Lisa Farrington, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and Founding Chair Emeritus in the Department of Art & Music, has lived a life surrounded by art—whether creating it, analyzing it, writing about it, or teaching a course, art has been at the center of her life. Over the years, her work has garnered a number of accolades, most recently the Lifetime Achievement award from the Anyone Can Fly Foundation. The award, which honors master artists and scholars of the African diaspora, was especially meaningful because it came from Faith Ringgold, the artist that awoke Farrington’s passion for African-American art. “Growing up I didn’t know much about African-American artists because African-American art wasn’t being taught in most schools at the time. It was during an art class that I took while pursuing my bachelor’s degree at Howard University, a Historically Black College, that I was introduced to Faith Ringgold’s work. We were shown her painting ‘American People Series #20: Die’ and I was completely blown away by her work. That piece now hangs next to Picasso’s ‘Demoiselles d’Avignon’ at the Museum of Modern Art.” Years later, while attending the CUNY Graduate Center, Ringgold’s work took center stage in Farrington’s doctoral dissertation, which later became two books, and put her on a path toward educating at John Jay.

Coming to John Jay
It was during her time at the CUNY Graduate Center that Farrington discovered an interest in teaching. “I got my first teaching job as a teaching assistant at Hunter College and fell in love with it. Up until that point I had been a creator of art, a curator working in museums, an art seller in private galleries, and a writer, but teaching gave me the greatest joy.” Farrington took on a full-time professorship at Parsons School of Design, where she taught for 15 years before coming over to John Jay in 2007. “I was invited by two John Jay faculty members to apply for a position in what was then the Art, Music and Philosophy department. Six months in, Philosophy separated from the fine arts to form their own department, leaving the remaining faculty wondering what to do. So, I was asked to write and put together a proposal to form a new Art and Music department.” Her proposal was approved and the department was established in July 2008. “It was the most fun, wonderful time getting this department up and running,” says Farrington, describing the team’s effort in shaping the mission of the department, and opening the Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery on 11th avenue. “The entire College, from the leadership team to the students, were so incredibly supportive,” says Farrington. “They all understood how art enhances the educational experience.”

Linking Art with Justice
For some, the idea of art as part of a justice-focused education may not make sense, but Farrington sees it as the perfect fit. “Research statistics show that students who study the arts outperform students who don’t in all subject areas including math and science,” she says. “The majority of information we take in is received visually, but most of the time, we’re not really paying attention. We’re not even aware of the powerful reactions we’re having to these visuals. And, that’s because we’re looking but not really seeing, and by that I mean we’re not taking it in and analyzing it.” Pointing out how seeing the details is so important in law enforcement fields, Farrington says, “studying art helps students sharpen their analytical thinking and creative problem-solving skills, which are essential in the fields of justice.” She cites the popular independent training course by Amy Herman called “The Art of Perception,” used by law enforcement on the local, state, and federal level, as well as the intelligence community, to train officials. “Officers are brought into museums and stand in front of paintings, sculptures, and photographs to analyze and communicate what they’re seeing in great detail.”

Analyzing art also helps students deepen their understanding of societies and history. “I am a big proponent of the idea that art is a way to teach about life. Art to me is the language of human history and one of the truest documents of history. If it weren’t for art we would know nothing about the Egyptians,” says Farrington, adding that a powerful link exists between art, politics, and justice. “Artists are either being deliberate and making political statements with their art; or in just making their art, their political point of view comes through.”

Citing how political figures have often used art to reinforce their agendas, policies, and beliefs, Farrington draws attention to the differences between Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Adolf Hitler. “In class we talk about political leaders and how they used art while in power. Lenin was responsible for the explosion of abstract art in the Russian art scene, because to him, abstract art symbolized a rejection of the old Tsars. Then Stalin came along and his version of communism was different from Lenin’s, so he rejected abstract art and forced artists to portray realism; he even had some artists imprisoned,” says Farrington. “Hitler was notably denied admission to art school twice, and as a result, when he came into power, he arranged to have thousands of abstract and modern art paintings burned. To further his agenda, he put on two big exhibitions that ran simultaneously. One was called ‘Degenerate Art’ and featured modern artworks that were confiscated from state-owned museums; the pieces were surrounded by negative texts and hung askew, with the goal of eliciting negative reactions. The other exhibition, called the ‘Great German Art Exhibition,’ featured Hitler-approved art,” she says, adding “Art influences everything, it influences societies and entire cultures.”

Teaching Her Students
Her students, says Farrington, take to the course material quickly. “An art piece can tell you so much, but you have to learn the language and John Jay students are so quick to pick up that language. Every student I’ve taught at the College has a spark of intellectual wisdom.” One such student is Rafaelina, a mother from the Dominican Republic, who took one of the first classes Farrington taught at John Jay. “One day, Rafaelina walked into class with her two young kids. She wasn’t able to find a babysitter for the day and asked if the kids could stay,” recalls Farrington. “I’m happy to say, the kids stayed in class that day. Years later they went on to study at Cooper Union—which has a wonderful art program—and Rafaelina has taken every single course I’ve taught here at John Jay and she’s now an artist herself.”  

More than 10 years after forming, the Art & Music Department boasts an impressive resume. “People don’t realize we have a really amazing art program here at John Jay. We have nine full-time faculty members who are at the top of their game, producing award-winning work, writing books published by the top presses, and one was even nominated for a Grammy. We have more than 30 adjuncts to help us meet demand; and we teach hundreds of sections because the classes are so popular,” says Farrington, remembering how students were the focus when the department was first being constructed. “The department’s growth has been so incredible to see. When we were first setting up the department, Haaren Hall was being renovated and we were asked how big we wanted our offices to be. Every single faculty member opted for a smaller office because our focus was on the students. We wanted to make sure they had enough space to create, to learn, and explore, so we doubled the sizes of the classrooms. It’s always been about the students for us. For me, teaching here at John Jay has been one of the greatest joys of my life and, no matter what’s going on in my life, the classroom is my happy place.”