BFAMFAPhD is “a collective that formed in 2012 to make art, reports, and teaching tools to advocate for cultural equity in the United States” (BFAMFAPhD.com).
The collective “prioritize the remaking of institutions over institutional critique” and aim “to build a community of rigor and care rather than reproducing a cynical, ironic, or antagonistic stance that can deny our capacity to create change in the world” (BFAMFAPhD.com).
Their website offers a range of useful tools for artists and educators, including:
According to this PDF available via the BFAMFAPhD website, the Asset Mapping exercise is “for collectively recognizing spaces of learning as places of abundance by identifying the skills, strengths, and resources that already exist there.”
This exercise is essentially a way of facilitating skill-sharing across a group of peers; the skills and needs of each member are listed and made available, along with each of their contact details, and the members are then encouraged to seek out opportunities where their individual skills might be used to serve other members of the group.
For example: one member of a group is proficient in the use of Adobe Photoshop, while another member has a need for photo-editing expertise; by externalizing their respective skills/needs in a list (and by displaying the list in an easily-accessed location), these individuals can find an easy route towards collaboration and problem-solving.
Rubric for Self-Organized Learning
The three rubrics made available in this PDF are similar in structure to the course grading rubrics used by our own University, however the focus here is shifted away from conventional academic criteria. Under the broad categories of Contemplative Practice, Studio Habits of Mind and Embodiment in Social Context, the rubrics outline various aspects of creative practice; from the cultivation of focused attention and calmness, to the development of craft skills and the coordination of collective action.
