I teach at the Maine College of Art & Design. I am an Associate Professor of Sculpture and the Gary Ambrose Sculpture Chair at the Maine College of Art & Design in Portland. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. jreiman@meca.edu
https://www.meca.edu/academics/undergraduate/bfa-majors/sculpture/
https://mecaphantomlimb.wordpress.com
https://www.meca.edu/academics/graduate/mfa/
Here are a few links to classes I taught at Carnegie Mellon in Sculpture, Installation,and Site-work:
http://cmuphantomlimb.wordpress.com
http://cmusimulationperception.wordpress.com
http://cmuseniorstudio.wordpress.com
Teaching Philosophy |Diversity Statement 2023
In education, we need to understand differences. The diversity of our experiences includes but is not limited to, race, class, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, faith, religion, veteran status, and mental, and physical ability. All of which can help strengthen how we interact with one another, but also how we engage in our own studio practice.
It is my sincere hope that whatever institution I teach in or within any community that I am part of, providing opportunities to all, listening, sharing, and understanding differences and histories, provides a forum for inclusiveness and strength. This is part of my classroom experience and has been a goal for the various institutions I have worked in over the last twelve years. I feel fortunate to be a part of this thinking and I have grown to understand many different points of view through this process, most importantly to be open and not selfish.
My pedagogical model is a transdisciplinary approach to learning, leading to student works with no conceptual or material boundaries. I provide skills that establish a foundation in content, production, and experimentation allowing students to complete any artworks they imagine. My teaching style is reflected by my experience as an artist and a builder. I am influenced by the educational philosopher John Dewey, where “knowing by doing, and building a sense of community through learning” are primary factors within my student's education.
My teaching goals include offering my students grounding in historical and contemporary issues, paired with practical and theoretical skills that will lead to their own ideation. I believe in well-made things and knowing the processes involved in creating thoughtful physical works of art. I want my students to question how their work is perceived and how it operates via presence and reflection, where how we deal with space is the primary focus as a sculptor. From introductory to graduate-level classes, we work together to develop many projects throughout a semester leaving concrete examples of successes and failures for each student. My classes are documented through blogs that are used as a record of the working process and finished works, and as a teaching tool for points of reference. Outside of the classroom, I encourage contextual practice through open research, field trips, lectures, conferences, collaborative ventures, exhibitions, and public interactions.
I promote critique as a constructive platform, where the sharing of ideas will lead to further inquiry. I provide a place where learning the language involved in describing and formulating ideas, be it visual or intellectual, promotes a safe and productive critical dialogue. I ask that students present their completed works in the environment they see as best for their concept. I ask their peers to meet the works of others with at least two ways of critically analyzing the work often how formal decisions effectively focus an audience towards understanding content and mirroring ideas. I strongly believe - Success is effort. Effort involves taking chances, listening, and creating a nurturing environment where opportunities are available for all that accept the challenges of learning.
As a professional artist, I make sure that I am available and accessible to my students outside of class time for questions, studio work, and camaraderie. I maintain a busy artistic practice and share this excitement and energy with my students. This leads to students taking charge of their own education, and great work usually comes of it. Encouraging work outside of class and following through with guidance and friendship have been one of my greatest joys as an educator. Teaching is also a reflective process that enables my growth as an artist, educator, and community member. I encourage my students to be curious, thoughtful explorers of life and visual culture. Participating in this process of discovery and potential is extremely rewarding.
As an educator and community member, I deeply understand that working together will all types of people is important to understanding and learning. I have worked to significantly develop curriculum and diversity initiatives in all programs I have worked in and have served on the diversity committee at the MECA&D where we developed a statement and initiated workshops for students and faculty, and made significant changes in how art history is taught within the classroom to include global perspectives and diversity.
I have always treated everyone the same no matter what their background in hopes of not segregating anyone in the classroom while being sensitive to individual needs. I encourage a community aspect through sharing and constructively building educational experiences that are varied. In my classroom, we learn about contemporary artists working around the world, as well as actively bring diverse voices into the classroom through visitors in critique or via Skype from disparate backgrounds. We attend lectures and conferences in different communities in order to have first-hand experiences outside of our own.
As Chair of a sculpture program, I have worked hard to develop a department that is extremely diverse, with faculty and students from all walks of life, various races, genders, trans-identifying students, plus varied nationalities and religions. It is now the most diverse department on campus. We recognize that diversity is integral to the academic experience and we strive to foster an inclusive culture defined by respect, equity and social responsibility.