Menagerie of the Mundane
Jonathan Juravich and Friends, 2019
Jonathan Juravich and Friends now on display at the UAC Indianola location.
Several years ago, I began working with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium by teaching summer art camps to teenagers. My work there is rooted in exposing these students to the importance of conservation. One of the activities we planned for the students was collaborating with four animals to create works of art. By meeting the animals face to face, the students see the animal as an individual and form a connection with them. After some time spent studying and experiencing one another, the student creates a painting based on the animal they have met. Our next step was based on a practice that zoos all over the world participate in, enrichment painting. By walking through paint and leaving marks on the canvas, the animal is engaging with different textures and temperatures. The students, who observe the efforts of their animal collaborators, then have the option to work back into their paintings afterward.
This year I considered my own role in sharing the importance of our conservation efforts. There is a need for us to act and support animals on the other side of the globe and right in our own backyard. I created these paintings that highlight mundane tasks that are a part of our human existence. Some of these activities we may enjoy, and others seem like futile efforts. And like us, these animals should have the opportunity to live long lives that are full of ordinary tasks. It is important that we have a sense of awareness about how our lives can have a global impact.
Jonathan Juravich is an art educator at Liberty Tree Elementary in the Olentangy Local Schools. He is the 2018 Ohio Teacher of the Year and was one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year. Juravich reaches out to the community through arts programming with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the Ohio Art Education Association, the Columbus Arts Festival, and Otterbein University. He lives in Columbus with his wife, two kids, and Rocky the dog.
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