Art Engaging with the Real World
One of the 2006 winners of the University of Minnesota Outstanding Community Service Awards is David Feinberg, Associate Professor in the Department of Art.
For the past four years Professor Feinberg has been in partnership with the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies as director/producer of the ongoing Voice To Vision video documentary project. These documentaries record the process of survivors of genocide working with an interdisciplinary team of diverse student and professional artists to transform their experiences into works of art.
Professor Feinberg is also directing a similar video project for the Council On Public Engagement called ACTION (Artist/Community Teams Interpret Oral Narratives). This project includes the Northside Artists Collective, North Minneapolis, in conjunction with MTN (Minneapolis Television Network), The Franklin Library, Phillips Neighborhood, in conjunction with PCTV (Phillips Community TV), and City Passport, a partnership of the city of Saint Paul, Healtheast, and the Minnesota Creative Arts and Aging Network.
Since 1996 David Feinberg has been a volunteer instructor for the-Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in the College of Continuing Education, teaching a course "Drawing From Fresh Ideas" in which potential drawing and painting graduate teaching assistants try out their experimental art lessons on senior citizens. Fourteen years ago he started a critique group for area artists working independently. There are now three critique groups with over forty active members. In addition, since 1984, he has been a juror and lecturer at over 38 area art exhibitions that include colleges, community art organizations and centers, and high school regional competitions. A sampling of his work is here.
The work of Professor Feinberg is an exemplar of how the fine arts can strongly connect with the real world.