Collaborative STEAM in Educational Centers: Artistic installations in public spaces

Abstract

The STEAM initiatives promote the idea that art is a fundamental element in education and human ex-pression. We study the possibility that a group of students from an educational center may be able to implement an artistic installation. We also study whether the installation could be aligned with educa-tional policies that foster STEAM ideas and practices. Furthermore, we analyze whether these activities can be carried out collaboratively by students using public spaces designated by university administra-tors. To address these issues, we organized an artistic installation project at the School of Education of Bilbao, Spain. The installation was carried out by 63 sophomore students. The result of this project is the artwork entitled Glass Drawing 2021 Havana. The installation was created in a study hall with a large glass wall adjacent to the main entry of the school building. The dimensions of the work are 1830 cm by 238 cm, and it uses the technique of translucent vinyl on glass. The artwork Glass Drawing 2021 Havana shows that the students of an educational center can create a collaboratively STEAM art instal-lation using the existing public spaces of the university.