by Linda Guenste
In my latest work entitled "THE NEW CURRICULUM", I have been rewriting the reading textbooks from my youth. The "Dick & Jane" series from the 40's, 50's and thru the 60's were used to teach children to read in many elementary schools throughout the country. When our current president uses the slogan is "Make America Great Again", these "educational" books illustrate a time they may be referring to. Primitive, aryan, misogynistic, gender stereotypes and the lack of cultural diversity paint a very different picture than our country today and what I believe our nation is about. With the confirmation of Betsy De Vos as a highly unqualified Education Secretary, I fear for the future of public education and the overall equal rights for the intelligence here in the United States. My paintings are contemporary comments on the current political climate and question the very definition of America.
Linda Guenste