Unicorns

Rainbow Unicorn by Articubone on Deviant Art

The art teacher identity is associated with a few different mythological creatures. One of them is the Unicorn.

In my Facebook survey asking what art, music, P.E., and library teachers are labeled as one teacher mentioned her principal called them "The Unicorns"in a PD session.

At least one group of (more liberally minded) art teachers has a social media group who's profile photo/logo is a unicorn.

The Art of Ed published "15 Memes Only Art Teachers Will Understand" in October 2017. First on the list, you guessed it, a unicorn.

You can also buy a variety of art teacher unicorn t-shirts online, such as the ones captioned below:

Art Teacher by Day Unicorn by Night

Art Teachers are Fabulous & Magical Like Unicorns Only Better 

Art Teachers are Fabulous & Magical Like Unicorns Only Better

What is it about the unicorn that speaks to the art teacher identity? Is it an identity that many art teachers embrace? We know there are at least enough who embrace it enough for multiple companies to print and sell shirts. Why is it an agreed upon symbol among groups of art teachers?






In The Illustrated Signs & Symbols Sourcebook: An A to Z Compendium of over 1000 Designs by Adele Nozedar, it says about the unicorn:

"The Unicorn is often depicted in tapestries where it stands sparkling white, against a backdrop of
dark green foliage.

This fantastic animal has a double meaning. On the one hand, it is synonymous with purity and chastity, yet on the other, the single horn on its head is clearly a phallic symbol. The positioning of the horn, though, in the center of the head and therefore at the symbolic seat of the mind, shows that the horn, in this case, stands for sublimation of the sexual urge. Popular legend says that only a virgin who is pure in mind as well as body can touch the unicorn, and medieval tapestries of the creature with the Virgin Mar were a reminder of the Virgin Birth. However, even  this innocuous imagery was prohibited by the Church in the late Middle Ages, regarded as too erotic.

The lion and the unicorn often appear as a pair, most notably on heraldic devices. here, the lion represents the Sun to the Unicorn's Moon."

It is safe to say, the traditional and sexual symbolism of the unicorn is not the art teacher representation. Instead, the art teacher-unicorn identity appears to be much more light hearted. The website UnicornsRule.com  shares jovial "facts" about unicorns that are more likely adaptable to the "art teacher identity."

* Unicorns have immense power and strength. 
This can easily be applied to anyone in the teaching profession. Teachers have power in the classrooms for creating safe and sometimes magical learning environments for their students. They have the strength to manage the multitude of tasks that come their way every day as part of the job.

* The unicorn is untamable.
The identity of the art teacher - unicorn as untamable is an interesting one. It relies on the artist-teacher identity to also be in play and relates to the habitat/space/art room.

Artists are traditionally given a bit more social license to be aloof, or different from other people. As Alan Thornton writes in Artist Researcher Teacher: A Study of Professional Identity in Art and Education, "Part of the folklore that surrounds artists suggests that the authentic artists should be devoted to the extent that they are prepared to suffer poverty, hardship and alienation in order to be true to their art and by so doing contribute something important to human understanding." (more from this book in a later blog and my own emphasis added in the quote).

Artists are given a stereotype of being "wild" or living on the outskirts of society as a part of their identity and as a way to fully express and experiment with their artistic creativity. Particularly in the case of the liberally minded art teacher the ideologies and philosophies may be very different from colleagues in their schools - which maybe one of the reasons the liberal art teacher social media group chose a unicorn for their logo.

The art teacher represented as unicorn means they are just beyond reach of the others. They do not frolic among the other teachers, but instead do their work (teaching) in an unknown (to other teachers) realm - aka the art room. The unknown realm (art room) is full of magical objects (art supplies) unreachable to other teachers. The space is usually colorful or cluttered, distant from others (like in a separate building or at the end of the hall). In some cases the space is even nonexistent. The unicorn travels with a magical pulled carriage (cart) from room to room leaving behind colorful, sparkly, messy evidence of their presence, but otherwise are elusive creatures (because they are in another classroom due to their busy schedule).


Many teachers or even administrators do not understand exactly what art teachers do. They do not identify as being able to create or make art or at least do not feel their artistic abilities can compete with the art teacher's. This perception makes the art teacher seem different and in possession of the magical ability to make beautiful things. Rather than learning the ways of the art teacher/unicorn, teachers and administrators summon for beautification and aesthetic tasks large and small - as if each project of producing beauty is effortless for the unicorn. Because the art teacher appreciates beauty, congenial work places, and their paycheck, they often oblige to the requests. Their skills and talents make creating objects and enhancing spaces look like a natural rather than learned process and therefore continues to appear magical to others.

* Unicorns poo, barf, fart, or naturally expel in some way Rainbows.

Body humor jokes are universal. How does this relate to art teachers? If you recall from the top of this blog, The Art of Ed chose a unicorn meme for their article - the unicorn is puking as a form of classroom redecorating. It goes back to the untamable point from earlier and the art rom as the unicorn's habitat. Particularly in the younger grades, bright colorful classrooms are seen as inviting spaces for students. For teachers, rainbow color schemes help to organize the supplies, seating charts, activity areas, etc. In the elementary levels, the art teacher often teaches all of the children in the school. It is crucial to keep an organized space with that high volume of traffic, rainbow bins help with this. Art teachers often have more things in general as well - more supplies, materials, visual aides, containers, etc. which can add to the look of colorful chaos (like a puke rainbow). Rainbows are also a part of our curriculum - we do teach color theory, gradation, color mixing, the color wheel - so it is important to us to at least have one colorful anchor reference in the room. But some (art) teachers do have more enthusiasm for colorful classroom decorating than others.


An art teacher labeled unicorn is playful and jovial. Clearly it is embraced by enough art teachers that it is profitable for t-shirt companies and the informal logo of social media groups. Unicorns are fun, mystical, and magical, but they are also seen as aloof, untamable, and frivolous. Can being labeled a unicorn be problematic for our profession? Is it one of those things where an art teacher can call themselves unicorns, but others shouldn't? Is it another tool, despite how much fun it is, to other the art teacher or to not bother fully understanding him/her?