FA S PLRL I N G22015 015
A MAGAZINE FOR COLORADO’S ART EDUCATORS
experience SYNESTHESIA Register for Fall Conference Today!
www.caeaco.org
Fall Conference November 12 - 15, 2015 Breckenridge, Colorado
In This Issue
5. President’s Message by Elizabeth Licence
4. In Memory of Sue Patterson by Jesse Crock
7. Letter from the Editor by Vanessa Hayes-Quintana
9. Things I Wish I Had Known about a Creative Education Career by Scott Wakefield
53. CAEA Executive Board and Regional Division Representatives Council Directory 53. CAEA Task Force Chairs and Publications Directory
12. Deborah Butterfield: The Nature of Horses Exhibition and Taking Kids to the Denver Botanic Gardens by Cathy Moore 17. Notes from the Learning Lab: The Anatomy of Learning by Barth Quenzer
54. Regional Representatives
Page 22.
Table of Contents
In Every Issue
20. Boisterous Bunnies Lesson Plan by Stone Leaf Pottery
Introducing CAEA’s 22. Introducing CAEA’s Summer Conferences Summer Conferences by the Executive Council 24. Critical Thinking, Critical Making: Conductive Stickers & the Design Notebook by Heidi A. Olinger 29. Youth Art Month by Justine Sawyer 33. Scholastic National Art & Writing Awards - Reflections from a National Gold Key Winner by Evan Olea 35. What is ArtSource? by Andrea Crane 37. Bus Duty by Elizabeth Buhr
Page 24.
40. NAEA Press Release, Justine Sawyer - 2015 Pacific Region Secondary Art Educator of the Year
Critical Thinking, Critical Making: Conductive Stickers & the Design Notebook
42. CAEA Award Recipients 2015:
Page 33. Scholastic National Art & Writing Awards - Reflections from a National Gold Key Winner
Anne Thulson (Colorado Art Educator)
Judy Kelley (High School Art Educator)
Lindsay McLean (Middle School Art Educator)
Amy Marsh (Elementary Art Educator)
Anne Lay (Rookie Art Educator)
Rick Sigler (Private/Charter/Independent Art Educator)
Dr. Elisa Robyn (Higher Education Art Educator)
James L. Meyers − Artsonia (Distinguished Service
Outside of Profession)
COLLAGE is published by the Colorado Art Education Association Elizabeth Licence – President Vanessa Hayes-Quintana – Editor Rosemary Reinhart & Elisabeth Reinhart – Copy Editors Janet McCauley – Layout Design & Production Please submit all materials to: COLLAGE Editor: Vanessa Hayes-Quintana, sayhayes@mac.com
Cover Photo: Sierra Elementary third graders visit the Chihuly exhibit in the fall of 2014
COLLAGE is published tri-annually. Submission deadlines for COLLAGE are: Spring Issue - February 1; Winter Issue - October 1; Fall Issue - July 1. Email all submissions to caeacollage@gmail.com. Contributions of articles, photos, and artwork are encouraged. Submissions of text should be emailed as Word documents. Accompanying photographs of student work or students at work is encouraged. Do not include images within a Word document. Images should be in .jpg format and sent as separate attachments. Refer to the attachment and the file name in the body of the e-mail. Whenever possible, include captions and, in the case of photos of original student or teacher artwork, include names of artists. Submitted items may be edited for clarity, length, and format. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and publication does not imply endorsement. Lesson plan submissions must include lesson objectives, appropriate assessments, procedures, standards applications, and materials.
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In Memory of Sue Patterson (1960-2015) by Jesse Crock Sue Taught Me... To be an advocate for the arts, through CAEA To dive into a project with students and get silly To be a hoarder and save everything for later projects That a classroom doesn't have to stay a classroom; it can become an airplane That every kid's art matters Sue taught me to be a teacher A Memorial Scholarship for art students has been set up in Sue Patterson’s name through Adams State University. For more information, contact Bill Mansheim.
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4.
President’s Message
President’s Message by Elizabeth Licence
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nother school year has started and I hope the summer has rejuvenated you enough to take on the tasks in front of you. It is my hope that 2015-16 will be a fulfilling and productive year for all of you. That you feel like a valuable member of your community, that you are treated with kindness and respect by your students, colleagues, and administrators, that you are satisfied with the result of all the many things that life asks of you. I know many of you had challenges, setbacks, and unexpected events occur last year. Some of these moments were good and some incredibly sad. For all of that, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for continuing to be the bright star in a student’s day. To be the creative force of your community. To believe and know that what you do means so much to so many. Thank you. I consider it an honor to represent you all as President of the CAEA. The honor was so apparent to me during the recent NAEA Convention in New Orleans last March. I loved hearing the other state delegates shouting out to me “COLORADO!
So great to see you again, you guys are awesome!” I received many compliments from other state leaders on our organization as well as our art educators for all the work you do in the areas of standards, assessment, advocacy, curriculum, and professional development. I am proud to be a part of this wonderful family. Summer was a busy time for the CAEA. We piloted two mini-conferences to help bring more professional development to rural areas of Colorado. There were other events throughout the state and country for professional development and advocacy: ArtSource Summer Institute, the New York ceremonies of The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and the Youth Art Month awards, and much more. You can always check out the CAEA and NAEA websites for information about what opportunities are out there. Our Executive Council had our annual retreat to continue to plan strategically for our state association. I attended the Pacific Region Conference in Idaho where all of the area leaders got together for more strategic planning and feedback to the NAEA. And the Fall Conference planning was well under way. I am very excited for this year’s “Experience Synesthesia” conference. I hope to see you all there.
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The CAEA will be supporting a Membership Drive tour over the next year. I will be coordinating with the Regional and Divisional Representatives to host get-together events in the nine regions of Colorado. These events are to celebrate and thank the members in that area and let other art educators learn about the benefits offered by being a member of the CAEA. The CAEA will be supporting a Membership Drive tour over the next year. I will be coordinating with the Regional and Divisional Representatives to host get-together events in the nine regions of Colorado. These events are to celebrate and thank the members in that area and let other art educators learn about the benefits offered by being a member of the CAEA. For those of you that I only get to see once a year at the Fall Conference or have never had a chance to meet, I hope you will come out to these events to say hi and bring colleagues to enjoy an evening dedicated to how awesome you all are. More details to come on the website and in Collage. Until then, keep plugging away and know that you can always contact me at caeapresident@gmail.com with concerns, issues, questions, news and such. Talk soon.
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6.
Letter From the Editor
Letter From the Editor by Vanessa Hayes-Quintana
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or those of you I have had the chance to chat with, I often share how amazing it is to be surrounded with the brain power and creativity of art teachers. I taught summer school this year at the Foote Youth Services Center in Arapahoe County. It gave me the chance to work with people who aren’t educators. Let me tell you, these people are wonderful. Yet, art educators take it to an entirely different level in every way! We make a career of problem solving and exploring the thousands of ways to know and understand. We routinely realize the stunning and tangible results of keen intellect. If others knew what a unique and enviable opportunity teaching art is, I do believe respect for our profession would be cast in a different light. Our long days and the heavy demands on our time can cloud the bright spots. But we tap into our networks and our passions to burn the clouds away. Maybe the mystique of the art teacher in many buildings comes from just that. Our ability to burn the bad clouds away! During the awards banquet at our last Fall conference, my daughter’s guest recognized how connected and invested art teachers are as a group. He said that his
aviation conferences consist of hordes of nameless and faceless people, filtering from one class to another. Our ability to work in a creative atmosphere both with our students and among our peers nurtures human and intellectual connections rarely found in other work environments. If blessed is the right word, then we are truly blessed to be part of our community.
Our ability to work in a creative atmosphere both with our students and among our peers nurtures human and intellectual connections rarely found in other work environments. If blessed is the right word, then we are truly blessed to be part of our community. Collage Fall 2015
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Jenn Cram is the brain behind the creation of the newly constructed Breckenridge Arts District. If you haven’t already, you’ll really love working in these beautiful studios! I have been fortunate to make a new connection recently with Heidi Olinger of Pretty Brainy: Empowering Girls to Gain STEAM. In this issue of Collage, she shares her ideas and knowledge in the article “Critical Thinking, Critical Making: Conductive Stickers and the Design Notebook.” You’ll be able to find her workshop during the Fall conference. Also in this issue, Scott Wakefield provides us with an informative overview of how to guide students who are considering choosing a creative career. Barth Quenzer and Cathy Moore share their classroom experiences that, again, take our imagination and problem solving to a whole new level. Of course, you’ll see them presenting at the conference! They’re so great! Our first two summer conferences were delightfully successful! If the school year is just too busy or you live too far away to make Denver a weekend destination during the school year, you can look forward to the Southern and Western summer conferences in 2016. As far as making art goes, keep an eye out for some new Spotlight Artists on our website! I hope to see you all at the Fall conference this year! We have amazing activities and keynotes lined up! Deb West, NAEA South Western Regional Vice President (Patrick Fahey’s Pacific Region counterpart), will deliver top-notch motivation, and Mondo Guerra, the Denver fashion designer who was runner-up on Season 8 of Project Runway and winner of the first Project Runway: All-Stars season, will be joining us on Friday! As we all know, our conference schedule is tightly packed! People regularly ask for more art-making experiences and we found a way to make that happen! New to our conference this year is the Thursday night of art making at the Breckenridge Arts District’s newly renovated studio buildings. In particular, thanks go to Jenn Cram of the Breckenridge Arts District for working with us to make the Fall conference better than ever! Please thank her if you get the chance to meet her! She is the brain behind the creation of the newly constructed Breckenridge Arts District. If you haven’t already, you’ll really love working in these beautiful studios! It is my wish that you find something to motivate you in our Collage! If there’s something you would like to share, please email me any time at sayhayes@mac.com. This is your journal, and we like to hear from you!
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Helping you reach your writing goals
Rosemary Reinhart Elisabeth Reinhart www.editorialpathways.com
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Things I Wish I had Known about a Creative Education Career by Scott Wakefield
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o, I have to admit one thing up front. As a young person deciding on a creative career, I really had no idea about life or business or art. You’re shocked, right? I remember fielding questions from well-meaning adults about where my decisions might lead, but I was really only interested in pursuing my art. Why? Because I was good at it. Ever since the second grade, I have received extra attention for my art. So when it came to deciding on a career, I went with what I knew. I wanted to teach art and coach soccer. I have yet to coach soccer, unless you count my eight-year-olds’ spring rec team. But I currently teach art and design at the Community College of Aurora (CCA). In addition, I am the chair of Arts and Communication. I have been nationally published as an illustrator in a variety of children’s publications and picture books. Because of my role at CCA, I spend a lot of time thinking about arts education, the path to a creative career, and how to best advise students who are just starting out on their path. I find myself telling them things that I wish someone would have told me. To that end, I have written a couple of ideas that I hope will help those talented, passionate artists that you are mentoring into a creative career.
It’s not ALL about what you are good at. I think there is some danger in encouraging students to pick a career path based solely upon what they are good at. That is part of it, but only part of it. Instead, once I get a sense of a student’s interest or area of talent, I move past that pretty quickly. I ask students what type of work environment they might want to work in. I ask them questions such as “Do you see yourself working in a corporate environment? Or do you like small companies? Do you like spending long hours alone in your studio? How soon do you want benefits and insurance? Are you comfortable with inconsistent self-employment income? Do you like collaboration? Are you okay working for long hours on a project without overtime pay? What about family size? What level of income are you comfortable with . . . or do you need to support your lifestyle or family?” It wasn’t until I was deep into my chosen career that I realized that I didn’t like to spend 40+ hours a week by myself in my studio. It wasn’t until after I dabbled in the fine art world that I realized that one benefit of illustration was having a contract in hand before starting the work. These are all things that never crossed my mind – but that have a huge effect on what I do on a daily basis. No one ever asked me these questions. It was always about what I liked to do or what I was good at. And, for me, it was never about logistics or money – it was about doing art.
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Do the math! Most of us avoid math. It is certainly not my strong suit or my interest. Here are some things I should have calculated and taken into consideration. How long will it actually take to complete your bachelor’s degree? How much will it actually cost, including cost of living, etc.? How much will you owe in student loans when all is said and done? How long will it take (at your expected income level) to pay off your student loans? How much interest will you pay? How much can you expect to make as an illustrator or a teacher? What kind of contracts will you have as an artist? How much does it cost to take the same course again at the university level?
Make sure your credits will transfer. My parents were supportive of my talent and my efforts to get an education in the arts. My dad drove me down to California to look at schools. After seeing the campus and the work being produced, I had my heart set on Art Center College of Design. It was one of the top five design schools in the country. Many of my college instructors had gone to that school. I wanted the rigor. I wanted the reputation of that school on my resume. I wanted to be pushed conceptually. Before going to California, I completed an associate’s degree at a two-year college in Idaho. Truth be told, it really took me three years. I was working some, starting my family, and wanted to get a good portfolio together for the art center. The problem? Most of the credits from my associate’s degree did not transfer. I had an excellent portfolio so I got “advanced standing.” The art center gave me one term (half of an academic year) for all the credits from my entire associate’s degree. It still took me eight terms (three years) to complete the bachelor’s degree. Six years of higher education later – should be a master’s degree, right?
Because of my role at CCA, I spend a lot of time thinking about arts education, the path to a creative career, and how to best advise students who are just starting their path. I find myself telling them things that I wish someone would have told me. 10.
Clients don’t care to see your transcript or . . . your GPA. And the name or reputation of the college you went to only matters for about five seconds. Nobody ever asks me where I went to school. They just look at my work and, if they like it, I get the job. Even in academia, nobody cares about the C- I got in landscape painting my last semester of college. But as a young, optimistic artist, reputation seemed to be everything. That was how you got jobs. That was how you separated yourself from the competition. It’s all about who you know, you know? And if you know the right people because they taught you in school or went to school with you, you’re set. At least, that is what they told you during the student tour and advising sessions. Now, I really have no way to verify this statement, but I don’t know of any job I have ever gotten because of the reputation of the college I attended.
Consider starting at a community college. For many of our college-bound students, a community college art program is not even a consideration. It is certainly not a first choice. The message they seem to get is this: “In order to be successful, you have to go to a big-name university program.”
“Yes, a bachelor’s degree is critical to competing in a worldwide marketplace (like the art world). And starting at a community college is a very cost-effective way to get started.” Here is the message I think they should get: “Yes, a bachelor’s degree is critical to competing in a worldwide marketplace (like the art world). And starting at a community college is a very cost-effective way to get started.” Our Associate of Arts (AA) degree program in Studio Art is designed to be completely transferrable to most Colorado universities. We have designed it to be highly transferrable outside of Colorado as well. Not only are the credits transferrable, but the experience and the knowledge and the rigor are transferrable. Our students don’t have to start over. They don’t have to step back. They can take two years at CCA and move into a university/art school program with ease. This is because our faculty expect high artistic and academic standards, our coursework is rigorous, and our workload is comparable to university expectations. In addition, the experience at a community college is excellent. The student experience is collaborative, diverse, and personal. Our students enjoy strong faculty-to-student relationships and support. One of our goals is to make it real; we implement strategies that make connections between a student’s academic experience, professional career, and personal life. Getting a creative education and working in a creative industry or career can be very rewarding. And there is a demand for artists, designers, and creative thinkers. Our society loves images and ideas, self-expression and creativity, beauty and innovation. Set our students on the right path and give them the right foundation and our students will be powerful players in the creative economy and create meaningful careers for themselves in the process.
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“Selfies”
(Exactly where I want to be!) Lesson Plan for Grades K–8
Creating self-portraits is a snap with this easy technique In this lesson plan, facial proportions and features are traced onto clear film, then layered over a background of a student’s own choosing — a location where she or he would most like to take a “selfie.” These self-portraits may go to the moon, the bottom of the ocean, or anywhere else the imagination goes! DickBlick.com/lesson-plans/selfies-exactly-where-i-want-to-be
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Collage Fall 2015
12/23/14 8:17 AM
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Deborah Butterfield: The Nature of Horses Exhibition and Taking Kids to the Denver Botanic Gardens by Cathy Moore September 12, 2014: Combine 80 third graders, a collection of glass sculptures worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and 25 acres of trees, flowers and rocks. What could possibly go wrong? Nothing! Really, nothing went wrong (at least nothing that I know of!). This was the third time Sierra Elementary students took a trip from Arvada to the Denver Botanic Gardens. The first time students from Sierra took a trip to the Gardens was in the spring of 2010 to view the exhibit of sculptures by Henry Moore. This group of fifth-grade students studied the human form as part of the art curriculum and, at the same time, studied the human body in their science classes. Henry Moore’s monolithic, albeit abstract, human figures were a perfect fit. The next sculpture exhibit offered by the Gardens was the Native Roots/ Modern Form by Allan Houser (Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache). Houser’s modern images ranged from organic, abstract forms to tender sculptures depicting family and everyday life. Third-grade students from Sierra took a field trip to the Gardens in the fall of 2011 because this exhibit fit with the third-grade curriculum and the study of Native Americans in both art and social studies classes.
Large Reclining Figure, Henry Moore
In fall 2014, the field trip of Sierra third graders to the Denver Botanic Gardens combined their studies with public art and the highly touted Chihuly exhibit. Eightand nine-year-olds were enamored by glass tentacles, orbs, and ice cubes, which Chihuly presented in every possible color. They loved the exhibit, as every square inch of the Gardens contained a glass creation.
Image of Sacred Rain Arrow by Allan Houser, from the Denver Botanic Gardens 2011 exhibit, which combined nature and culture.
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Denver Post fine arts critic Ray Mark Rinaldi described the pieces as a conflict between fine art and kitsch. Were the Chihuly sculptures welcomed among the vegetation or not? “That depends on whether you see Chihuly’s glass sculptures as an enhancement or a distraction for the flora’s intrinsic perfection; as a lovely bit of jewelry for Mother Nature or an overload of gaudy lawn ornaments in her front yard,” offered Rinaldi in his review of the Chihuly show. Because of the intensity and the abundance of the sculpture, children loved the surprises around every corner. They eagerly filled out a nine-page field trip packet which included drawing and answering questions about their discoveries.
What could go wrong? Sierra third graders visit the Chihuly exhibit in the fall of 2014 on a very unseasonably cold day in September.
Children might find their enthusiasm deflate after viewing the first horse. (Okay, art teachers, don’t get all up in arms about that last statement! Kids are like that!) Without a lot of planning and preparation, this field trip could become a dud. I’m planning to take 80 third graders to this exhibit in September 2015. Learning from previous art field trips to the Denver Botanic In stark contrast to his review of the Chihuly show, Gardens, here is how I will be approaching this trip. Rinaldi offered this critique in a June 12, 2015 Denver Post article, “Butterfield’s horses seem to please Prepare Kids: Consider the kids and what they will everyone. They live up to the standards of classical need to know to view the art of Deborah Butterfield. equine art; they’re noble in that horsey way and manage The learning opportunities from the art curriculum to evoke some personality that may or may not exist are numerous. Children can approach the art work in actual stallions.” This observation is true with every by including art vocabulary in their learning. Some sculpture, even though they are not all stallions. Rinaldi examples of vocabulary words: sculpture, 3-D, line, adds, “But she holds back on her forms just enough to shape, negative space, public art, realistic, abstract, keep them mysterious, using branches and other found found objects. You get the idea. Here are some other objects to make her shapes, but never quite connecting approaches I plan to use to help prepare children the dots. Viewers are left to do that in their minds.” for this field trip: (1) Sculpture from the public art perspective; (2) Using found objects to create art; (3) These statements cause right-brain thinkers and artists Creating bronze forms from a mold; and (4) Creating (and art teachers!) to salivate at the opportunity art from your passion. These will be the subjects of to interpret works of art. Indeed, every Butterfield several art class periods culminating with creating a sculptural form is open to our own intrinsic experience sculpture from found objects. with horses and nature. This describes us. The first introduction to Deborah Butterfield will But what about an eight-year-old who is rarely asked to be the video Deborah Butterfield: Dialogue with the interpret much of anything? Herein lies the challenge Artist. (There is a 2:27 minute excerpt on YouTube of taking a group of children to The Nature of Horses. that you can preview.) This video will set the stage for Fast forward to May 23, 2015 and the opening of Deborah Butterfield: The Nature of Horses Exhibition. This exhibit showcases a collection of 15 life-size horses, mostly created from bronze logs and sticks, skillfully sculpted to create likenesses of Butterfield’s own horses and imagined horses.
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teaching the four objectives listed above. This video is a Denver Art Museum production which was filmed in conjunction with the installation of commissioned Butterfield horses Lucky, Argus, and Willy in May, 1997. This same video shows continuously in the Boettcher Memorial Center at the Gardens for the duration of the Butterfield exhibit. Students will love seeing the video and the making of these three horses because Butterfield is so passionate about her horses and art making. Kids will see Lucky, Argus, and Willy because they have traveled the short distance from the Denver Art Museum to the Denver Botanic Gardens exhibit.
packet, sunscreen, a hat, water bottle, and a sack lunch. The Gardens offer a place to store the children’s lunches. I never use this storage system because it is more trouble than it’s worth. My kids carry their lunches with them.
The Trip: Our trips to the Gardens take place on Fridays, leaving school around 9 a.m. and arriving at the Gardens around 10 a.m. We’ll board the bus for our return around 1 p.m. The children bring a backpack containing pencils, erasers, their art journal, a learning
We have only used graphite pencils and erasers in the past but, this year, I plan to bring along watercolor pencils for kids to use as well. I have a classroom set of Crayola watercolor pencils and will include small paintbrushes and water containers. Kids will use a splash of water
I create the parent communication letters and field trip permission slips while the classroom teachers collect money and gather names of parents who want to go as chaperones. I don’t limit the number of parents who want to travel on the field trip. Classroom teachers will also divide their students into groups with one or two parent leaders. It’s awesome if you have enough parents to serve as group leaders, and then the teachers can act Prepare and Collaborate with Classroom Teachers: as “floaters” during the field trip. Ideally, there will be It’s important to include the classroom teachers in most no more than six or seven kids in a group. aspects of planning the field trip. If you have a wonderful team of teachers, some of the stress of organizing will be I am never assigned a group but, instead, travel taken off of your shoulders. In fact, I suggest you choose throughout the Gardens, visiting as many of the groups a grade level based on a fit with the curriculum AND a as possible. There are always questions to be answered fit with teachers who are enthusiastic about spending a or a child that needs to be escorted to the restroom. I day viewing art. The third-grade team at my school was like to interact with all the kids at some point during “all in” when it came to taking this field trip, and that the day and keep them on track as to when they should is the reason I will take them again. I’ve taken other be eating lunch or getting ready to head to the bus at grade levels with teachers who have acted like the field the end of the trip. trip was pure torture! Art teachers, you know what I’m saying, right? Collaborate with a grade level that loves I also create the “learning packet” for kids to complete you and you love them. The teachers you travel with while in the Gardens. For past field trips, I have made should relish, for once, not having to teach math. They almost all the activities art based. For this Butterfield trip, should care about seeing their kids’ enthusiasm for art their packet will include art- and science-based activities and nature! Enough said about that. because the sculptures are very similar. The third-grade teachers and I are collaborating on a learning packet You, the art teacher, and your classroom colleagues that will contain questions and activities which align should first get together to choose a date for the field with a third-grade science unit called “Life Cycles.” trip. September is always the best month, but you have to coordinate with the dates the artwork is being The learning packet is a nine-page, 8.5”x11” work shown. Part of the planning includes lending DVDs to packet that the kids will follow and complete during the the teachers, so they can have some background about field trip. Each page contains information, questions, the artists. For example, before the Chihuly field trip, and an activity to be completed by the children during third-grade teachers watched River of Glass. Before our the trip. Some questions will be about the artwork and trip to see The Nature of Horses, I will offer the video may include writing short-answer responses or there Deborah Butterfield: Dialogue with the Artist. Because might be some drawing involved. Children bring along we are integrating science into the upcoming trip, we their art sketchbook to serve as a “table” to support the will also collaborate on the learning packet. learning packet or to draw in.
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from their water bottles and the brushes to spread the watercolor pencil. This will be a fun, “artsy” addition. The learning packet should take an hour to an hourand-a-half to complete.
and the need to wear comfortable shoes. On the morning of the field trip, parents have a meeting with me where they receive a map of the Gardens and a learning packet with “teacher notes” included. The parents will watch the Butterfield video and learn a I advise parent chaperones to wait until noon to begin little about the Garden logistics. For instance: eating lunch. There are two cafes within the Gardens, but I don’t recommend either. They are very expensive 1. There are two restroom areas. The best and have enormously long lines. In fact, I don’t even location is the Boettcher Memorial Center near mention the cafes as an option for the children OR the entrance. This location has multiple stalls. the adults. Sierra kids bring and carry everything they The other location near the Monet Pool and will eat and drink and it’s suggested that the whole lot Hive Garden Bistro only has two restrooms be disposable. Field trippers can sit anywhere in the and the lines are long. Waiting with a group of Gardens to eat, except at the Hive Garden Bistro’s kids could be 20 minutes or more. seating area. Lots of groups eat in the UMB Bank Amphitheater area which is a large, grassy “bowl” near 2. The learning packet will start with Sculpture the entrance. This makeshift playground will entice “B” right by the public entrance. This is just kids to run and roll down the hills. So let them! It’s a north of the field trip entrance. Suggest groups see the first sculptures, Chalo & Ahulani, use the restrooms, and travel to the next sculptures heading south through the Gardens. 3. Children will find an activity at almost every sculpture so group leaders should try to follow the map.
The UMB Amphitheater where kids and adult leaders might want to enjoy lunch.
great way to tire them out. After lunch is a great time to escort the kids into the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory. This experience will be an invigorating one for the children. How many times do Colorado kids get a chance to walk through a rain forest? Prepare Parents: Before the trip, parent chaperones will receive a letter from me explaining what to expect as group leaders. The parent volunteers will have an outline of the day, the times, and what to bring. Parents need to know that there is a lot of walking and that they will be responsible for six or seven children. Sometimes grandmas and grandpas come with us, and they have trouble walking the 25 acres that make up the Gardens. It’s important to emphasize the physicality of the trip
4. Please remind children that the horse sculptures are made of bronze. They have seen the video on how the sculptures were made, but they look so much like wood, they may not believe they are metal. 5. There is a new Science Pyramid building located near the beginning of the tour. I was not thrilled to see plants eliminated to make way for this building, so I’m not keen on recommending it. 6. There are many water features in the Gardens. It’s interesting to note that all the water is dyed black (yes, on purpose). The reason is to enhance reflection of the plants and artwork in the water. Kids should stay out of the water and realize that the WATER LILIES ARE NOT STEPPING STONES! (Don’t ask.) 7. Encourage kids to walk slowly and observe what they see. There are surprises around every corner that they might miss! Quiet observation
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is especially important in the Japanese Garden. 8. Try waiting until noon to eat lunch because kids will “lose their minds” after they eat. In other words, they will be ready for a “recess” and not too interested in the learning packet or quiet observation. Viewing the conservatory after lunch is a perfect activity.
9. There is the Morrison Discovery Center across the street, but don’t go over there. Field trip admission does not include this feature.
10. DO NOT GO IN THE GIFT SHOP!
11. Make sure you board the bus, located at the same place as the drop off, on time.
I will be taking my third graders on a field trip to see the Butterfield horses in early September, 2015. Past field trips have been very successful due to extensive planning and great kids, teachers, and parents. If you plan to go, you can make reservations with the education department at the Gardens soon after school starts. There is an admission charge plus a charge for the buses (in Jeffco, anyway). Denver Botanic Gardens allows me to use a credit card or send a check before the field trip. Buses are allowed to pull up and park in front of the Gardens on York Street to let the children out of the bus. You will enter through a group entrance just south of the public entrance. There may or may not be a Denver Botanic Gardens’ official to greet you and, regardless, they will not do a head count or speak to your group. Your school will be able to have the run of the Gardens and create your own learning experience. By the end of August, I will have created my field trip learning packet for the Butterfield show. If you would like a copy, please email me: cmoore@jeffco.k12.co.us. I can answer any questions you have. I highly urge and suggest you do four things before you take children to this show: 1.
Visit the Denver Botanic Gardens and take pictures of the sculpture and vegetation. Discover what “grabs” you, so you can translate your knowledge and enthusiasm to kids.
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Watch and buy the video Deborah Butterfield: Dialogue with the Artist. The only place I know of to buy it is in the Gardens’ gift shop. You can find a 2:27 minute video excerpt on YouTube.
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Watch the YouTube video: Artist Lecture: Deborah Butterfield. This is a fantastic 2013 lecture at Stanford University featuring Butterfield talking about her sculpture and showing slides of her life’s work spanning 40 years. A must-see for art teachers.
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Realize the importance of helping kids discover their own interpretation of these gentle horse sculptures.
Let me leave you with thoughts from Ray Mark Rinaldi: “Rather than being jammed into every garden plot, like the color-saturated baubles in Dale Chihuly’s glass exhibit last summer, Butterfield’s pieces are spread out, each in its own setting. You come across them naturally as if they were indigenous mammals hanging about among the day lilies, minding their own business.” Enjoy your trip to the Denver Botanic Gardens! Your kids will never forget their experience.
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Notes from the Learning Lab: The Anatomy of Learning
by Barth Quenzer
Anatomy of Learning, Barth Quenzer, 2015 (http://anatomyoflearning.weebly.com/contact.html)
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Education is in need of powerful metaphors, like this one: Learning is rhizomatic. The visual metaphor of the rhizome was first shared with me by Indianapolis arts educator Clyde Gaw during a keynote in 2014. The image has stuck with me ever since. He poetically compared learning to the botanical rhizome and argued that learning environments should mimic the human brain. He elaborated: Learning occurs beneath the surface... it is organic, interconnected, growing outward and upward. You can watch Clyde Gaw’s keynote here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvHHVpPIZjk This visual metaphor is really an invitation to view learning through another lens. I appreciate the metaphor of the rhizome so much because it hints towards the complexity of learning as an emergent phenomenon. The image invites us to examine our learning environments as ecosystems for ideas. These animate ideas move in nomadic ways, intermingle with surrounding ideas, and take a life course of their own until their fruition and culmination. This kind of learning environment would be a busy, bustling exchange of ideas and information, something that Steven Johnson in Where Good Ideas Come From refers to as “liquid networks.” The classroom begins to take a different form as ideas are seen as living organisms that require attention, diligence, and investigation. See Steven Johnson’s TED Talk here: http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_johnson_where_good_ideas_come_from?language=en
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• a variety of art forms • ancient works to the art of today • cultures from around the world • collections from prestigious museums including: MoMA, Art Institute of Chicago, National Gallery of Art, and more
• organize images for your lessons • create slideshows • compare and contrast images • access your account from any internet connection • share images and slideshows with students
Leveraging the classroom with a focus on idea development makes a lot of sense, but it requires an additional lens to look through. One investigative lens that I have found particularly helpful comes from design-thinking guru Tom Kelley’s book The Ten Faces of Innovation. In his book, he defines three distinct Learning Personas: the Anthropologist, the Experimenter, and the Cross-Pollinator. His definition of the Anthropologist offers an enticing lens for the educator: The Anthropologist is extremely good at reframing a problem in a new way, humanizing the scientific method to apply it to daily life. Anthropologists share such distinguishing characteristics as the wisdom to observe with a truly open mind; empathy; intuition; the ability to “see” things that have gone unnoticed; a tendency to keep running lists of innovative concepts worth emulating and problems that need solving; and a way of seeking inspiration in unusual places. (http://www.tenfacesofinnovation.com/tenfaces/ index.htm) When educators use a lens like the Anthropologist, they find opportunities to look objectively at critical areas of their practice: their students, their learning environment, and their curriculum. It looks and sounds different from an anthropologist’s angle. It becomes easier to see the evidence of learning and to collect those learning artifacts. Aside from being a fun and refreshing perspective, the Anthropologist can provide invaluable qualitative data on student learning. Knowing this, I did a little experiment. With the willingness of my grade-level teacher colleagues at Brown Elementary, I invited the homeroom teachers to wear the lens of the Anthropologist. I shared the visual metaphor of the rhizome and gave each grade-level team a museum box to collect learning artifacts as a way to answer a single question: What are the essential learning qualities of this grade level? The project is called the Anatomy of Learning and is (and probably always will be) a work-in-progress. While we are still in the process of defining these learning qualities through careful curation of the artifacts collected in the museum boxes, there are some initial qualitative findings. Here is one from kindergarten: http:// anatomyoflearning.weebly.com/kinder.html The process has inspired some wild ideas in my own learning and teaching. It’s made me become more aware of my thinking, more thoughtful about my learning designs, more cautious about my time with students, and, overall, a better action researcher. Changing our teaching practice is difficult, but picking up a new lens is easy. It is really the same invitation we extend to our students every day... to look at the world in new and colorful ways. I’ll forever be grateful to my fifth-grade student for sharing a unique learning lens with me (Keri Smith’s Wreck This Journal) and, in turn, providing a window into the essential learning attributes of the elusive fifth grader. Explore Keri Smith’s work here: http://www.kerismith.com/ I now own almost all of Keri Smith’s work because of the innumerable creative lenses she shares for looking at our daily experiences in the world. In her book How to be an Explorer of the World, Keri Smith shares some useful advice for the casual wanderer: “Always be looking.... Consider everything alive & animate.... Alter your course often.” Notice the stories, patterns and connections happening around you... use all of your senses to document your findings.... “Trace things back to their origins.” I believe we are like our students... constantly discovering and reinventing ourselves as learners and artists over the course of our development. We need metaphors to make sense of all of it. We need lenses to see the metaphors in our lives.
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Boisterous Bunnies Boisterous Bunny SUPPLY LIST: Red or brown clay (25# yields 50 bunnies) Kemper K34, short blade or old gift card Dull #2 pencil (mechanical pencils are not okay) Pin tool, toothpick or other tip-tool Brushes Mayco Stroke & Coats: SC-15, Tuxedo (black) SC-16, Cotton Tail (white) SC-95, Pinkie Swear
Directions: 1.Take a ball of clay about the size of a lemon. We are using Laguna’s SB Red, a cone 5 red that looks good at both cone 04 and cone 5. 2. Pat clay into a bowling pin shape. Tap base on table to flatten. 3. Hollow body from middle of base, leaving clay for ears solid. 4. Measure the height of the body with index finger to determine how far to cut ears. 5. Cut ears leaving a margin between ears and body. Smooth ears, shaping and thinning. 6. For eyes: roll ball of clay, cut in half, score (with pin tool, toothpick, or credit card tool), wet, and attach. Press to attach better. Poke dull pencil tip
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Brought to you by Mayco, Ingrid King, and the Stone Leaf Pottery crew
to create the direction that the eyes are looking; this also strengthens the attachment. 7. For nose: roll smaller ball of clay, score, wet, and attach. 8. Using edge of flat tool, indent below nose, and to make whiskers and mouth. 9. For speed and simplicity, indent eyes and nose as well as whiskers and mouth. If you prefer to paint whiskers, don’t indent. Use Mayco Stroke and Coat to brush on color accents inside ears on nose and eyes.
Call For Entries REGISTRATION OPENS : September 16, 2015 ENTRIES DUE : January 9-10, 2016 EXHIBITION AT THE HISTORY COLORADO CENTER February 12 - March 18, 2016 SHOWCASE OF SELECTED WORKS AT THE DENVER ART MUSEUM March 24 - April 15, 2016 The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S. and the nation’s largest source of scholarships for creative young artists.
www.artandwriting.org
coloradoartawards.org
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Introducing CAEA’s Summer Conferences! by the Executive Council
The metro region is the hub of many CAEA events and activities. It’s where the most people reside, where we find the most galleries and schools, and so on. Yet, our state is large, and there are lots of people who don’t live and work in the metro area. This year, we started our first CAEA summer conferences. Like the Spring conference held at Arapahoe Community College each May, the summer conferences offer super professional development opportunities, except – drum roll – they are held in Alamosa and Grand Junction! Our first summer events this year were quite successful and promise to become popular in the future! In June, the Southern conference in Alamosa was held at Adams State University. Painter Kris Gosar of Adams State University wowed everyone with a portrait painting class, and Michael Cellan did clay prints over the period of a couple of days. In July, the Western summer conference was held at Colorado Mesa University (CMU) in Grand Junction. Suzie Garner of CMU taught Cahier-style sketchbooks and, after a BBQ lunch, Eli Marco Hall taught screen-printing basics. When you get the chance, thank Robin Wolfe and Ben Quinn for organizing and planning these events! We are so lucky to have them always working to bring our members superb art-making opportunities! You could also thank Jenny Gawronski, but may not see her because she has recently been accepted into a PhD program in Washington state. So, she’ll be off to the great northwest for a new adventure! Good luck, Jenny and family! For those of you who lament missing out on the spring conference in Denver, you can now look forward to these two summer conference events in 2016! The Southern conference will be held in June, and the Western conference will be held in July. Until next summer, happy trails!
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Critical Thinking, Critical Making: Conductive Stickers and the Design Notebook by Heidi A. Olinger
Madison devoted her first week of summer vacation to my course in electronic textiles. When asked to choose a pioneer in a STEAM1 discipline as the inspiration for her project, Madison chose Coco Chanel. The physical resemblance between Madison and the design legend is notable. But besides her classic looks and precise dress, Madison stood out for her age. This was an all-girl middle school workshop, and while the other girls will be entering seventh and eighth grades in the fall, Madison had just finished fifth. Madison is at the preteen intersection of personal identity, more comfortable with American Girl dolls than celebrity stalking and, importantly, less constrained in how she expresses her creativity. Her orientation on the world remains within the exuberance of elementary school, not the limitations of peer acceptance and self-doubt that mark growing up. And her final project — a bracelet echoing Chanel’s Little Black Dress — is studded with complex circuitry and top stitching in conductive thread. The bracelet construction itself makes it possible for LEDs in the design to alight. But, rather than the lights, the piece is brilliant for the authenticity of self that Madison invested in the project.
How do we facilitate learning that is not the talked-about episode of the teaching week or year, but that is continuous?
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The week before I led Madison’s group through eTextile design, I led an all-girl group of elementary school students through a similar course. These workshop sessions were energetic and messy. Each day began with focus and ended in exclamation. In working side by side with the students, I felt their creative process was happy and fierce. And so I ask: Pedagogically how do we keep the creative spirit in our students blossoming and roaring so they may develop genuine insight, output and learning? How do we facilitate learning that is not the talked-about episode of the teaching week or year, but that is continuous?
For information on the origin of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), as well as discussion and resources, see http://stemtosteam.org/.
One answer? The design notebook, a staple of the creative process, plus the interactivity of conductive stickers. Together they contain the power to: Inspire and help students generate the ideas for which they feel ownership. Ownership is possible when an idea begins with the student and segues with her own values and interests. The idea, its development, creative process, and result are the student’s agenda. Remember what it was to be a student and consider, by contrast, the assigned project that was the teacher’s agenda. Transform any notebook or sketchbook into an interactive experience. For students reluctant to take notes or write at all, for example, conductive stickers can be a strong pivot that brings something new to how an individual expresses herself on paper. Deepen students’ use of the design notebook, including its power to evoke synesthesia. Serve teacher-artists as an easy-to-adopt tool that enhances their current teaching practices — no reinvention of teaching or time-demanding learning curve required. What Are Conductive Stickers? Conductive stickers literally are stickers that bear small LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and are Demetra’s Design Notebook Entry polarized to conduct electricity. The stickers will adhere to paper, fabric and similar media. The list of additional materials needed to make circuits with conductive stickers is short: gather a coin cell battery and conductive ink or copper tape and one is ready to begin. Once a circuit is built, LEDs in the circuit alight, literally illuminating a page. To add circuitry to design notebook pages advances project planning, prototyping, storytelling, illustration and more. Potential applications for the design notebook plus conductive stickers abound.
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Critical Thinking & the Design Notebook Consider two key points about the design notebook in 21st century learning: 1. The design notebook is a starting point for students — and teacher-artists — to roll up their sleeves and explore art with other STEAM disciplines. Here I am citing STEAM as defined by John Maeda, former president of the Rhode Island School of Design. STEAM, he writes, “is an education in getting your hands dirty, in understanding why you made what you made, and owning the impact of that work in the world. It’s what artists and designers do.” 2. The design notebook is a tool of creativity, learning and habit. For middle and high school students, the design notebook can become a place to safely noodle out ideas, plan, sketch, write, and make notes on their notes. Well used, the design notebook is a tool for students to critically think on paper by reflecting on their entries and, in doing so, to “listen” to their own voices. This is fundamental to their exploring their assumptions about a given topic and generating original ideas. Further iterations on their original entries deepen their process and output. Over time, the result is continuous learning. Here are seven approaches to using the design notebook in the classroom. These ideas apply across and between disciplines. Use the notebook to:
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·
Help students (and teacher-artists) cultivate a lifelong practice of thinking on paper. The student has ownership of the design notebook and its contents. It is not an assignment. For students who aspire to an art, design or engineering profession, for example, the notebook helps them access the self they are becoming. The practice they develop now will serve them educationally and as professionals. In short, the notebook is the student’s ongoing medium for learning how to learn.
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Inspire while making space for students to experience the process of planning, execution, and reflecting on what they are doing. The design notebook is where ideas and innovation begin. Populate it with words, sketches, equations, clippings, color palettes, quotes, questions, problems, client profiles, lists, and more.
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Frame projects, allowing students to fill in creative detail. The assignment I presented to Madison and her classmates, for example, was simple: using eTextiles, design a bracelet inspired by a pioneer in a STEAM discipline who happens to be a woman. That was it.
To add circuitry to design notebook pages advances project planning, prototyping, storytelling, illustration and more. Potential applications for the design notebook plus conductive stickers abound.
Lacy’s Design Notebook Reflection
This November, we have the opportunity to come together at the Colorado Art Education Association (CAEA) Conference in Breckenridge, CO to create and explore with conductive stickers. The workshop is titled “Critical Thinking, Critical Making: Conductive Stickers & the Design Notebook.” Shannen’s Design Notebook Time
Lacy and Madeleine’s Design Notebook Collaboration
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Frame class time, focusing students at the beginning of class and aiding them in processing learning and questions at the end of class.
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Model creative processes. Sketch with your students. Write and log and reflect on your entries with your students — or when you want them to do so.
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Facilitate interdisciplinary learning. The courses you teach may represent the arts but, through you, students can experience a mash-up of subjects as they are applied in the world beyond school.
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Inform other disciplines in the how-to’s of planning, prototyping, making, and making meaning of what has been created. Where are the opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration in your school? Is there a service-learning project, for example, on which art and design can take the lead?
Critical Making The process of creating circuits with conductive stickers is fairly quick. Fourth and fifth graders, for example, may complete their first-ever circuits within one class period. They feel excited with the reward of seeing their LEDs alight. For young people, the experience of doing something new with so electric a result represents possibility. What next will they be able to do? What more to build? Critical questions to pose to students early in their discovery with conductive stickers include the following. These apply across grade levels. Because the questions posed are basic, they may especially challenge older students. ·
What have you made?
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Why have you chosen this shape?
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How does the circuit work? What is the process that makes the LED light?
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What else do you imagine you could do with this circuit?
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Did you feel inspired or influenced by anything or anyone as you created this piece?
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What are you most interested in right now, in or outside of school?
In their simplicity, the questions ask students to understand what they have made and to be able to articulate their results. The questions also ask students who they are and what they value, information important for every educator to know. This November, we have the opportunity to come together at the Colorado Art Education Association (CAEA) Conference in Breckenridge, CO to create and explore with conductive stickers. The workshop, titled “Critical Thinking, Critical Making: Conductive Stickers & the Design Notebook,” will give participants: ·
Step-by-step instructions for designing circuits with conductive stickers.
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Easy approaches for using the design notebook plus conductive stickers in the classroom. The goal is to provide teacher-artists an easy-to-employ resource with which to deepen and augment current practices.
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Discussion on how to evoke synesthesia using this tool.
I encourage teacher-artists to bring their own design notebooks to the experience and I look forward to seeing you there.
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March 2016 Youth Art Month Celebration, Flag Competition, and State Capitol Exhibition
*For details and ideas:
2016 National Theme: “The Power of Art”
Visit the CAEA website www.caeaco.org and go to the Youth Art Month (YAM) tab for details, ideas, and forms. You can also check the following sites for ideas: http://www.pinterest.com/justinesawyer/youth-art-month-ideas/ http://www.pinterest.com/justinesawyer/youth-art-month-flags/
Attend the fall presentation being held: Friday from 8:00-9:00
Presentation will focus on the creation of artwork symbolizing the state of Colorado to use as a sample for our statewide Youth Art Month artwork competition lesson. Take away advocacy tools, YAM competition lesson plan, plus YAM participation ideas from across America.
Join us to learn more about YAM and advocacy ideas throughout the year!
*Additional details regarding the competition, capitol show, Sargent Art awards, and local advocacy ideas are posted on the CAEA website www.caeaco.org under the YAM Art Program tab. *Each current CAEA member may submit up to 3 artworks for the flag competition. *Digital flag submissions due February 1, 2016. Winning flag submission will be made into a 3’ x5’ flag to be flown at the NAEA convention. The top 80 submissions, including at least one artwork from each teacher who submits work, will be displayed at the Colorado State Capitol in March with a reception date to be determined. *Each member is encouraged to share details about how they celebrate Youth Art with CAEA to be part of a national submission about Youth Art Month and arts advocacy in our state. Send information to YAM Coordinator by May 1 each year.
*Sargent Art Prizes: Sargent Art sponsors the following amazing prizes for flag competition participants……….
One Overall Prize - An overall winner will be awarded an all expense paid trip to New York for the winning student, one parent of the student and the art teacher Elementary Prize – the elementary winner will receive a personalized certificate and an assortment of art supplies;; the art teacher will receive an assortment of classroom art supplies Middle School Prize – the middle level winner will receive a personalized certificate and an assortment of art supplies;; the art teacher will receive an assortment of classroom art supplies High School Prize – the high school winner will receive a personalized certificate and an assortment of art supplies;; the art teacher will receive an assortment of classroom art supplies *Questions on how to get involved? Contact state YAM coordinator, Justine Sawyer: caeayam@gmail.com
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Youth Art Month 2015 Highlights Our second year of revitalizing the Youth Art Month (YAM) program in Colorado was a great success! The submissions for the flag design competition doubled in number with participants creating amazing designs and posing quite a difficult choice for our Executive Board jurors. An art display and reception were held at the Colorado State Capitol for all participating student artists, teachers, and families. The two-week show was on display in March and consisted of over 70 student flag design submissions from across the state. This year’s State Capitol reception occurred the same day as the Scholastic Art Awards Rotary Luncheon at the Denver Art Museum, making for an amazing day of recognition for youth art in our state. Our sponsor, Sargent Art, provided art supplies to the winning student artists and a set of classroom art supplies to the art teachers whose students created the winning flag designs at the Elementary, Middle, and High School level. Sargent Art provided funding for a trip to New York City for our overall winning artist, his art teacher, and one of his parents. Be sure to thank Sargent representatives when you see them for their generous support of the YAM program! We were proud to exhibit our high-quality artwork at this year’s National Art Education Association convention in New Orleans, Louisiana as part of the Youth Art Month Museum display. Level-winning works plus nine other artworks selected from the State Capitol show were on display along with our state’s beautiful flag created from the winning design by Robin Wolfe’s student Aeneas Gomez (Monte Vista Middle School in southwest Colorado). For the first time in many years, a digital scrapbook was submitted for national review in July. A link to the scrapbook is located on the YAM tab at www.caeaco.org. You can also find a link to viewing galleries of flag submissions from the past two years at www.caeayamflags.weebly.com. We are looking for more CAEA members to share their expertise on the YAM committee in the 2015-2016 school year and beyond. Please contact Justine to hear about ways you can become involved. Whether you volunteer for a small or a large role, this is a great way to take on a leadership role in our state organization! Get your flag submissions prepared for the February 1, 2016 deadline and join in the statewide celebration of Youth Art Month! Looking forward to another year of expanding participation and growth, Justine Sawyer, Colorado Youth Art Month Coordinator caeayam@gmail.com
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2015 Overall State Flag Winning Artwork Artist: Aeneas Gomez, 7th grade Teacher: Robin Wolfe, Monte Vista Middle School, Monte Vista School District Youth Art Month Museum Exhibit, NAEA New Orleans
2015 Middle-School-Level Winning Artwork Artist: Sydney Toffa, 6th grade Teacher: Sarah Mitchell, Kent Denver School 2015 High-School-Level Winning Artwork Artist: Olivia Wischmeyer, 10th grade Teacher: Justine Sawyer, East High School, Denver Public Schools
Colorado’s flag amongst several other state flags at the Youth Art Month Museum
2015 Elementary-Level Winning Artwork Artist: Oscar BenderStone, 5th grade Teacher: Cathy Moore, Sierra Elementary, Jefferson County Schools
Robin Wolfe beside her student’s flag at the Youth Art Month Museum display in New Orleans
One of Colorado’s panels of student artwork at the NAEA Youth Art Month Museum in New Orleans
Colorado’s second panel of student artwork at the Youth Art Month Museum in New Orleans
Robin Wolfe and her student Aeneas Gomez at the Colorado State Capitol Exhibition in front of the flag created from Aeneas’ winning design
Paula Rowinski with her student at the Colorado State Capitol Exhibition
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Current + Sensing Current Sensors ship with every KilnMaster Kiln. KilnLink is an optional upgrade.
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Scholastic National Art & Writing Awards – Reflections from a National Gold Key Winner by Evan Olea
In December 2014, my teacher Mr. Chimento made me and my class aware of an art and writing competition in which we would all be entering at least one piece. After finding out more information about the competition, I became very excited about the opportunity to have my artwork judged at a professional level. I have always taken pride in the work that I create and this was my first opportunity to take part in something like this. In the end, I sent four individual pieces into the Scholastic National Art & Writing Awards competition. With hopes of gaining recognition at some level, I waited for a couple months until regional judging was complete. Of the four photographs that I entered, two of them received regional Gold Key awards, the highest honor at that level. Instantly, I was ecstatic as I had never received an award of such magnitude, however, I was unaware of where this would take me. About a month later, on March 25, 2015, the results from national judging were in. I logged into my account and there it was, I received a National Gold Key for one of my pictures. This was great news; 300,000 pieces were entered nationwide and mine was considered the best of the best. After sharing the news with my family, I needed to figure out how to get to New York City to attend the ceremony at Carnegie Hall.
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It was really inspiring to see where my work could get me. Hearing from alumni of the award was also a highlight of my night as I was now a part of a 93-year tradition. When my mother and I arrived in New York, we had no idea about what to expect as we had never been that far east in the country or had the experience of a large city atmosphere. With an extra day apart from all of the ceremony events, we traveled to Chinatown, Little Italy, Central Park and many other locations in the city to experience as much of the culture as possible during our short stint there. As the day of the ceremony arrived, I was beyond excited for the day and events to come. The commemoration consisted of many speakers including Whoopi Goldberg, Chelsea Clinton, Pulitzer Prize winning poet Vijay Seshadri, and many more. It was really inspiring to see where my work could get me. Hearing from
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alumni of the award was also a highlight of my night as I was now a part of a 93-year tradition. In addition to a few pins and certificates, I received a gold medal to represent the picture that gave me the opportunity to travel to New York City. From the overall experience, I gained many valuable lessons but the main one is not to doubt yourself. Your work can take you as far as you let it. If you love doing something, continue to do it and opportunities will arise.
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What is ArtSource? by Andrea Crane
With an open mind, I crammed my car with art supplies. I was finally on my way to Highlands Retreat Center in Allenspark for a week-long exploration with 20 other art teachers. I had no idea what to expect when I got there. A former professor of mine had urged me to apply and so I did. ArtSource: What is it? For this particular week, the main topic of exploration was “The Voice of the Rockies: Exploring the Genius of Place in the Rocky Mountain Region.” How does your voice relate to where you are in the present? I really had no idea, but there were several others who had ideas as to how to answer this question.
For this particular week, the main topic of exploration was “The Voice of the Rockies: Exploring the Genius of Place in the Rocky Mountain Region.” How does your voice relate to where you are in the present? Upon arrival at Highlands, I unloaded, set up my workspace (yes! we had studio time . . . valuable time), and waited for the first guest of the week, Travis Ruskus. He finds the perfect grooves in rocks to create an intricately balanced rock sculpture. “Finding balance and clarity in the flow that lies within every moment is transformational to your life,” says Travis. Looking at the photographs of the balanced rocks, you are convinced that you can never do it yourself. Travis guarantees you can do it and that, once you break through the self-doubt, you are limitless. He found his voice when he balanced his first rock.
ArtSource is a time to rejuvenate and find time to remember that you are an artist, not just a teacher. Peter London spent several days with us and had a holistic approach to his thinking. He is an artist, art teacher, author, and lecturer. What I took to be the most important part of his lectures was the idea that if you do not share what you know, it is lost forever, which I think is a reason for teaching. Peter finds his voice in all his encounters with nature. Lisa Hochtritt spoke of mapping as another means to tell your story. How could you tell your story with a map? Collaboration is something that she finds valuable. When working with others, you have the possibility of answering questions that you may not have thought of otherwise. You can find a voice you never thought you had. Lisa believes mapping and collaboration are a means to finding your voice.
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As a poet, Anita Jepson-Gilbert finds her voice in the poetry that she writes and, on a whim, can conjure up words to describe the perfect surroundings. A dancer such as Abigail Barnes finds her voice in the movements she makes to share a story. Timothy P. Irvin and Ernie Martinez collectively sing, play, and write songs. Their voice is all that encompasses making music. So . . . after all those explanations of voice . . . here is what ArtSource was and is: ArtSource is a time to rejuvenate and find time to remember that you are an artist, not just a teacher. You meet every day with fellow artists and teachers, you reflect, tell stories, and share ideas. You make connections and learn. You create art using familiar materials or experiment with new ones. Guest artists and teachers host workshops to add to the experience of ArtSource. This is my ArtSource definition, but you really need to experience it for yourself. That is what my professor said and that is what I am telling you. Take a chance and see what is happening in ArtSource. Last thing, Genius of Place, according to me, is knowing that you can always find a piece of something, no matter where you are in the world, that reminds you of where you’re from.
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Bus Duty by Elizabeth Buhr
After stopping whatever preparation for the day I’m immersed in, I put on the traffic-cop fluorescent vest, find the stop sign, and head outside for the 15-20 minutes of bus duty and moving along the kiss-and-goers. Then, at the end of the day, same song, second verse; cleaning up must wait. I get on the traffic-cop vest, find the stop sign, walk outside, stop students from running and playing with a firm (hopefully loving) reminder that they should be watching for their ride instead of jumping into an ad hoc rugby scrum with someone’s lunch bag. Bus duty wraps its buzzing arms around a day. Other duties unassigned. With all the rest of the segments of each day, it is a stretch at times to think of the practice of teaching as seamless, as a study and not compartmentalized. This thing over here starts and then stops. These students come, those leave, and that other group completes the task, and so it continues. But the paradox is this: It is seamless. Practice
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Also up for reflection might be: In our studio practice, am I stretching the types of materials and concepts my students and I work on? and work in teaching and student action do overlap from one studio practice to the next, from one group of students to the next. And it is messy, chaotic, and changing. Because our work is fluid, it feels artificial when we are challenged to muscle through content that parcels off actions. It feels like we need someone to tell us what to do, so we can do it right. Or we compartmentalize it into a checklist. By creating a checklist of these actions, we are shortcutting the quality and the art of teaching art. Consider the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Visual Arts Translation Guide (http://www.caeaco. org/Resources/Documents/VATeachStandardsTranslationGuide.pdf ). Consider also that the Visual Arts Translation Guide language was culled from the Visual Arts Observation Guide (http://www.caeaco.org/ Resources/Documents/VAObservationGuide.pdf ), which was collaboratively written by your colleagues in CAEA and CDE (Karol Gates, Connie Stewart, Patrick Fahey, Vanessa Hayes-Quintana, Dale Zalmstra, Anne Thulson, and me).
Practice and work in teaching and student action do overlap from one studio practice to the next, from one group of students to the next. And it is messy, chaotic, and changing.
Even though I had the honor of being a part of this group, when I am standing in the middle of my studio classroom (traffic-cop vest off, stop sign put away), I have to slow down and think carefully about how and what the content of the Visual Arts Translation Guide is guiding and helping me as an art educator aspire to fluidly practice. For example, from the Visual Arts Translations Guide: Quality Standard 1: Teachers demonstrate mastery of and pedagogical expertise in the content they teach. The elementary teacher is an expert in literacy and mathematics and is knowledgeable in all other content that he/she teaches. The secondary teacher has knowledge of literacy and mathematics and is an expert in his/her content endorsement area(s). Elements b.) Teachers demonstrate knowledge of student literacy development in reading, writing, speaking and listening. ALL TEACHERS. Evidence in Practice • Teachers provide opportunities for students to create original work, and exhibit work in public and community settings. • Teachers facilitate students’ critical response to one’s own work and the work of others. • Student solves problems posed by materials and apply art techniques with age appropriate level of fluency. Reading this through with my bus-duty lens, I might interpret it to mean: I will exhibit the students’ work in order to demonstrate knowledge of student literacy development in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Really? Okay. This is when I have to break down the box and think: How do literacy and art making align with exhibiting art? Will my students write about their process? Am I allowing time in the process for discussion about ideas and materials? When appropriate, am I intentionally guiding this discussion?
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The heavy lifting comes when I think about how these two pieces (literacy and art making) align meaningfully. Reflecting on and assessing how students are thinking critically about their work leads me to think about how students at all grade levels are talking about their art making and writing about their process. And (most importantly) how is this integrated with purpose into their studio practice? Is all this “stuff” helping them become skilled thinkers and makers? If not, then what might I change?
Learning to de-compartmentalize what is fluid is stepping back and slowing down to see where quality is happening and where improvement can be made. It is learning to continue to learn.
Also up for reflection might be: In our studio practice, am I stretching the types of materials and concepts my students and I work on? How have the students and I created an environment for them to gain their own visual vocabulary so that they have a fluent, problem-solving language? Okay. Here is another example from the Visual Arts Translation Guide.
Quality Standard 3: Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction and create an environment that facilitates learning for their students. Elements c.) Teachers demonstrate a rich knowledge of current research on effective instructional practices to meet the developmental and academic needs of their students. Evidence in Practice • Implements formative assessment during art making experiences for students to reflect on the art making process and participate in their own growth as makers and thinkers. • Scaffold and build on concepts. With my traffic-cop vest on, I might think: I have rich knowledge, I have been teaching forever. But when I take the compartments out of my compartmentalization, I can think about the rich knowledge of current research on effective instructional practices. I am making intentional choices about my professional development, reading, and research that will help me better understand the visual arts learner in today’s world. Not only am I seeking workshops and courses, but I’m also researching new contemporary artists and applications. A next bridging action might be: Am I making efforts to bring my research and learning back to my students and my studio classroom? Other reflective questions bubble up. For example: Have I been using formative assessments and providing the opportunity for students to reflect on their art-making processes and guide their own choices? Have I met the developmental and academic needs of my students by building (scaffolding) into and out of concepts with intentional planning? Where is this in my practice? Learning to de-compartmentalize what is fluid is stepping back and slowing down to see where quality is happening and where improvement can be made. It is learning to continue to learn. Using the Visual Arts Translation Guide for a reflective practice is an excellent way to gain a deeper understanding of the Quality Teaching Standards and quality teaching in the visual arts. It is not bus duty; however, it might just be our new other duty unassigned.
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Justine Sawyer - 2015 Pacific Region Secondary Art Educator of the Year
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Award Winners
Justine Sawyer
2015 Pacific Region Secondary Art Educator of the Year Reston, VA— The National Art Education Association has named Justine Sawyer, of Denver, CO, to receive the 2015 Pacific Region Secondary Art Educator of the Year Award. This award recognizes the exemplary contributions, service, and achievements of an outstanding NAEA member annually at the Regional level within their division. The NAEA is divided into four geographical Regions: Eastern, Western, Southeastern, and Pacific. The Pacific Region includes: Alaska, Alberta, American Samoa, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and Yukon Territory. The award will be presented at the NAEA National Convention in New Orleans, March 26-28, 2015. NAEA President, Dennis Inhulsen states, “This award is being given to recognize excellence in professional accomplishment and service by a dedicated art educator. Justine Sawyer exemplifies the highly qualified art educators active in education today: leaders, teachers, students, scholars, and advocates who give their best to their students and the profession.” NAEA is the professional association for art educators. Members include elementary, secondary, middle level and high school art teachers; university and college professors; education directors who oversee education in our nation’s fine art museums, administrators and supervisors who oversee art education in school districts, state departments of education, arts councils; and teaching artists throughout the United States and many foreign countries. For more information about the association and its awards program visit the NAEA website at www.arteducators.org, Justine graduated from Clarence-Lowden High School, Clarence, Iowa in 1989, earned her BA in Art Education from of the University of Iowa in 1994, and her MA in Creative Teaching Through the Arts from Lesley University in 2008. She currently resides in Denver, Colorado with husband, Price and son, Sam and teaches all levels of Drawing and Painting classes from beginning level through Advanced Placement (AP) at the historic East High School in the Denver Public School District. Justine is the daughter of Richard and Deborah Sawyer, and Bonnie Sawyer of Clarence, Iowa and the granddaughter of Charlene Pottebaum of Mechanicsville, Iowa.
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Award Winners
Anne Thulson
Anne Thulson’s long and illustrious career as an art educator has spanned the gamut from early education to her current position teaching higher education at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU). She has an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a National Board Certification for Early and Middle School Art. Prior to teaching at MSU, Anne taught K-8 art at the Odyssey School in Denver for 12 years. During that time, she was awarded the National Art Education Association’s Pacific Region Elementary Art Educator of the Year Award. Additionally, she and her husband Peter run contemporary art camps every summer for K-8 children in Denver. Anne is a leader in developing progressive art educators in the state of Colorado. Her dedication and genuine interest in the advancement of progressive approaches to curriculum development, instruction, and assessment propel her to the forefront of our profession. An inspiring presenter, educator, scholar and advocate, she actively contributes to the advancement of the field of art education through her work at MSU, sending prepared and skilled teachers into the world who then contribute to art education as highly valued colleagues. Through collaboration and the contribution of her unique insights to contemporary practices in the field, Anne challenges others to think bigger and to take risks. Anne’s knowledge of contemporary art and education practices, along with her ability to connect students authentically with the many facets of the world, put her consistently at the forefront of her practice. She has an uncanny ability to see the workings of art everywhere. Her unique ability to simultaneously perceive poetic and critical perspectives is translated into teaching students to examine their work from every angle and at every level.
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Authentically dedicated to her craft, Anne’s exceptional skills as a presenter and scholar, as well as her compelling body of research and work, are known both locally in our state and nationally. She inspires unending curiosity and her work is rich in making connections and asking and answering critical questions. She brings practicality to the research and practice of making and studying art. This supports her students at all levels to go out on a ledge to challenge themselves and develop understandings. Anne’s demonstrated commitment to the importance of visual art education at the K-12 level is also evidenced in her professional practices. She maintains currency in the field by writing articles and contributing chapters to highly respected periodicals, books and journals; attending conferences; seeking out pertinent information; and dialoging with peers. She has a deep and enduring respect for teachers. When given the opportunity to guide professional development, she engages with teachers as professionals. Possessing the unique ability to truly collaborate, Anne inspires ripples of excitement amongst colleagues far and wide.
Award Winners
She teaches students to not only generate possibilities but also to challenge and transform perceptions, develop meaningful work, and to research and reconstruct new solutions. As a result, students’ skills are refined and developed, and ideas manifest the extreme in possibilities.
In particular, Anne’s contributions to such professional organizations as CAEA and NAEA have been game changing for many educators. Anne is considered an expert on the topic of assessment in K-12 education and often presents on the topic at local, regional, and national conferences. Her sessions always have high attendance rates because Anne is able to take the topic of assessment and turn it into a strategy that you want to use in your classroom that can help to make the instructional environment a more vibrant and informed space. Her ability to take such an onerous and cantankerous topic and turn it into something you want to try out in your classroom is a testament to her creative and innovative thinking. Every contribution she makes to the field demonstrates her profound belief in the transformative power of the arts to make this world a better place and to educate future generations to go on and make the unimaginable tangible. MSU mentor and colleague Racheal Delaney reflects, “I first met Anne in 2008 when she generously opened her classroom space to mentoring my student teachers as they navigated their way through the complexities of teaching for the first time. Right away, her dynamic and engaging classroom and the ease with which she was able to effectively and purposefully teach interdisciplinary and critically informed curriculum in the K-12 environment impressed me. She demonstrated to my students the strategies and approaches necessary to building and teaching smart, dynamic and innovative lesson plans, inspiring my students to push beyond their assumptions of what art education should be to what art education could be. She taught my students the discipline of research and the importance of processes and the need to take risks as an artist and an educator.” Her participation in leading with her colleagues the Theory Loves Practice group at MSU and in her collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, at the RedLine gallery, are among her many commitments and projects in education and in our community. All are evidence of Anne’s dedication to leading art educators into future directions that make real her visions of creating tangible innovative artistic outcomes. Vanessa Hayes-Quintana observes, “Every time I sit in a room with Anne, she is spilling with ideas. Her ability to generate possibilities in any situation and inspire the excitement of others leaves me in awe.” Rachael Delaney concludes, “Anne is a highly dedicated, curious, and innovative art educator who deserves to be recognized for her significant contributions to the field of teaching. She is the type of advocate, scholar and educator that others aspire to be.”
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Award Winners
Judy Kelley
Judy Kelley is regarded by her peers at Martin Luther King Junior Early College as an irreplaceable component and vital backbone to the everyday running of the school. She is lovingly known by friends and colleagues as the “Authority.” This clever nickname is a prime example of how the entire staff views her as a wealth of knowledge and a vital member of the faculty. Judy is an educator who wears many hats and has multiple crucial leadership roles including, but not limited to, the head of the electives department, the head of the social committee, and a member of the MLS scheduling committee, ArtSource Colorado, and CAEA. Additionally, Judy has received multiple recognitions and accolades such as the Mile High Teacher Award, 2009 – 2011. She is the recipient of the A to Z Grant, the Target Field Trip Grant, the Students Art Buying Program at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, and multiple Donors Grants. More important than the awards, of course, is her ability to turn students onto art. Judy is reflective and relentless in her quest for improvement. Both creative and innovative in her approach to teaching art, she sets high standards for herself and her students and then works hard to see that they are met. She is constantly broadening her knowledge, improving her skills, and sharing with her peers what she has learned. Her caring attitude and superior knowledge of the subject make her effective with students of all levels of ability. In fact, Principal Kimberly Grayson notes that she is especially diligent with students who have learning disabilities, as well as those who historically have had major difficulties with drawing and art. Through her enthusiasm, hard work, careful planning, and dedication, she has allowed all students to experience the vitality of artistic expression as it touches our everyday lives. Nominator Lori Presley concludes, “Judy is a wonderful teacher who has huge success with all of her students. Her classes are constantly improving and reflective of her practice. She is constantly adjusting her instruction based on students’ interest needs and data reflection. Judy is the best mentor I could have ever asked for and I continue to appreciate and respect her more and more with each passing day. Judy is truly an amazing and talented individual, who is over-utilized and underappreciated, and very deserving of this award.”
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Award Winners
Lindsay McLean
Lindsay McLean is a person of integrity who, according to colleagues, consistently holds herself to a high standard of personal and professional excellence. Possessing an innate passion for her profession, she is dedicated to encouraging students to take their craft to new levels of creativity and excellence, constantly experimenting with new, authentic means of delivering content that provides students with new and innovative ways of learning and expressing creativity. According to principal Kevin Marlatt, Lindsay’s prowess and high level of expertise is based on her keen ability to plan comprehensively, skillfully implement content, regularly reflect on her own practice, and maintain intentional relationships with both students and colleagues. Lindsay’s planning ensures that students have multiple opportunities to address the content of her classes and to grow and reach mastery. She is adept at employing a distributive practice model, which provides a spiraling approach to curriculum. She is very knowledgeable about a wide variety of instructional strategies that engage students in learning and deep thinking. Her expertise at selecting and applying these strategies quickly builds strong relationships with students that she leverages to help each student work towards mastery. Central to Lindsay’s professionalism is her willingness to reflect on her own practice and to use this to further her own growth. As a professional educator, she demonstrates that mastery in teaching is a perceptual process that she embraces and fuels through deep reflection. Lindsay builds strong relationships by design not only with her students but also with her colleagues. Lindsay uses her connections with others around her to support their growth and effectiveness. Others trust her and follow her lead. As evidence, Lindsay was voted Teacher of the Year at Rifle Middle School. In addition to her prowess in the classroom, Lindsay is dedicated to immersing her students in all aspects of art and culture, organizing and facilitating a wide variety of educationally rich field trips and real world experiences. She uses art education as a vehicle to promote personal change. Years of planning and promotion have recently culminated in taking a group of thirty students to Europe to experience art in its own historical and cultural context. This is a life-changing experience for these students and families. Shelley Gardineer, Assistant Principal of Rifle Middle School, concludes, “Lindsay McLean is a person of integrity who possesses the magical skill of gleaning creativity and artistic expression from her students. She is able to push her students to bring forth their undiscovered talents. She allows them space to create what their minds’ eyes see, not expecting conformation to her ideas. She encourages, nurtures and supports students as they explore the infancy of their artistic talents.”
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Award Winners
Amy Marsh
Professional, energetic, child-centered, efficient, flexible, well organized and inspirational. These are some of the ways in which parents, students, and colleagues describe art educator Amy Marsh. From the moment she walked through the doors of William “Bill” Roberts Elementary in Stapleton, students, parents, and colleagues alike have been inspired by her passion for the visual arts. Amy takes great pride in the job she does. She is dedicated to encouraging both intellectual and artistic growth through varied instructional techniques, differentiation in the classroom, and lesson plans that are cross-curricular, related to the classroom content, culturally diverse, and that promote varied media and incorporate technology. But perhaps the most impressive aspect of Amy’s many capabilities is her innate ability to inspire her students. Her love and passion for visual arts is nothing less than infectious. Through her warm and caring personality, Amy affects hearts; she is found approachable by all. By providing students with exciting lessons that both challenge and stimulate, she makes her art room into a place where students are engaged and creative. It is no wonder that students cheer loudly when they are told that their special for the day is art! Principal Trich Lea observes, “Amy has worked beyond the classroom and has surpassed my already high expectations. She has done an outstanding job, one that I rarely see. I am most impressed by her ability to develop relationships with children, her flexibility and her desire to excel in every task she embarks upon. Her desire is to learn, implement, and grow as a teacher and as a student is rare. She is intelligent and prepared. And while she is always willing to share ideas, she also listens attentively to gather new information that could be helpful to her improvement as a person and an educator. She is motivated to learn and works deliberately and diligently to see that she gets the job done. She has the remarkable characteristics of a teacher who holds her students in the forefront of everything she does. I consider Amy Marsh to be an extraordinary individual.” Colleague and “Bill” Roberts Elementary School parent Kim Putnam concludes, “Amy has proven to be a great inspiration to my daughter and her classmates’ artistic endeavors and imagination. The walls of art that appear in the school hallway between the front office and library show her commitment to connecting art with other academic studies. I am so thankful Amy Marsh has had such a positive impact on my daughter, her classmates and Bill Roberts Elementary.”
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Award Winners
Anne Lay
In the three years that Anne Lay has graced the staff of Fountain International Magnet School in the Pueblo City Schools District, her passion and dedication to her craft have not gone unnoticed. Described by colleagues as a team player and an outstanding and gifted professional who is highly dedicated to doing what is best for children, Anne quickly developed positive relationships with both her colleagues and community. According to Principal Eva Bjork, “Anne demonstrates very caring and nurturing demeanor towards her students. Her students love and respect her and know that she truly cares about them. She is passionate about art education and does a wonderful job of building the student’s love of art.” The Fountain International Magnet School is a K-3 International Baccalaureate (IB) school. As such, it must meet the challenges presented by the recertification process every five years. In the school’s most recent round of certification efforts, Anne proved a willing and accomplished asset to her team, developing a K-3 transdisciplinary curriculum that is now being integrated into the school’s approved IB curriculum. Under her tutelage, students not only learn art concepts but also extend their learning beyond academic content to artistic practice. Whether painting, working with clay, or constructing with paper, Anne roots her teaching in methodologies of inquiry, allowing students to have creative freedom. In addition, Anne is dedicated to establishing authentic means of documenting student growth and maturation while providing a means for audiences to view student work. Having published more than 2,100 works of art on the Artsonia website in her three-year tenure, Anne’s efforts have established Fountain International Magnet School as one of Artsonia’s top ten most prolific schools. In addition, student work is also regularly displayed throughout Pueblo and beyond in public venues such as the Buell Children’s Museum and the International Baccalaureate offices in Maryland. As a practicing artist, Anne has shown her own work in Cloth Paper Scissors magazine, at The Sangre de Cristo Art Center, and at the Colorado State Fair. And, in addition to attending to the many demands put upon a teacher new to our profession, Anne still finds the time to serve on the Pueblo City Schools Gifted and Talented Committee. With regards to her leadership abilities, colleague Diane Gilfillan concludes, “Anne provides learning connections that extend the potential of her teammates. As a teacher artist, she provides a creative lens into our community with a focus on all learners whether adult or student. I feel that Anne Lay is an outstanding candidate for this award. I learn from her on a daily basis and appreciate her maturity and enthusiasm for the teaching profession.”
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Award Winners
Rick Sigler
Rick Sigler possesses an incredibly unique combination of a boundless passion for art in various forms, a genuine and contagious love for teaching children of varying ages, and a constant desire to innovate and experiment in order to inspire a lasting love of art in every student. It is little wonder, therefore, that Rick has become a community favorite and true icon at St. Anne’s Episcopal School in Denver. Of Rick’s more than 30 years of experience teaching art, the past 27 have been at Saint Anne’s, teaching third through eighth grade. Described by colleagues as a model life-long learner who is constantly seeking new and exciting ways to inspire his students, he regularly pursues professional development and workshops, and he infuses what he learns into an already remarkable curriculum. During the past nine years, Rick has developed and integrated glass work, metals, jewelry, and wood sculpture into many of his classes despite the younger ages of his students. He has also developed several projects, such as the eighth-grade mask unit, that have become rites of passage and sources of anticipation for students over the years. In addition, students of all ages clamor for his after-school and summer art camps, recognizing that they will thrive in an environment of creativity, fun, and encouragement. Rick’s passion for his profession and students empowers him with the ability to convince even the most reluctant children that the gift for art resides within them, waiting for an opportunity to shine through. He is known for having an amazing ability to find and support the good in every child. Many students who struggle with more structured environments or lack confidence in other academic arenas find a place of joy, success, and acceptance in Rick’s classes. They find a place to belong. He believes every student is an artist of value, and they come to believe it themselves. Not surprisingly, most of Rick’s students go on to further pursuits of art in high school and beyond, and more than a few have become professional artists or art teachers in their adult lives. This is a direct result of Rick’s lasting influence. Head of School Alan Smiley observes, “As you can see, we have been truly blessed at St. Anne’s to have Rick as a member of our community and working with our students for all these years. We hope he is here working his magic for many more to come. I certainly believe he embodies all the characteristics of your wonderful award.” Colleague Dr. Deena Tarleton, Lower School Head, concurs, concluding, “Mr. Sigler loves St. Anne’s and we love him. His influence in so many ways exemplifies what excellent teachers are all about. In our minds, he already is the Art Educator of the Year!”
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Award Winners
Dr. Elisa Robyn
The role of the leader can make a pivotal difference. It can be vital for the art educator to have a valued administrator. In taking advantage of her vast life experiences, Dr. Elisa Robyn is capable of always instilling a unique balance in her leadership style. She balances aggressive, informed decision-making and action–based administrative approaches with the refined manner of delegating and trusting those whom she supervises. She has always valued those who teach art under her, bringing a quality opportunity for all involved . . . especially the students. According to colleague Lon Seymour, “There is a historical schism in higher education. Administrators, due to academic structure, enhanced managerial demands or professional choice, become insulated from programs, teachers and students. Fortunately, once in a great while, an administrator/educator who proves to be the exception and serves art and art education programs with vitalizing support takes on a leadership role at an institution and, as it happens, within our professional organization. Such a singularity is Dr. Elisa Robyn.� At Regis University, Dr. Robyn is currently the Academic Dean of the College for Professional Studies, the department in which the arts programs thrive. Regis is the latest in a number of institutions in which she has worked including Colorado Mountain College, Community College of Denver, University of Colorado Denver, Walden University, and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. The qualification that makes Elisa an exceptional candidate for the Higher Education Art Educator of the Year award is that over the decades, while serving in numerous colleges and universities, she has consistently made focused efforts to enrich and improve art and art education programs at all of these institutions. What separates Elisa from the crowd is that she is a handson administrator. She is people-oriented rather than task-oriented. The idea of divorcing herself from faculty and students to maintain the protection of a position, ease of demands, or personal comfort is alien to her. As Dean at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Elisa helped design contemporized curricula, convivial school policies, and authentic program and faculty evaluations. Most importantly, she served as an advocate, sympathetic shoulder, and problem solver for teachers. As a conflict resolver, mediator and mentor, Elisa enhanced a positive working environment and rallied constituent buy-in and empowerment. At the Community College of Denver (CCD), she again supported and enriched art programs through reforms in policies, budget allocations, and hiring practices. She continued to lead in the growth and evolution of curricula, learning and teaching standards, and assessment evaluation strategies. She implemented articulation agreements between CCD and local baccalaureate colleges for credit transfer in art classes. Before her efforts, the art credits for CCD students were often inconsistently received or out and out rejected.
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Award Winners
Now at Regis University, it is not a stretch to profess that she actually helped save the visual art program for the College of Professional Studies Master of Arts. A couple of years ago, the upper administration at the university contemplated policies to eliminate all the arts programs except creative writing. Elisa’s advocacy for fine art helped to head off the dubious plan. A major element of her rebuttal against eliminating visual art was that the MA program served and specifically supported a unique audience — the professional K-12 art educators returning to academia to obtain a master’s degree and, thus, accomplish district professional growth requirements. As a result, the MA Visual Arts program at Regis has graduated art educators serving numerous leadership roles within a variety of school districts and within CAEA.
TEACHERS and ARTISTS DESIGN YOUR OWN MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE AT REGIS UNIVERSITY PAINTING & DRAWING T ART HISTORY ART EDUCATION T AND MORE
Work in your own studio – Meet with faculty for critiques Flexible schedules and multiple start dates
REGIS.EDU/SHSS | 800.944.7667
Artist and colleague Charles Parson concludes, “In the context of my forty-five years’ plus experience in the world of art and design, I have not met a stronger leader in the world of art education than Elisa Robyn. Her defense of creative programs in today’s world needs to be applauded by our arts community. She is an inspiration. We are all privileged to have such a visionary leader as she here in Colorado.”
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“The Real Purple One with an Olive” Media: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 16” x 20” 2013
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Award Winners
James L . Meyers - Artsonia James L. Meyers oversees the day-to-day operations of the world’s largest student art museum, Artsonia. By developing Artsonia, Mr. Meyers has brought attention to the work produced in K-12 art rooms throughout the world. Artsonia currently showcases 35 million pieces of artworks from students in more than 130 countries. In Colorado alone, over 100,000 artworks from students have been made available in digital portfolios for teachers, parents and students during the 2014 - 2015 school year. By creating such an easy sharing process, Artsonia connects parents more than ever with what goes on in the art room. Mr. Meyers and Artsonia provide so much more than an online gallery. With individual access to their own site, students can showcase their artworks for family and friends across the country. Students and family members can follow the publishing of work, send notes of encouragement, comment on works, and join their loved one’s fan club. In addition, parents can also order high-quality reproductions of student works. Artsonia gives 20 percent of the order revenue back to the school. In addition, the interactive site and completely customizable gallery provide teachers with a place to leave feedback for students, develop progress reports, send art room newsletters, and attend webinars, as well as share research and lesson plans from the online bank populated by teachers from around the world. The bank currently houses over 5,000 teacher-submitted lesson plans. At the National Art Education Association’s convention, Artsonia and Mr. Meyers conduct various workshops on technology in the art room, giving educators a means to earn professional development credits. Artsonia also teams up with other organizations to provide opportunities for student competitions and exhibits, allowing teachers to expand their students’ audience globally. Teaming up with Dick Blick, Artsonia hosts the “With Art I Can…” mixed media contest. “Yo Soy…Je Suis…I am…” is a unique opportunity for children with disabilities from around the world to present their artworks side by side in an online exhibition hosted through Artsonia. Andrea Slusarski concludes, “Personally, Mr. Meyers has been a dear colleague in the art education world. He doesn’t see art teachers as clients, but rather values their opinions and wants to make Artsonia the best option for teachers with our busy schedules. He attends state and national conferences, provides amazing customer support and truly values the art education career. With this award, CAEA will benefit by not only celebrating Artsonia in Colorado, but also by bringing more attention to the wonderful benefits Artsonia will bring to art programs across our state.”
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School of
Art and Design LOW RESIDENCY MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE The Low Residency Art & Design Master’s degree is designed for current art educators who wish to build upon their credentials while pursuing development as artists, teachers, and leaders in the field of art education. • Reconnect with your studio practices and develop new teaching strategies • Courses designed to fit your schedule with two summer residencies and courses conducted online • Learn through both expert faculty and practical field application • Discover new resources and contacts • Synthesize your personal talents with curricular interests
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR LOW RESIDENCY PROGRAM, VISIT ARTS.UNCO.EDU/ART-LOW-RES. 52.
CAEA TASK FORCE CHAIRS & PUBLICATIONS Vanessa Hayes-Quintana Collage Editor 2014-2016 sayhayes@mac.com
Timothy Gianulis Advocacy 2014-2016 timothy_gianulis@dpsk12.org
Linda Schmale Spring conference 2012-2014 lgschmale@msn.com
Janet McCauley Collage Design/Layout 2015-2016 janetmccauley@comcast.net
Pam Starck Scholastics 2014-2016 TPLBStarck@aol.com
Justine Sawyer Youth Art Month 2014-2016 caeayam@gmail.com
Rosemary Reinhart and Elisabeth Reinhart Collage Copy Editors 2014-2016 r.reinhart@editorialpathways.com e.reinhart@editorialpathways.com
Robin Wolfe and Michael Cellan Web Master 2014-2016 medcellan@mac.com caearobin@gmail.com
CAEA EXECUTIVE BOARD & DIVISION REPRESENTATIVES Title Executive Board President 2014 -16 President Elect 2012-15 Vice President 2012-15 Treasurer Intern-Interim Secretary 2012-15 Past President 2012-14 Division Representatives Elementary 2013-15 Elementary 2014-16 Middle School 2013-15 Middle School 2013-15 High School 2014-16 Private/Ind/Charter 2014-16 Private/Ind/Charter 2013-15 Commerial 2013-15 Museum/Gallery Supervision 2013-15 Higher Education 2014-16 Higher Education 2013-15 Retired 2012-14 Student Rep 2012-14
Name
Elizabeth Mahler Licence Vanessa Hayes-Quintana Ben Quinn Alexis Quintana Tara Pappas Robin Wolfe
caeapresident@gmail.com sayhayes@mac.com bennyquinn@hotmail.com taranpappas@yahoo.com caearobin@gmail.com
Amy Marsh
abeth127@yahoo.com
Cathy Moore Cindy Miggliaccio Sarah Magley Alexandra Overby open Jesse Diaz Sophia King Robin Gallite Cindy Miggliaccio Donna Goodwin Teresa Clowes open open
cmooreart@msn.com chmigliaccio@gmail.com saramagley@yahoo.com alexandra_overby@dpsk12.org jdiaz@me.com sophia@stoneleafpottery.com robin.redlineart@gmail.com chmigliaccio@gmail.com donnajgoodwin@yahoo.com tclowes@rmcad.edu
Collage Fall 2015
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CAEA REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES North West: North Central: North East: Metro: Metro: East Central: South West: West Central:
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open Sharon Jacobson-Speedy, Frisco, CO 2014-2016 Christina Martinez, Holyoke, CO 2013-2015 DJ Osmack Mike Carroll, Denver, CO 2013-2015 Lisa Cross Kari Pepper Abbie Mahlin
speedywheat@aol.com martinezch@hcosd.org mcarroll@jeffco.k12.co.us lcross@d49.org kpepper@bayfield.k12.co.us amtarr@hotmail.com
From: The Colorado Art Education Association www.caeaco.org Collage Vanessa Hayes-Quintana 16041 Bluebonnet Drive Parker, CO 80134