I have loved connecting with Candido Crespo on social media and it was such a pleasure to chat with him! He spoke about the importance of taking the time to build relationships and get to know your students and offered tips for teachers. I also loved hearing about his work and the projects he has going on. Like me, he’s dreaming up more than he has time for, but is doing incredible work encouraging fathers through his CreativiDad Project, and encouraging artists through One Love Art Sessions, all while teaching and making art and parenting.
Candido talked about being seen and also being targeted. He shared how hurtful it is when teachers assume a student knows about a certain culture or history or that a student will love an artist solely based on that student’s cultural background. He talked about engaging students in curriculum redesign by asking them which artists are most engaging and relevant.
Candido Crespo is a husband, father, artist, and art educator. He has taught in the Central Islip Union Free School District in Central Islip, New York for 14 years. He received his BS in Visual Arts Education from SUNY New Paltz and his MA from Stony Brook University. He also recently earned his School Building and School District Administrative Certifications. His educational philosophy is truly rooted in relationships over content and is an advocate for art teachers practicing art. He is a firm believer that art teachers are at their best when they not only teach others but create for themselves. He is currently exploring crayons and markers with his son and sticker design, digital drawing, watercolor paintings, and pencil drawing on his own.
Links:
- @mrccrespo on Instagram and Twitter
- @crespoarts on Instagram and Twitter
- @creatividadproject on Instagram and @creatividadproj on Twitter
- @oneloveartsessions on Instagram and @oneloveartsess on Twitter
- oneloveartsessions.com
- Crespo Arts Store
