notable alumni and faculty. We took a look at 10 universities and colleges that have an exceptional track record in the creative arts, in particular. We’ve noted some of their most notable notables. Full disclosure, the first two listed are my alma maters, and I taught at the third one.
Photo: Courtesy of Blum and Poe. Self-portrait, by Chuck Close.
1. School of Visual Arts
Photo: Courtesy of NY Daily News. Keith Haring.
Image: Ang Lee. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
2. New York University (NYU)
Photo: Courtesy of Gawker. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (aka Lady Gaga) at The Bitter End.
Photo: Courtesy of Just Another Blog. Peter Max.
3. Pratt Institute
Photo: Courtesy of Yale University.
4. Yale University
- Numerous political, industry, & other thought leaders
Photo: Ernst Museum. Ai Weiwei as a student.
5. Parsons (The New School)
Photo: Courtesy of Parsons, the New School for Design. Donna Karan as a student.
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Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez (Proenza Schouler)
- Derek Lam
Photo: Courtesy of RISD. Textiles student.
6. Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
Photo: Courtesy of Chihuly Garden and Glass. Early Dale Chihuly.
Photo: Courtesy of Fashioned by Love. Early Calvin Klein.
7. Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)
Photo: Courtesy of IAM Architect. Louvre Pyramid, by I.M. PEI.
8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
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John Maeda (currently president of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
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76 Nobel Laureates
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Dozens of industry titans
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Dozens of political leaders of note
Photo: Courtesy of the United States Library of Congress. A young Isaac Asimov.
9. Columbia University
Photo: Courtesy of United States Library of Congress. A young Thomas Edison.
10. Cooper Union
Photo: Courtesy of Master Ceramics.
Read more about Beautiful Starts, as they relate to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact, including 10 New Books Full of Sparks, A New Start to the Universe, Beautiful Starts to Your Day, 10 Songs About Beauty in Starts, A Beautiful Place to Start & Restart, and the Start of a Beautiful New Body.
Enter this week’s BN Competition. Our theme this week is Beautiful Starts. Send in your images and ideas. Deadline is 01.12.14.
Photo: Courtesy of InterActiveMediaSW.
Also, check out our special competition: The Most Beautiful Sound in the World! We are thrilled about this effort, together with SoundCloud and The Sound Agency. Finalists are announced and voting has begun! Cast your vote and help us choose the winner!
