Erica Halverson

Erica Rosenfeld Halverson is an author, actor, the Mayor of Whoopensocker, and the host of Arts Educators Save the World. Follow the show on Instagram here.

Tell us about Arts Educators Save the World in 10 words or less.
Conversations with successful artists and their mentors about arts education.

Why did you title it, “Arts Educators Save the World”? 
It’s a play on my book, How the Arts Can Save Education where I describe how arts practices should transform what good teaching and learning look like across all aspects of education. 

It also reminds us that arts educators are superheroes, it is because of them that some of our most successful artists - composer and musician Lin-Manuel Miranda, actor Bradley Whitford, ceramicist Sharif Bey, comedian Cecily Strong - are who they are. We hear time and again on the show that it is the educators who made these artists’ lives possible.

Why did you make it? Why did you make it now?
I have spent the past 20 years as a professor and I have found that my research about the profound impact arts education has on peoples’ lives was not making its way into the public discourse. And a huge problem with that is that the arts continue to be underfunded and forgotten in education, because no one is advocating loudly enough for the transformative benefits of arts for everyone. 

I have been lucky enough in my life as an artist and an educator to interact with hundreds of artists from across all art forms who recognize the huge role their mentors have played in their success. And so I thought I could bring my expertise in talking about the power of arts education to conversations with these artists in a way that could excite and activate our communities.

What is the most rewarding aspect of creating this show?
So many things! Two best parts: First, getting to hear from artists who do work that is unfamiliar to me - glass blowing, culinary arts, choreography - and hearing about how they learned to do their work and which aspects of their art form are most inspiring to them.

Second, I LOVE being the person who reconnects an artist with their mentor. For so many, this is the first time these pairs have talked in many years and seeing their pride in one another is magical! We’ve had quite a few off-air tears as people like Jonathan Groff and Cody Renard Richards were reunited with their teachers.

What do you see as the role of arts education / mentorship today? How can arts educators save the world?
Arts education is the most important aspect of our education system today. Giving young people the opportunity to make art (in whatever form) allows them to express themselves, to use their expertise, to collaborate with others, and to develop a positive sense of identity through work that they make. Arts educators are the key to making this happen and we have heard on the show time and again that this process is life saving for so many. 

How does arts education intersect with the political divisiveness we see today?
See above! We need arts education more than ever!

Thanks, Erica!