Natalia Margulis
Art
Masters in Fine Arts
ART 1B - Art History: Renaissance to Contemporary
ART 2 - Intro to Art
ART 4 - Art Appreciation
ART 15 - Sustainable Interior Design
ART 42 - Graphic Design
I appreciate the fact that I have a solid foundation in Humanities beyond the Visual Arts. My Bachelors from Hunter College is in English Literature, so when I decided to pursue my education beyond the undergraduate level, I already had the language and critical skills to consider important connections between art, society and culture. I went on to get a Masters in Comparative Literature from Dartmouth College, a Masters in Secondary education from Brooklyn College, and a Masters in Fine Arts from UCLA.
My teaching philosophy is simple. I always want to see a classroom where students feel both comfortable and challenged. Where learning to ask good questions (I mean big questions, difficult questions, questions that matter) counts for more than coming up with final answers, especially since we'll be talking about art, creativity, society, culture. For my part, I will try to encourage you to think critically, beyond the surface level. I will value your opinions much more if they're well informed and if they follow a logical line of reasoning. Everything worth understanding takes time.
A classroom that's fun? Yeah, fun is not a dirty word in my book. Learning should be fun. My goal for my students is to always enjoy my class - while growing as thinkers, people, and civil citizens.
I love art because given the right context, it's literally anything. Also, I have a special relationship with the past, so when looking at art I feel like I'm time traveling... geeky I know.
Studying art is like studying the world itself: from observing the tiniest details on the skin of an apple to witnessing cataclysmic global changes; from understanding how light and shadow make paintings seem 3D to realizing how art can be an instrument of social change...it's that all-encompassing. Which means it's totally fascinating!
My advice to students is - don't rush it. Take your time, as much time as you need to make your assignments quality. Reach out. Ask questions. Engage with your classmates. Give things a chance, give yourself some credit for making it this far. Speak your mind. Do everything with intention. Balance opinion and fact. Know that you belong.