Over the past several months we have been working to develop curricula to help spread the stories rediscovered through our Handshouse projects to a broader audience. We have had the pleasure of working with a dedicated team to start this process, one of whom is our long time Handshouse family member, Krista Lima!

How did you get started with Handshouse and what are the capacities in which you have been involved?

I was first connected with Handshouse when I took the Technologies in Wood class with Rick Brown in my Sophomore year at MassArt. This was in 2006. We were working on replicating one segment of the Gwozdziec Bimah. This was my first introduction to the Gwozdziec project overall, and the beginning of my journey with Handshouse.

After working on the Bimah I also began taking, and eventually TA-ing, the Lost Historic Painting classes with Rick and Laura. In these classes we worked to replicate in half-scale the interior muraled ceilings of the Gwozdziec Synagogue. I also participated in the travel program to Poland in 2007 led by the Browns. Our group conducted research and documentation of wooden structures similar to the Gwozdziec structure. 

After graduating MassArt in 2008 with my BFA in Sculpture I continued to participate in the painting classes and other workshops, such as the Zabludow Door workshop. Then in the summer of 2011 I was invited by the Browns to work as a Core Painting Leader for the reconstruction of the Gwozdziec Synagogue ceiling for the History of Polish Jews Museum in Poland. I spent the next three summers from 2011-2013 working as a Core Painting and Education leader for the project. I also spent 3 weeks in Warsaw helping with the ceiling installation in January of 2014.

After my experiences of working on this extensive project and with the encouragement of the Browns and my colleagues, I decided to return to MassArt to get my Masters in the Arts of Teaching. Throughout my Masters program I stayed involved with Handshouse whenever I could.

Since becoming a High School Art Teacher, I’ve participated in the week-long Trojan Horse Workshop, the week-long Banjo Workshop, and I’ve made several guest speaking appearances at Raise The Roof screenings. I’ve also adapted and piloted the Trojan Horse: 1000 Horses project in my own classroom.

Why are you 'Handshouse'? What values attract you to the organization and what keeps you connected?

There are so many elements to Handshouse that have kept me coming back. My teaching philosophy has always been about making connections—in all facets of the word. I’ve realized that making connections is fundamentally part of the Handshouse process, and this works for all types of learners.

First, I’ve always been extremely interested in History. The Handshouse method really leads you down an authentic investigation of History through hands-on learning. It becomes real. You get into the mind of the original maker, and the physical and contextual history opens in all directions in such a tactile way that it is forever ingrained in you. As an educator, I know that these connections are invaluable. 

Second, the collaborative process of Handshouse is amazing and truly rewarding. Making connections to others and learning how to work with each other’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as be tolerant of our differences is an important skill for society in general. With Handshouse, there’s often a feeling that the project is larger than the self, and it’s only through collaboration that we can be successful. I’ve forged so many meaningful relationships through my collaborations and communal experiences with Handshouse.

Third, it’s through Handshouse that I truly found empowerment - I’ve connected to my self worth. As a woman and an artist this is something you can’t put a price on. The nature of Handshouse projects has given me the tools to seek knowledge without self doubt. To ask questions, any questions, and to find answers through trial and error. I really grew up through my experiences working abroad for Handshouse, and it’s helped me find my way in the art and education world.

What is the curriculum Handshouse is writing and why?

Right now we are working on a curriculum based on the Gwozdziec Synagogue Reconstruction project. There has always been a demand for curriculum based on the projects. With the Covid-19 outbreak stalling immersive workshops, we decided it was a great opportunity to hammer out some of the curriculum ideas we’ve been pondering.

I think the Gwozdziec project is a logical place to start because we have SO MUCH material developed on it already. It also has that “WOW” factor that gets people's attention right away. Coming from an educator’s perspective it is multifaceted - it has so many entry points for meaningful teaching in a classroom setting. I view this as our test run. Once we have a curriculum structure that successfully reflects the Handshouse pedagogy we will be able to swap in the other projects, and develop curriculum models specific to each one.

Additionally after reflecting on our own experiences we also knew that we wanted to provide some way to teach the Handshouse Pedagogy for educators in all subjects to take back to their own classrooms. We really want educators to understand the “magic” of Handshouse and how interdisciplinary the process and projects are. We have come to realized the best way to do this is to provide Professional Development workshops where educators do exactly what we’ve been doing for years. They get to experience the Handshouse process - communal living and all—first hand. Within these workshops we will guide them and supplement them with materials that allow them to take ownership of these projects, to translate the Handshouse process, in their own customized ways, to bring back into their classrooms.

What has been created so far and what has been the process?

So far we’ve worked with Adriana Katzew’s graduate class of Masters in Art in Teaching students at MassArt developing example curricula based on the Raise The Roof documentary. The students worked in small groups, chosing which grade level or type of education they’d like to design for, and were able to take inspiration from whichever part of the documentary they desired. The results were amazing. It gave us a lot of important insight into how the project could be translated in socially and culturally responsive ways. One group also created a curriculum for Professional Development that we have chosen to continue to flesh out in our development process this summer. 

Next up we have started working with a selected curriculum development team. One of our goals for the summer is to dive into the Gwozdziec materials and establish an initial framework for a flexible curriculum that outlines the historical, cultural, conceptual, and technical aspects of the project. We will also be designing a catalog of workshops to make available to educators. I’m looking forward to an opportunity to implement some of the curriculum we come up with into my own classroom.