Art Teacher Suspended for Recommending Figure Drawing

[Hissyspit]

Oh, brother. Teachers DO NOT get paid enough to put up with this shit. If I ever become an adminstrator, shoot me and put me out of my misery.

Art Teacher Suspended for Recommending Figure Drawing

"Wednesday, March 8, 2006 - In December Middletown, New York art teacher Pete Panse was suspended for recommending that some of his advanced students take a figure drawing class that included nude models, on the grounds that mentioning such a thing constituted a potentially sexually unfomfortable situation for some students or their parents... You can read all about the case, learn how you can help, and sign an electronic petition at http://www.artrenewal.org/articles/2006/peter_panse/case1.asp. "

Specifically, Mr. Panse was charged with making “comments that students could construe as being of a sexual or personal nature...or using position as a teacher to put students into any situation reasonably likely to make them feel uncomfortable because of the injection of sexuality into...the substance of comments”.

This seems particularly odd, since the ninth grade art history survey course includes dozens of images of nudes. Mr. Panse's students had completed that unit previously, and are now upperclassmen. Moreover, art teachers are required to speak of career options in the art field, what training is required, and how students might prepare for art school, so according to the official school policy, art teachers are required to show nude images to their students and are required to tell them about nude figure drawing courses that they might enroll in.

What initiated this whole case was one complaint, from a father who (presumably on religious/moral grounds) was opposed to his daughter being involved in any extracurricular class in which nude males were the subject. Of course it’s his right to make that decision for his own daughter, but we see no reason why such a choice to refrain from his daughter’s participating in such classes should preclude her teacher from even mentioning their existence. In fact, this particular father has recently been defending Mr. Panse against the attack by the school administration.

- snip -

What the charges are not...

• Just to be clear about the charges in this case, it is worth mentioning what Mr. Panse is not being accused of:
  
• He is not being accused of recommending that these students attend these classes without parental permission or without proper supervision and chaperones.
• He is not even being accused of carrying out any figure drawing courses, only of recommending them and proposing that he offer such a course.
• Nobody is accusing him of forcing anyone to go to these sessions and indeed, neither the four students who attended the sessions last summer nor their parents have any complaints at all about the experience.
• Nobody is claiming that anything unsavory was going on in any of these figure drawing sessions, involving Mr. Panse, Academy instructors, his students, the models, other artists, or anyone else.

[fishwax]

1. yeesh. these administrators should invest in some common sense

:eyes::wtf:

[Swamp Rat]

2. WTF??? Ridiculous!

When my mom was taking grad courses in studio art, she often took me along to her classes where I ***GASP*** regularly saw nude models. Not only did I see them, I tried to draw them too, though I suppose they came out looking like amoebas. :D

[Syrinx]

3. I'm glad that stupid shit doesn't just happen down south here

No. Wait a minute. I'm not glad about that. :(

[Erika]

4. A compromise

All curriculum will be ran by Falwell and Robertson. Or the GOP definition of a compromise.

[file83]

50. The male "nude" models must be Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh.

That way, we KNOW the "innocent" daughters will be viewing the loins of "honorable" men. That, and she'll probably puke all over her drawing. :puke:

[LincolnMcGrath]

5. The father doesn't seem much different then the folks here

salivating about hunting down and killing pedophiles.

[mdmc]

33. the dad in the OP took the teacher's advice

registered his daughter in classes outside of the Middletown school district, and directly credits the teacher's advice for his daughter's acceptance in to art school.

[dorkulon]

43. Umm....

...except that this guy isn't a pedophile.

[NYC]

6. Reminds me of Ashkkkroft putting drapes over the Art Deco statue

of justice.

No nudes allowed in the art world.

[readmoreoften]

7. Have they considered banning full-length mirrors in the home?

Children under the age of 18 might see their own nudity. If they did happen to catch a glimpse of their figures, I personally think that they should turn themselves in to the proper authorities. A child should not have to be confronted with a nude body simply because he or she wants to bath him or herself or change clothes. What is this world coming to???

[acmejack]

20. Dear Abby, I saw a nude man lurking in my bathroom!

When I shot him, my mirror shattered! Will I now have seven years of bad luck?

Signed, perplexed

ps, the man I shot looked just like me!

[readmoreoften]

49. There cna be nothing more morally devasting...

...than a glimpse of oneself nude in the mirror. It brings on a savage depravity. One realizes that, under all those clothes, a devious nudity will always be present everywhere you go in life.

If you really want to look at why kids are on drugs and why guns at school have become a problem in America look no further than this: more and more Americans are accepting that the human body is not a sick and shameful thing. This kind of thinking must be corrected.

[DanCa]

8. The key word is "recommended"

He didn't force his students to take this class he recommended that his "advanced" students take a course. What the hell is this world comming too.

[Hissyspit]

10. Many high school art students do not get that recommendation.

Which is why, by the time they get to college, they suck at drawing.

[DanCa]

11. Well can you imagine taking a course in music

And than getting in trouble for recommending an artist/genere/ or song that parents disagree with? I mean I hate Toby Keith but if I were studying country music, and my instructor "recommended" him to me, I wouldn't try to get him fired. I may privately question his taste in music mind you but I wouldn't make a big stink of it. I think everyone needs to slow down and take some time to relax. This world's getting uglier every day.

[jmowreader]

67. I think I would recommend he be fired

It's not because Toby Keith is a right-wing asshole; the country music industry is full of those.

I would recommend he be fired because Toby Keith sucks as a musician. His work will do your education no good.

And that's where this case is so curious: drawing nude models is an essential part of any art education. If you go to college to study art, you're going to draw nudes at some point in time. I really question the sanity of the parents in this case.

[mdmc]

34. the district is mired in sex abuse cases right now

the district is really hurting.

[proud2BlibKansan]

65. I think the key word is 'extracurricular'

You know football is extracurricular. And it is VIOLENT. I say we call this school district to complain and demand they suspend the football coach and disband the football program.

[silverweb]

9. Sign the petition!

At the very, very bottom of the original article is a link for a petition to the School Board to get real and reinstate this art teacher, who has an unblemished, 25-year career on the line.

To make it easier and more obvious, here's the direct link: The Petition

[rucky]

12. It's bad enough the poor guy's name is "Peter Panse"

give him a break, already.

[O.M.B.inOhio]

13. Reminds me of a story of a principal offended by the word "pedagogy"

He evidently thought it involved children and sexual acts. The teacher was given opportunity to explain to the principal that pedagogy is TEACHING. The story goes that the principal said that teachers should not use words (in the faculty lounge?) that aren't commonly found in the newspaper, so the teacher cut words from the paper to compose his resignation.

[Nickster]

19. Brilliant resignation idea! One of my favorite teachers in college always

has a speech at the beginning of his classes to discuss the difference between pedagogy and andagogy and why he selects andagogy as his teaching style.

[readmoreoften]

51. if you think pedagogy is sick!

how sick must ANDAGOGY be????

[Hissyspit]

14. Let me add something here:

Life drawing classes are NOT titillating. They are NOT erotic. They are BORING - unless you really get into your drawing/painting or watching someone else do their drawing or painting, you will wish you were somewhere else. They are about study, observation and discipline (no, not that kind).

[progressoid]

26. Yep

It's just as boring being the model :)

[ChairmanAgnostic]

28. you are so right. When you concentrate on the spine, on volume

on shadow and line, on wrinkles, and muscle, tendon and ligaments, you see the body as a piece of art of its own. Trying to draw it can only improve the rest of one's art technique.

I suspect these same morals police will start with the sheets over Michealangelo's statues, Rubens' nudes and Giocometti's arts.
what a collection of bastards.

[file83]

48. If ANYTHING, the daughter of the pissed off father would probably

be "grossed out" by seeing an out of shape male model posing nude. More than likely, she'll just me mildly amused while she concentrates on her drawing technique: No harm done. Art skills improved!

This father needs mature up to the level of his 14 year old daughter.

[Lorien]

60. See post #59

Although I don't always find them boring, I certainly agree with the rest of your statement.

[Rowdyboy]

15. Damn liberal teachers! Next they'll turn 'em into practicing thespians!

They have no shame.....

[ChairmanAgnostic]

41. Egads! Not THESPIANS! Like Gomer Pyle, Rock Hudson, Liberace,

horrors! Is it contagious?

Like Kline in IN and OUT?

[Tsiyu]

16. Gawd hates us so much

he doesn't even want us to see what our human bodies look like.:evilgrin:

I suppose his daughter could never volunteer for an advanced medical course either, as the nude human form may be witnessed and studied in that context.

And forget viewing sculpture or studying human anthropology.

Maybe he can lock her up til she's 30 and she won't never see a penis.

[xchrom]

17. ...

:eyes:

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. Da Vinci learned about the human body by studying dead bodies.

Does the right-wing have any clue that they are responsible for the mediocrity of America?

[LostinVA]

21. WTF? It's ART, and nude modeling isn't SEXUAL!!!!!

[atomic-fly]

22. I'm so glad we are preparing for greatness.

Oh yeh, THomas Kincade doesn't paint nude figures with magic F***cking light beaming out of their arses! Figure drawing is not sexual, it is very intense and difficult.

[ulysses]

47. americans don't want to believe that excellence

might require difficult things...like acknowledging the human body...

[Godhumor]

23. Huh, my art teacher told me the same thing

When I was in high school 11 years ago, my art teacher recommended taking some local figure drawing classes at the art museum. I never realized that he was ruining my morals?


This is just dumb; figure drawing is an integral part of advanced art education.

[mdmc]

36. the district is fucked up

the family took the teachers advice.

[BiggJawn]

24. Only in the Dominion of Amerika...

Naked=Fucking....
This message brought to you by the Christian Taliborn-again, Ralph Reed and Phyllis Schlafly, Co-Chairs....

[adigal]

25. I used to live near Middletown, NY

and a LOT of fundies live up there.

[Solly Mack]

27. shakes head

damn

[countingbluecars]

29. As a teacher,

I am starting to feel persecuted. There is a "War on Teachers".

[crispini]

30. This is outrageous.

What Can Be Done:

Spread the Word: Tell your friends, co-workers, and especially artists and art professionals about the case. The more attention we bring to bear on this case the more likely this good teacher will be returned to his class. In addition, it will help prevent additional cases like this from developing in the future.

Write Letters of Support: Letters of support (especially if you have some kind of professional qualifications) will help bolster Mr. Panse’s case. In order to prevent a flood of mail from overcoming Mr. Panse, Brian Yoder has volunteered to collect the letters and deliver them to Mr. Panse in bulk. You can send letters to him at: 972 Cornell Road, Pasadena, CA 91106.

Write to the Board of Education: Middletown School District Board of Education, 223 Wisner Avenue, Middletown, NY 10940.

Sign Our Online Petition: We have created an online petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/Reinstate_Pete_Panse/ for supporters to sign. Add your name to the cause!

Follow the Story as it Develops: Come back to this page from time to time for updates about the case.

Attend Middletown New York School District Board Meetings: If you are in the area, nothing speaks louder than showing up in person and speaking up about the case. You can look at meeting schedules and procedural rules at http://www.middletowncityschools.org/boardofed/boepage.htm

I will make sure to forward this around.

[mdmc]

31. the school district is all fucked up (I've done CSE with them)

(committee on special education)

they later claimed that the teacher was a perv and had been warned to watch out. This school district has lots of problems...

[C_U_L8R]

32. There's nothing sexual about a figure drawing class

Drawing the human form is one of the most challenging things in art...
and is the best way to learn.

But these Republican assholes wouldn't know anything about that...
they're the same jerks who put a robe over the statue of Justice.


Unbelievable.... but true.

[Generic Other]

35. Burkha drawing class and drapery drawing here we come

Soon, medical students will be forced to do exams under sheets.

[proud2BlibKansan]

37. This is absolutely ridiculous

Why do these assholes feel the need to impose their Victorian moral standards on the rest of us?

Hey, Dad, if you don't like it, don't give your kid permission. It's an extracurricular activity.

I didn't want either of my boys to play football. So guess what? They didn't try out for the team. I guess by this asshole's standards, I should have forced the school to fire the coach and cancel the football program.
:eyes:

[bobbieinok]

69. you really missed an opportunity to FORCE the district to accept

YOUR standards.......b/c YOU FAILED to act, generations of children and parents will follow an immoral and WRONG course....

:sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[ldf]

38. this "father" is so disgusted by the sight of a penis

i'm surprised he was even capable of HAVING a daughter.

gawd created the filthy thing, to START with....

:grr:

[proud2BlibKansan]

39. Oh wow I just read the link and see that this teacher

is a National Board Certified Teacher (in Adolescent and Young Adult Art), the highest level of certification that a teacher can achieve in America.

That makes this even worse.

Oh I hate these holier than thou people in this country. I really do.

[High Plains]

62. The problem here seems to be the administrators, not the father.

I cannot for the life of me figure out why school administrators so often behave as if they were insane.

[proud2BlibKansan]

64. They aren't tenured

and they are scared. They cave in to parents all the time. The problem started with a parent complaint or they wouldn't have suspended this teacher.

[stepnw1f]

40. Sexually Oppressed People Freak at Nude Pctures

These people are such cowards. It called the HUMAN BODY and it has nothing to do with sex unless YOU, the person looking at it, make it so.

[Batgirl]

42. Seeing as how there's probably not a single art school in this country

that doesn't have figure drawing as a basic requirement for earning a BFA , the teacher should be commended for the soundness of his advice

I can sort of deal with the fact that there are a few idiots who might try to raise this kind of objection and therefore reveal their bottomless ignorant dumbfuckery. But for the teacher to be suspended for DOING HIS JOB is inexcusable. Those who responded by suspending him have proven themselves to also be unfit morons.

[Cobalt Violet]

56. I believe it was a requirement of my school.

Even drawing 101 and painting 101 had basic lessons in figure drawing and painting.

Clothed model painting and drawing came after nude. The idea being that if you don't understand how to model the human body than you won't be able to master how clothing drapes the body.

[sofedup]

44. Speaking as an artist and sometimes teacher...

...when will these effing, ignorant rw nutjobs crawl back under their rocks?!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

They are so intent on bringing us all down to their medieval level. Will they not rest until there is no more true education in this country? :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Cleita]

45. Sheesh!

I took some college art classes in summer school at a Catholic college from a nun and we had nude models. And this was in the fifties! Odd to think of the fifties as less pruddish than our decade.

[file83]

46. If the parents don't approve of it, then don't support the idea - but

FOR GOD'S SAKE, don't persecute the guy for suggesting a very common practice in the art world. What is this, the American Taliban?

[silverweb]

61. Yes.

"What is this, the American Taliban?"

In a word, YES.

[Cobalt Violet]

52. Figure drawing is an art staple.

If I remember correctly it was required for my BFA. And we took it not only as a septate course but it was also part of regular drawing and painting courses.

I know this is high school but figure drawing is not porn.

[NoodleyAppendage]

53. Xtian Fundy Kids == modern Hitler Youth.

It's only a matter of time before these little Xtian nazis start to tattle on "uncooperative and unbelieving" neighbors and family members.

J

[readmoreoften]

54. I forget who made nude bodies again?

Was it Satan or God? I thought the fundies believed that God was "our creator." Did he leave the genitals up to Satan? Or did he make the genitals himself. I totaly forget.

[Atman]

55. Figure drawing classes are a part of any good art curriculum

This is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever, ever heard. What the hell kind of "art" is the kid studying, drawing stupid anime comic books? I am an artist, and my gallery used to sponsor a nude modeling session every week, open to the public, for $5. Rarely did any young people show up anyway, but still, no permission slip was ever required...it's not like they were seeing a pole dancing exhibition! You simply cannot properly learn to draw the human body, clothed or unclothed, without an understanding of muscle structure. And, anyone thinking that it'd be cool to get to see someone nekkid for $5, remember that it is often one of the most boring and un-erotic things you'll ever witness. The models are usually just real people, not "models" as we often think of the term in pop culture. We used to get fat old men modeling sometimes. Gross...but it also teaches the student appreciation for the "beauty is more than skin deep" notion. You learn to see beyond the surface of what you're looking at, and respect the overall picture. What a horrible, horrible thing that must be for the nut jobs like the father mentioned in this story.

Jesus, I am getting so upset at the level of idiocy bubbling to the surface in our country. Does anyone stop to THINK anymore?

[wovenpaint]

57. Here are my comments - as I signed that petition

"How absolutely ludicrous! I'm a 3rd generation artist and took many years of figure drawing. This knowledge of the human form is essential to the understanding of how materials lay against the human form. I also took anatomy of the skeletal and muscular systems-for the same reasons. What's next, the medical schools? After all, medical students have "hands on" classes with nude humans, both alive and dead!
I strongly suspect that those who are so quick to brand human activities as "sick" and "perverted" because any mention of sex or sexuality is shown, tend to be the most warped about their perceptions on human sexuality."

[LisaL]

58. That is clearly wrong.

It's not like the teacher recommended they lied to their parents about taking this class. I fail to understand as to why they would suspend him for that.

[Lorien]

59. I'm a former figure drawing instructor, and I find this absurd

I took nude figure drawing classes myself as a high school student which I feel were critical to my success as an artist. And as a former review board member for a major film studio, I can tell you that most companies who hire artists WILL NOT hire ANY who aren't competent at drawing the nude. There is a simple reason for this; the human form is the most familiar image to all of us. If you can show an understanding of the human form WITHOUT camouflaging any areas with clothing, then you have demonstrated your abilities to accurately observe and interpret the world around you. The human figure is a surprisingly unforgiving subject; it's easy to separate the wheat from the chaff just by looking at the nude studies in various portfolios.

There is nothing remotely "sexual' about the experience of figure drawing; it's difficult, analytical work. When I pose nude models, they are "things" to me; I'm only looking light and shadow, and the tilt of the shoulders or the angle of the hips-and I must consider the strain the pose will place on the model to select those that will work for different drawing periods. When I speak to the model between sessions I have them wear a robe, because only then to they become "people" again, and not an object of study.

[mdmc]

68. the school district is on the ropes with all sorts of sex abuse problems

[johnaries]

63. Reminds me of Simpson's episode 209.

http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/0209.htm

Convinced that the images on "The Itchy & Scratchy Show" are a bad influence on kids, Marge wages a one-woman campaign against the show that eventually forces the creator, Roger Meyers, Jr., to curb the violence in favor of bland, lovey-dovey plots. The new format bombs and the show's ratings plunge. Meanwhile, Marge is asked to comment on The Springfield Art Museum's exhibition of Michelangelo's "David." Not finding it at all objectionable, Marge loses her standing with the anti-free speech brigade that once supported her.

[formactv]

66. I was a first year art student

in 1971. My class had 28 hours a week of life drawing for six weeks. I learned to draw. Eliminating life drawing (nudes) takes the guts out of an art education.