MAEA Conference and Awards

What a day for art education!

The Maine Art Education Association (MAEA) concluded an outstanding spring conference by presenting three, no four, awards to deserving educators. But first a word about the conference. I’ve been around long enough to see institutions transform, some for the third and fourth time. I had the pleasure of working on the planning committee for the MAEA spring conference that was held on Saturday, April 2 in Rockland at the Farnsworth Art Museum and CMCA. I’m not just talking about a conference that was held in both facilities but what took place was magical. It was delightful to see the two institutions partner with MAEA to put together a very worthwhile day for art educators.

Presentation by Daniel Salomon

The conference entitled Radical Reuse was planned and implemented by a group of people who had never worked together before, some new to their positions, and everyone went above and beyond. Over a two month period every Thursday the education staffs of both institutions and the MAEA conference planners came together on zoom to plan the annual spring conference. THANK YOU to everyone for a job well done! From CMCA: Mia Bogyo, and representing the Farnsworth: Gwendolyn Loomis Smith, Katherine Karlik, and Alexis Saba. MAEA president, Lynda Leonas, coordinated the effort with board members Iva Damon and Christine Del Rossi supporting. From the Rockland school district Richard Wehnke helped.

Printmaking with Sherrie York – Lynda Leonas and Iva Damon

The keynote was provided by Krisanne Baker, Medomak Valley High School art and ecology teacher and artist. She is committed to advocating for the ocean and inspires her students to learn about water quality, availability and rights, and ocean stewardship. Guest speaker Daniel Salomon who teaches in The Hatchery at Camden Hills Regional High School provided background information on the work he is doing with students utilizing and reusing materials and the role we each can play.

Gallery tour, Farnsworth

After the opening speakers, conference participants attended sessions on printmaking with Sherrie York, art making around ‘place’ with Alexis Iammarino, toured the Farnsworth Museum, and toured CMCA. Several merchants from Downtown Rockland supported the conference goers with discounts. During the middle of the day Daniel’s students from the Hatchery, set up outside CMCA, shared several of the projects they have been involved in this year.

Alexis Iammarino demonstrating, CMCA

AWARDS PROGRAM

The day concluded with honoring the work of four educators with an amazing backdrop of quilts at CMCA. The educators are outstanding in and out of the classroom, engaged in work at the local, regional, and state level. They work (and play) tirelessly, sometimes alone and often collaborating with others. Every day they exhibit all that is right about education. In their respective institutions they have a place at the table where they continuously advocate for students and art education. We know that an excellent education in the arts is essential, and these educators strive for every student to experience just that. 

The awards committee was led by Belfast Area High School art teacher Heidi O’Donnell. Members of the committee included Hope Lord, Maranacook Middle School art teacher and Suzanne Goulet, Waterville High School art teacher, and myself. The awards, clay vessels, were created by Carolyn Brown, Camden Hills Regional High School art teacher. In addition each educator received a plaque for their classroom and a pineapple.

The 2022 Administration/Supervision Art Educator of the Year was presented to Dr. Rachel Somerville who is at Maine College of Art & Design and Westbrook Schools. She was introduced by Melissa Perkins, Congin Elementary School art teacher, Westbrook.

Melissa presenting Rachel

The 2022 Secondary Art Educator of the year was presented to Iva Damon, art teacher at Leavitt Area High School in Turner. She was introduced by Lynda Leonas, president of MAEA and an art teacher at Walton and Washburn Elementary Schools in Auburn.

Lynda presenting Iva

The 2023 Maine Art Educator of the Year was presented to Matthew Johnson, art teacher at Westbrook High School. He was introduced by Deb Bickford who also teaches art at Westbrook High School.

Lynda Leonas presented a surprise pineapple award to Heidi for outstanding leadership and contributions to the MAEA board. She is stepping down from the board as she takes on a leadership position with the National Art Education Association.

Heidi O’Donnell, right with her Belfast colleagues Linda Nicholas, middle and Kathie Gass, left

As we move away from the challenges of the pandemic I urge you to consider:

• Become a member of MAEA, if you are not already one
• Volunteer to become a board member and take on a leadership role
• Nominate a colleague who is worthy of recognition

For more information please go to the MAEA website.

Photos taken by Heidi O’Donnell and myself.

Scholastic Art Awards

Maine College of Art

The 2021 Scholastic Art Award Ceremonies are archived at THIS LINK. Maine College Art is proud to be sharing this wonderful event with you. Included is a welcome and congratulations from Portland Mayor Kate Synder who honors Margaret Maxwell, recipient of the Scholastic 2021 Art Educator Excellence Award, David Greenham, Director of the Maine Arts Commission, and Christopher Wisniewski, Executive Director for the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.

Students across the state are being recognized for their outstanding achievements in the 2021 Scholastic Art Awards. Maine is home to such an impressive generation of young artists! Special recognition goes to Della Huntley from Baxter Academy for her video liminal space received Maine’s American Visions Medal and a National Gold Medal in Film and Animation! Her teacher is Matthew Barnes. You can download Della’s Film, LIMINAL SPACE at THIS LINK.

Lilly Arbelo is from Wells High School and received a National Gold Medal in Photography for GENTLE SUFFOCATION. Her teacher is Emily Knight.

Lilly Arbelo, Wells High School, grade 11, Teacher: Emily Knight

The table below includes all of the Maine High School students who are receiving recognition this year by Scholastic for their amazing contributions of art work. In addition, the student school, grade, teacher, art work title, award, category and title of the art work. CONGRATULATIONS to all 200+ who participated!

Thank you to Pamela Moulton from Maine College of Art who is the coordinator for the Maine Regions Scholastic Art Awards.

Please be sure and scroll to the right to view all of the information about each student.

First Name	Last Name	Student Grade	School Name	Individual Awards	Work Category	Work Title	Educator1 First	Educator1 Last
Lilly	Arbelo	11	Wells High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Her Space	Emily	Knight
Lilly	Arbelo	11	Wells High School	Gold Key | Gold Medal	Photography	Gentle Suffocation	Emily	Knight
Lilly	Arbelo	11	Wells High School	Silver Key |	Painting	Bunny Hill	Emily	Knight
Dena	Arrison	12	Freeport High School	Silver Key |	Digital Art	Stay Safe	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Dena	Arrison	12	Freeport High School	Gold Key |	Art Portfolio	How does environment influence the mood?	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Alanna	Bachelder	11	Kents Hill School	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Avocado	Dylan	Gifford
Lexi	Bachelder	11	Rangeley Lakes Regional School	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	Just a girl	SONJA	JOHNSON
Emma	Barry	12	Freeport High School	Honorable Mention |	Art Portfolio	Out of Place	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Emma	Barry	12	Freeport High School	Silver Key |	Digital Art	Cliffhanger	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Emma	Barry	12	Freeport High School	Honorable Mention |	Art Portfolio	Common Phrases	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Julia	Bell	10	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Gold Key |	Digital Art	You’re still here	Matthew	Barnes
Elwen	Bernard	12	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Passport Photo	Matthew	Barnes
Elwen	Bernard	12	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Gold Key |	Mixed Media	Tinful of Tales	Matthew	Barnes
Elwen	Bernard	12	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Gold Key |	Mixed Media	Tide Clock	Matthew	Barnes
Sophia	Blanco	8	Winthrop High School	Gold Key |	Painting	Newport	Kristen	Kaiser
Sophia	Blanco	8	Winthrop High School	Honorable Mention |	Painting	Clouds at Quoddy Headlight	Kristen	Kaiser
Sophia	Blanco	8	Winthrop High School	Gold Key |	Painting	Sisterly Love	Kristen	Kaiser
Sophia	Blanco	8	Winthrop High School	Honorable Mention |	Sculpture	Pearl	Kristen	Kaiser
Dorcas	Bolese	10	Yarmouth High School	Silver Key |	Painting	Appropriate	Melissa	Sylvester
Alaina	Bonis	10	Hebron Academy	Silver Key |	Painting	Sunrise	Gabe	Miller
Alaina	Bonis	10	Hebron Academy	Honorable Mention |	Ceramics & Glass	Self Portrait	Gabe	Miller
Alaina	Bonis	10	Hebron Academy	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Tim	Gabe	Miller
Alaina	Bonis	10	Hebron Academy	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Self Portrait 2	Gabe	Miller
Zara	Boss	12	Thornton Academy	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Coffee On The Brain	jennifer	merry
Zara	Boss	12	Thornton Academy	Honorable Mention |	Mixed Media	By A Thread	Jodi	Thomas
Zara	Boss	12	Thornton Academy	Silver Key |	Mixed Media	Mind Painter	Jodi	Thomas
Zara	Boss	12	Thornton Academy	Honorable Mention |	Art Portfolio	Identity	Jodi	Thomas
Obi	Boucher	12	Sacopee Valley High School	Honorable Mention |	Printmaking	DUTY	Shaelin	Shields
Obi	Boucher	12	Sacopee Valley High School	Silver Key |	Art Portfolio	Textural Works	Shaelin	Shields
Andrew	Bouvier	12	Berwick Academy	Gold Key |	Painting	A Balanced Earth	Raegan	Russell
Elizabeth	Bove	12	Thornton Academy	Honorable Mention |	Art Portfolio	Charcoal Study	Jodi	Thomas
Hayden	Braun	10	Mount Desert Island High School	Honorable Mention |	Comic Art	Colorful Menagerie	Charlie	Johnson
Hayden	Braun	10	Mount Desert Island High School	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	Cityscape	Charlie	Johnson
Breydon	Brough	11	Oxford Hills Tech School	Honorable Mention |	Design	Reclaiming your World	Virginia	Valdes
Celia	Buetens	11	Orono High School	Gold Key |	Painting	Mirror, Mirror	Jessica	Barnes
Valentina	Capri Arroyo	12	Thornton Academy	Gold Key, American Visions Nominee |	Photography	Como el agua	Jodi	Thomas
Erik	Carson	9	Edward Little High School	Gold Key |	Comic Art	Watch Out!	Diana	Carson
Sophia	Carson	12	Edward Little High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Idle Hands	Diana	Carson
Nora	Castonguay	10	Kents Hill School	Honorable Mention |	Sculpture	Refugee Mask	Dylan	Gifford
Annie	Chapman	12	Thornton Academy	Silver Key |	Painting	Brother	Jodi	Thomas
Annie	Chapman	12	Thornton Academy	Honorable Mention |	Painting	Self Portrait in Still Life	Jodi	Thomas
Camden	Chase	12	Berwick Academy	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	Changing Home	Raegan	Russell
Camila	Ciembroniewicz	12	Mt Ararat High School	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Joseph and His Camera	Christine	Del Rossi
Zoe	Clark	12	Wells High School	Gold Key |	Photography	Flight	Emily	Knight
Zoe	Clark	12	Wells High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Stars	Emily	Knight
Zoe	Clark	12	Wells High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Reflect	Emily	Knight
Emma	Comparato	10	Brunswick High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	She’s on the door	Jennie	Driscoll
Riley	Coron	11	Kennebunk High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Sweet Sorrow	Katie	Mooney
ChloeViolet	Corral	12	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	Complex Savior	Matthew	Barnes
ChloeViolet	Corral	12	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Silver Key |	Film & Animation	Surprise Encounter	Matthew	Barnes
Caroline	Couperthwait	10	R W Traip Academy	Honorable Mention |	Sculpture	The Shape of Nature	Kimberly	Burke
Grace	Courtney	12	Thornton Academy	Honorable Mention |	Ceramics & Glass	Sculpture of a Barn Owl	Dana	Altman
Grace	Courtney	12	Thornton Academy	Gold Key |	Mixed Media	Self-Portrait	jennifer	merry
Anavi	Curtiss	11	Wells High School	Honorable Mention |	Comic Art	Eating Fish	Emily	Knight
Emma	Dawson-Webb	11	R W Traip Academy	Silver Key |	Mixed Media	Left Behind	Kimberly	Burke
Emma	Dawson-Webb	11	R W Traip Academy	Gold Key |	Painting	Rich Loneliness	Kimberly	Burke
Isla	Day	9	George Stevens Academy	Honorable Mention |	Film & Animation	Girl Versus Nature	Melissa	Rioux
Aynslie	Decker	12	Freeport High School	Honorable Mention |	Mixed Media	Natural Chickadee	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Kaylee	Demers	11	Falmouth High School	Gold Key |	Painting	Climate Change: How Much Longer Can We Hang On To Our Burning Home?	Nancy	Goldstone
Kaylee	Demers	11	Falmouth High School	Silver Key |	Comic Art	Thinking Outside The Box	Nancy	Goldstone
Holly	Dowling	11	Mt Blue High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Television Head	Pamela	Chernesky
Emily	Eastlack	11	Rangeley Lakes Regional School	Silver Key |	Mixed Media	Humanity	SONJA	JOHNSON
Alexia	Fasano	11	Oxford Hills Tech School	Silver Key |	Photography	Skewed	Virginia	Valdes
Alexia	Fasano	11	Oxford Hills Tech School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Teenage Mind	Virginia	Valdes
Alexia	Fasano	11	Oxford Hills Tech School	Silver Key |	Photography	Abandoned in Maine	Virginia	Valdes
Alexia	Fasano	11	Oxford Hills Tech School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Fierce Lioness	Virginia	Valdes
Brianna	Flanders	11	Kennebunk High School	Gold Key |	Digital Art	Dehumanizing Despair	Brendan	Roddy
Anna	Franks	11	Wells High School	Honorable Mention |	Painting	Grayscale quarantine	Emily	Knight
Owen	Gallo-Wagoner	12	Cheverus High School	Gold Key |	Photography	Mom	Christina	Metcalf
Lillian	Gaudiano	10	Bonny Eagle High School	Gold Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Spring Hike	Margaret	Maxwell
Lillian	Gaudiano	10	Bonny Eagle High School	Gold Key, American Visions Nominee |	Drawing & Illustration	Growing Resilience	Margaret	Maxwell
Lillian	Gaudiano	10	Bonny Eagle High School	Honorable Mention |	Mixed Media	The Twins	Margaret	Maxwell
Lillian	Gaudiano	10	Bonny Eagle High School	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Tessa	Margaret	Maxwell
Daphne	Giampietro	12	Mt Blue High School	Gold Key |	Digital Art	Transition	Pamela	Chernesky
Alek	Gideon	11	Freeport High School	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Reality Against Will	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Phebe	Grant	12	Kennebunk High School	Silver Key |	Photography	Knife Edge	Katie	Mooney
Elaina	Hammond	11	Kennebunk High School	Silver Key |	Photography	Pooches on Gooches	Katie	Mooney
Elaina	Hammond	11	Kennebunk High School	Silver Key |	Photography	Family Walks	Katie	Mooney
Natalie	Hanagan	12	Wells High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Joy	Emily	Knight
Lily	Hansen	11	Kennebunk High School	Honorable Mention |	Mixed Media	Fire on Fire	Brendan	Roddy
Caton	Hazard	11	Falmouth High School	Honorable Mention |	Painting	Media: How does it Influence your Perception?	Nancy	Goldstone
Taylor	Hemenway	12	North Yarmouth Academy	Honorable Mention |	Painting	Finning	Colby	Myer
Taylor	Hemenway	12	North Yarmouth Academy	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Hiding Octopus	Colby	Myer
Addaline	Hemingway	10	Rangeley Lakes Regional School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Blue	SONJA	JOHNSON
Shaylee	Herrin	12	Marshwood High School	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	Curiosity	Rebecca	Poliquin
Hope	Hoffman	12	Kennebunk High School	Silver Key |	Painting	The Off-Season	Katie	Mooney
Hope	Hoffman	12	Kennebunk High School	Silver Key |	Painting	Sunday Evening	Katie	Mooney
Hope	Hoffman	12	Kennebunk High School	Silver Key |	Digital Art	Of Course	Katie	Mooney
Sadie	Holland	11	York High School	Silver Key |	Comic Art	Corvus	David	Shenett
Aniela	Holtrop	12	Freeport High School	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	Dianthus – Scarlet Carnations	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Mia	Hornschild-Bear	10	Freeport High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	A Self Portrait	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Mia	Hornschild-Bear	10	Freeport High School	Gold Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Building Blocks	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Mia	Hornschild-Bear	10	Freeport High School	Silver Key |	Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation	Donald and His Shadows	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Mia	Hornschild-Bear	10	Freeport High School	Silver Key |	Photography	Infinite	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Mia	Hornschild-Bear	10	Freeport High School	Silver Key |	Photography	Momentaufnahme	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Mia	Hornschild-Bear	10	Freeport High School	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Manifesting the Mind	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Natalie	Howard	11	Falmouth High School	Gold Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Goody Bag	Nancy	Goldstone
Natalie	Howard	11	Falmouth High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Mystical Garden	Nancy	Goldstone
Natalie	Howard	11	Falmouth High School	Silver Key |	Painting	Down the Rabbit Hole	Nancy	Goldstone
Natalie	Howard	11	Falmouth High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Burning Out	Nancy	Goldstone
Natalie	Howard	11	Falmouth High School	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Bernese Sanders	Nancy	Goldstone
Della	Huntley	12	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Gold Key, American Visions Nominee | Gold Medal, American Visions Medal	Film & Animation	liminal space	Matthew	Barnes
Della	Huntley	12	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Honorable Mention |	Mixed Media	What Lies Below/RMS Kamtschatka	Matthew	Barnes
Della	Huntley	12	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Gold Key |	Printmaking	In A Fog	Matthew	Barnes
Della	Huntley	12	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Gold Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Tarot of the Blinded Eye	Matthew	Barnes
Annika	Huntress	12	R W Traip Academy	Silver Key |	Sculpture	Vivid Dreams	Kimberly	Burke
Madison	Hurley	12	Portland High School	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Coty and Winnie	Barbara	Loring
Dabria	Hyman	11	Falmouth High School	Gold Key |	Fashion	Wildnight	Susan	Morse
Tallulah	Im	11	North Yarmouth Academy	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Still Life	Colby	Myer
Zoë	Iobst	12	Bangor High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	winds of change	Susan	Bryand
Zoë	Iobst	12	Bangor High School	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	am i broken	Susan	Bryand
Colby	Jackson-Parise	12	Scarborough High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Elliot & Louis	Erin	Landry-Fowler
Colby	Jackson-Parise	12	Scarborough High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Grandma’s Attic	Erin	Landry-Fowler
Ian	Jacobs	9	Kennebunk High School	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	Ian’s 4th of July	Katie	Mooney
Leah	Jarochym	7	York Middle School	Silver Key |	Comic Art	Hide-and-Seek	Alexis	Kochka
Ethan	Jason	8	–	Silver Key |	Architecture & Industrial Design	Volunteer Stadium, Home of The Nashville Notes	Allison	Jason
Ethan	Jason	8	–	Gold Key |	Photography	Skyscraper	Allison	Jason
Fiona	Jason	9	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Honorable Mention |	Sculpture	The House of Blues	Matthew	Barnes
Fiona	Jason	9	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Headspace	Matthew	Barnes
Amelia	Jerlach	10	Portland High School	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Pepper the Pug	Barbara	Loring
Hayley	Kennagh	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Silver Key |	Design	What makes a horse, a horse.	Virginia	Valdes
Isabel	Kesselhaut	11	Cape Elizabeth High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Guanaco	Rosamond	Gross
Isabel	Kesselhaut	11	Cape Elizabeth High School	Gold Key |	Photography	Take Off	Rosamond	Gross
Isabel	Kesselhaut	11	Cape Elizabeth High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Ice Tree	Rosamond	Gross
Isabel	Kesselhaut	11	Cape Elizabeth High School	Gold Key |	Photography	Beautifully Bleak	Rosamond	Gross
Gabriel	Kirmani	8	–	Honorable Mention |	Design	B1uest Logo	Allegra	Kirmani
Emma	Knowles	11	Kents Hill School	Honorable Mention |	Ceramics & Glass	Acorn Vessel	Dylan	Gifford
Saffron	Labos	11	Freeport High School	Honorable Mention |	Painting	Queen of the Night	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Saffron	Labos	11	Freeport High School	Silver Key |	Digital Art	I Told You I’m Fine	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Sophia	Lambert	11	Falmouth High School	Honorable Mention |	Painting	When the Body Sleeps, a Storm Rolls In	Nancy	Goldstone
Mischa	Landgarten	10	Berwick Academy	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Broken Portrait	Raegan	Russell
Mischa	Landgarten	10	Berwick Academy	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	eye portrait 2	Raegan	Russell
Winnie	LaRochelle	10	Rangeley Lakes Regional School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Covered Up	SONJA	JOHNSON
A.	Larrabee	12	Kennebunk High School	Silver Key |	Digital Art	2020 Earth Day	Brendan	Roddy
Abby	Lemieux	12	Kennebunk High School	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	Falling With Style	Brendan	Roddy
Celia	Linderoth	8	Cape Elizabeth Middle School	Honorable Mention |	Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation	Fast Fashion	Marguerite	Lawler-Rohner
Isabelle	Liu	11	Scarborough High School	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	A Dreary Reflection	Erin	Landry-Fowler
Jenny	Ma	12	Berwick Academy	Honorable Mention |	Painting	A Cruel Crazy Beautiful World	Raegan	Russell
Jenny	Ma	12	Berwick Academy	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Me: Praying and Blaming —— A Reflection of Coronavirus Pandemic	Raegan	Russell
Jenny	Ma	12	Berwick Academy	Gold Key |	Art Portfolio	Me	Raegan	Russell
Natalie	Malone-Berry	12	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Silver Key |	Printmaking	Conscientia Autem Ludibriis	Matthew	Barnes
Natalie	Malone-Berry	12	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Honorable Mention |	Printmaking	Street Harmony	Matthew	Barnes
Natalie	Malone-Berry	12	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Representing Personal Spirituality: Tarot	Matthew	Barnes
Daniel	Mereness	12	Kennebunk High School	Honorable Mention |	Comic Art	Quarantine	Katie	Mooney
Isabella	Mezzapelle	11	Freeport High School	Gold Key |	Design	You Won’t Need It, Someone Else Will	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Isabella	Mezzapelle	11	Freeport High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	The Pain and The Power	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Isabella	Mezzapelle	11	Freeport High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Falling	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Alexis	Milem	11	Thornton Academy	Gold Key |	Photography	I Can’t Breathe	Jodi	Thomas
Kaleigh	Miller	12	Thornton Academy	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Food FlatLay	Jodi	Thomas
Kailyn	Minoty	12	Gardiner Area High School	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	A distant embrace	Debra	Butterfield
Teagan	Moon	12	Portland High School	Gold Key |	Comic Art	Floating Head	Barbara	Loring
Austria	Morehouse	12	Mount Desert Island High School	Silver Key |	Photography	Finding Myself	Charlie	Johnson
Austria	Morehouse	12	Mount Desert Island High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Atlas	Charlie	Johnson
Austria	Morehouse	12	Mount Desert Island High School	Silver Key |	Photography	The Sea is On Fire	Charlie	Johnson
Austria	Morehouse	12	Mount Desert Island High School	Silver Key |	Photography	Gravity	Charlie	Johnson
Sydney	Morrison	12	Freeport High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Look Ma’ No Hands	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Sydney	Morrison	12	Freeport High School	Silver Key |	Sculpture	Stradivarius	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Gracie	Morse	12	Freeport High School	Honorable Mention |	Painting	Stress Relief	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Saren	Moseley	12	Rangeley Lakes Regional School	Honorable Mention |	Art Portfolio	Cast of Characters	SONJA	JOHNSON
Sara	Murray	11	Lewiston High School	Honorable Mention |	Painting	Lean on Me	Kyna	Pitula
Scout	Nasse	10	Thornton Academy	Honorable Mention |	Painting	Self Portrait	jennifer	merry
Culiandra	Nero	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Silver Key |	Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation	Who’s Afraid of Winnie the Pooh?	Virginia	Valdes
Culiandra	Nero	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Exiled Rebel	Virginia	Valdes
Culiandra	Nero	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Honorable Mention |	Design	An Exploration of Maine in Type	Virginia	Valdes
Culiandra	Nero	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Silver Key |	Digital Art	Who’s Afraid of Winnie the Pooh?	Virginia	Valdes
Culiandra	Nero	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Silver Key |	Art Portfolio	Memories of March	Virginia	Valdes
Culiandra	Nero	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Silver Key |	Art Portfolio	The Magic of the Wandering Witch	Virginia	Valdes
Rosemary	Norton	11	Wells High School	Honorable Mention |	Comic Art	3 Space Cadets	Emily	Knight
Maysa	O’Connor	12	–	Honorable Mention |	Painting	Hubris	Mary	Pennington
Naomi	Obenhaus	12	Maine Virtual Academy	Silver Key |	Art Portfolio	Fall and Rise	Alicia	Uth
Ryan	Ocampo	11	Scarborough High School	Gold Key |	Ceramics & Glass	Creepy Carl the Camel	Erin	Landry-Fowler
Ryan	Ocampo	11	Scarborough High School	Gold Key |	Painting	Locked Down, Looking Out	Erin	Landry-Fowler
Ryan	Ocampo	11	Scarborough High School	Silver Key |	Ceramics & Glass	Patrice Lumumba	Erin	Landry-Fowler
Josi	Palmer	12	Kents Hill School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Focus	RJ	Jenkins
Hannah	Parsons	12	Kents Hill School	Silver Key |	Painting	roles switched	RJ	Jenkins
Lucas G.	Perez	8	Lyman Moore Middle School	Honorable Mention |	Painting	Andalucia	Rachel	Branham
Lucas G.	Perez	8	Lyman Moore Middle School	Honorable Mention |	Comic Art	The Pandemic	Rachel	Branham
Lucas G.	Perez	8	Lyman Moore Middle School	Gold Key |	Painting	The Stranger	Rachel	Branham
Whitney	Perkins	10	Lewiston High School	Gold Key |	Photography	Curious	Sarah	Stocker
Xochitl	Pope	8	Bonny Eagle Middle School	Silver Key |	Photography	girl on fire	Katherine	Thompson
Bristol	Quimby	11	Rangeley Lakes Regional School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Imaginary Friends	SONJA	JOHNSON
Kailynn	Reynolds	11	Oxford Hills Tech School	Silver Key |	Design	2020 vote poster	Virginia	Valdes
Mae	Richardson	11	Kennebunk High School	Honorable Mention |	Ceramics & Glass	Icarus fell	Marnie	Rollerson
Mae	Richardson	11	Kennebunk High School	Honorable Mention |	Ceramics & Glass	Midnight Meadow	Marnie	Rollerson
Elaina	Rioux	11	Kennebunk High School	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Curvy Citrus	Brendan	Roddy
Kai	Rosenberg	12	Wells High School	Honorable Mention |	Ceramics & Glass	Hungry Sofa	Emily	Knight
Mallory	Roy	11	Falmouth High School	Honorable Mention |	Fashion	Save the Sea	Susan	Morse
Kaitlyn	Sawicki	12	Freeport High School	Gold Key |	Painting	Don and Gunner	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Arzou	Sayed	11	Gorham High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Horse Rider	Sarah	Dolley
Kellie	Scott	12	Kents Hill School	Honorable Mention |	Sculpture	Anxiety Mask	Dylan	Gifford
Ella	Shaffer	11	Rangeley Lakes Regional School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Lily	SONJA	JOHNSON
Anna	Sharp	10	Falmouth High School	Gold Key, American Visions Nominee |	Drawing & Illustration	Target	Nancy	Goldstone
Hannah	Slone	11	Kennebunk High School	Silver Key |	Photography	Makers of Fashion	Katie	Mooney
Hannah	Slone	11	Kennebunk High School	Silver Key |	Fashion	Slow Fashion	Brendan	Roddy
Hannah	Slone	11	Kennebunk High School	Honorable Mention |	Fashion	Recycled Fashion	Brendan	Roddy
Anita	Smith	10	Scarborough High School	Gold Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Tita	Erin	Landry-Fowler
Anita	Smith	10	Scarborough High School	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	Memory	Erin	Landry-Fowler
Anita	Smith	10	Scarborough High School	Gold Key |	Digital Art	Mistakes	Erin	Landry-Fowler
Jacob	Smith	12	Winthrop High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Climbing the Fire Tower	Tiffany	Shaw
Jacob	Smith	12	Winthrop High School	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	Exist Loudly	Tiffany	Shaw
Paige	Spears	12	Winslow High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Dreamscape	Suzanne	Goulet
Paige	Spears	12	Winslow High School	Honorable Mention |	Art Portfolio	Vivid Imagination	Suzanne	Goulet
Charles	Spencer	10	Portland High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	The Mountains	Barbara	Loring
Ellena	Stepp	9	Thornton Academy	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Trapped	Jodi	Thomas
Ellena	Stepp	9	Thornton Academy	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Into the Mirror	Jodi	Thomas
Ellena	Stepp	9	Thornton Academy	Silver Key |	Photography	Books and Bubbles	Jodi	Thomas
Amelia	Stokes	10	Rangeley Lakes Regional School	Honorable Mention |	Mixed Media	breath of fresh air	Sonja	Jhonson
Caroline	Straw	8	Cape Elizabeth Middle School	Silver Key |	Jewelry	Necklace	Marguerite	Lawler-Rohner
Caroline	Straw	8	Cape Elizabeth Middle School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	First Day Of Spring	Marguerite	Lawler-Rohner
Sally	Stronge	10	North Yarmouth Academy	Honorable Mention |	Painting	Brothers	Colby	Myer
Sally	Stronge	10	North Yarmouth Academy	Honorable Mention |	Mixed Media	Catching a Miracle	Colby	Myer
Viktoria	Sugars	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Honorable Mention |	Design	Hairstyles for a Black Christmas	Virginia	Valdes
Viktoria	Sugars	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Honorable Mention |	Comic Art	Safe or Sink	Virginia	Valdes
Viktoria	Sugars	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Honorable Mention |	Art Portfolio	Black Girls Represent	Virginia	Valdes
Viktoria	Sugars	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Honorable Mention |	Design	Zoom Alternate Universe	Virginia	Valdes
Viktoria	Sugars	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	Afralien	Virginia	Valdes
Audrey	Swasey	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Honorable Mention |	Design	Wizard of Oz	Virginia	Valdes
Hailey	Talbert	10	Falmouth High School	Honorable Mention |	Sculpture	Cardboard Clogs	Nancy	Goldstone
Hailey	Talbert	10	Falmouth High School	Honorable Mention |	Painting	August Fishing in Maine	Nancy	Goldstone
Megan	Thibeault	12	Thornton Academy	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Still Life	Jodi	Thomas
Megan	Thibeault	12	Thornton Academy	Gold Key |	Art Portfolio	My Artistic Journey	Jodi	Thomas
Nina	Thompson	11	Baxter Academy Tech & Science	Honorable Mention |	Painting	The Congregation of Four Witches	Matthew	Barnes
Maggie	Thyer	11	Bangor High School	Honorable Mention |	Mixed Media	Where Have you Been?	Susan	Bryand
Alden	Timm	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Gold Key |	Photography	Changing Of Roles	Virginia	Valdes
Alden	Timm	12	Oxford Hills Tech School	Silver Key |	Photography	Look Up	Virginia	Valdes
Quinn	Tremblay	12	Wells High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Backstage at Burlesque	Emily	Knight
Caroline	Van Hemel	11	Kennebunk High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Forgotten Attic Window	Katie	Mooney
Grace	Ward	12	Wells High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Graphite Woman	Emily	Knight
Caleb	Weinstein	11	Berwick Academy	Gold Key |	Ceramics & Glass	Copper Ruby Cylinder with Iris Vanilla Weaving	Raegan	Russell
Caleb	Weinstein	11	Berwick Academy	Gold Key |	Ceramics & Glass	Black Wavy Bowl with Enamel White Weaving and Lipstick Red Lip Wrap	Raegan	Russell
Jiazheng	Wen	12	Kents Hill School	Honorable Mention |	Sculpture	Breaking the Wall	Dylan	Gifford
Lily	West	9	Freeport High School	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	A Walk with Wallace	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Jillian	Wight	10	Freeport High School	Silver Key |	Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation	How To Be a Classy Lady	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Jillian	Wight	10	Freeport High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Trippy Chickens	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Jillian	Wight	10	Freeport High School	Silver Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Dreamland	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic
Autumn-Skye	Williams	12	Rangeley Lakes Regional School	Silver Key |	Mixed Media	Ignorance 2020	SONJA	JOHNSON
Francine	Wilson-Charuk	12	Bangor High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Harry and Maayan	Eric	Hutchins
Francine	Wilson-Charuk	12	Bangor High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Mom	Eric	Hutchins
Ben	Wuoristo	12	Bangor High School	Honorable Mention |	Digital Art	Novelty Negatives	Susan	Bryand
Ben	Wuoristo	12	Bangor High School	Gold Key |	Photography	Surroundings	Susan	Bryand
Coco	Xu	10	Falmouth High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Puzzled	Susan	Morse
Coco	Xu	10	Falmouth High School	Silver Key |	Photography	Masked Reflection	Susan	Morse
Coco	Xu	10	Falmouth High School	Honorable Mention |	Photography	Haze	Susan	Morse
Ruoxuan	Zhang	12	Lee Academy	Gold Key |	Drawing & Illustration	City Still Life	Monica	Liaw
Ruoxuan	Zhang	12	Lee Academy	Gold Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Turmoil	Monica	Liaw
Ruoxuan	Zhang	12	Lee Academy	Gold Key |	Drawing & Illustration	Freedom	Adrien	Lanfranchi
Ruoxuan	Zhang	12	Lee Academy	Silver Key |	Painting	Memories through an Old Town	Monica	Liaw
Ruoxuan	Zhang	12	Lee Academy	Silver Key |	Painting	Self Portrait with Heat Gun	Adrien	Lanfranchi
Ruoxuan	Zhang	12	Lee Academy	Gold Key |	Drawing & Illustration	War Landscape	Adrien	Lanfranchi
Ruoxuan	Zhang	12	Lee Academy	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Ink Figure Drawing	Monica	Liaw
Ruoxuan	Zhang	12	Lee Academy	Gold Key |	Sculpture	Reality Check	Adrien	Lanfranchi
Ruoxuan	Zhang	12	Lee Academy	Gold Key |	Painting	Oil leak	Adrien	Lanfranchi
Julian	Zhu	10	Fryeburg Academy	Gold Key |	Photography	Graduation 2020-Under COVID-19	Jennifer	Bartlett
Celia	Zimba	12	Freeport High School	Honorable Mention |	Drawing & Illustration	Her Own Little World	Kimberly	MedskerMehalic

MECA Courses

May Online Term

Maine College of Art’s (MECA) Office of Continuing and Professional Studies in collaboration with the college’s Master of Arts in Teaching program are pleased to offer two fully online courses for this May term. These Graduate-level courses offer 3 credits each at a discounted, non-matriculated rate. The two art education classes are certification requirements for folks seeking a Visual Art teaching endorsement. If you know any community artists or educational technicians that may be interested in becoming an art teacher, this would be a perfect opportunity for them to move closer to that endorsement. 

To learn more go to MECAs Continuing Studies webpage with the class listings.

May Term at MECA is five weeks, from May 15 to June 20. May Term 2021 offers: MAT 806: Teaching Exceptionality in the Art Classroom with Heather Nunez-Olmstead. MAT 815: Methods of Teaching Art in the K-12 Classroom with MAT Program Chair, Dr. Rachel Somerville, Ed.D.

Below is a video that provides information on the two courses being offered.

If you have questions please contact Rachel E. Somerville, Ed.D. Interim Chair & Director of Art Education Outreach at rsomerville@meca.edu. For more information about May Term classes, visit: https://cs.meca.edu/​ or call us at 207.699.5061.   

Speak Your Voice

Maine Art Education Association Spring Art Exhibit

MAEA members are invited to submit artwork for consideration in the upcoming Speak Your Voice exhibition, hosted by the Master of Arts in Teaching Program at MECA! Have you expressed yourself through a work of art this year? Join us! Are you inspired to make art during what remains of our vacation? Share with us! SPEAK YOUR VOICE!

Registration Window:  March 1 – March 15, 2021

Online Exhibit: April 15 – May 9, 2021 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONCERNING Speak Your Voice, please contact Samara Yandell at syandell@biddefordshools.me

Submission is open to any art educator in the State of Maine who is a member of MAEA. Artists who have work accepted will have their websites and pieces promoted through MECA’s and MAEA’s social media channels. (#MAEASpeakYourVoice). As long as all submission requirements are met, anyone submitting who is an active MAEA member will have one piece chosen for the exhibit. 

Please review the Guidelines at http://www.meca.edu/maea before submitting. You will receive a confirmation email after submitting.

Artists have the option of selling their work for a 70% commission. A link will be posted for viewers to make purchases through the MAEA website, with 30% of the proceeds going to benefit Maine College of Art. For works of art sold during the MECA MAT exhibit, once payment method is confirmed we will contact the artist with the buyer’s contact information to arrange delivery of the work. MAEA will distribute the payment to the artist less the commission for MECA. 

Getting There, Part III

MECA MAT students

This is Part III of a blog post about the Masters in Arts and Teaching (MAT) students at Maine College of Art (MECA). Together with Part I and Part II you can get a snapshot of their program this fall. Students presented their work in an exhibit called “Getting There“, November 28 – December 7 at the college in Portland. The last two days of Maine Arts Ed blog posts include images from the show, their thoughts on visual art education, and their role as artists and future teachers. It also includes their successes and challenges, and their hopes for the future, post pandemic. I hope I am able to have a more personal conversation with this group of people in the near future. They have so much to offer, are is very articulate and thoughtful, and are bright lights during this dark time.

These MAT voices are strong and I’m sure you’ll agree with me that the future is in good hands. I’ve mentioned over the years how important our role is as educators to mentor, encourage and seek out the future teachers to insure that arts education continues moving forward to provide an excellent education for all students. Here is an opportunity for veteran teachers – read and listen carefully and if you’re inclined, reach out to these students.

In the Part I post there are examples of each students work. In Part II you can hear their voices and below are the responses to questions that I asked the students.

What do you see going on or what are you doing right now (in the midst of Covid) that is so dynamic and creative and alive that you hope doesn’t go away once Covid does?

• Even though so much of education and the world is in a precarious state, the pandemic is helping me realize how important grounding learning with an arts education is for kids. I’m happy that there’s new energy being channeled into making education more accessible for everyone, and it’s amazing to be in a cohort of teacher candidates as we are all so eager to bring fresh perspectives to classrooms. ~ Philippa Grace, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Sculpture, 2016
• Education and healthcare seem to be never quite completely accessible. During the pandemic, when everything moved online, we evolved in creating tools of still allowing these things to happen and even flourish virtually. Though an end to the pandemic seems to be in the foreseeable future, I hope to see a continued mix of virtual and in person experience. It allows for more voice and choice. School and doctors are more accessible to those without cars through virtual platforms and if we made decent internet connection a necessity, we could be a lot more productive and connected from within our homes where we are most comfortable. ~ Audrey Robidoux, Maine College of Art
• Oh gosh great question! I have caught myself noticing the present SO much more- the color of a meadow this fall after a recent rainfall, how this random lady sitting on a bench laughed exactly the same way that my roommate does, the soul settling experience of paddling in a canoe on a lake. I hope to maintain this awe of the moment, (and teach others to do the same!) once quarantining ends. ~Sophie Olmsted, Bates College, Lewison, Studio Art (ceramics), 2018
• I don’t think I’m doing anything in my personal life that I hope continues after Covid. I do see a silver lining when it comes to my teaching practice. I was blessed enough to get a teaching job that both supplements my student teaching requirements and my wallet during this time. This type of experience would not have happened if it was not for the circumstances that we are in. ~Cooper Binette, Maine College of Art, Portland ME, BFA in painting 2020
• Refining skills as an artist and a teacher is my life’s work. I am grateful for the time and opportunity to study at Maine College of Art even if we work remote. Allowing me to continue to create an enriching environment for Maine’s youth. It is during the epidemic that I am able to work harder than I ever have to make this a career. ~Seth Baron, Maine College of Art, BFA in Illustration 2020
• I unfortunately don’t feel that I have achieved anything so dynamic or exciting that it is going to stick around post Covid. I have found myself feeling trapped inside, and uninspired/overwhelmed due to the stressful climate of my surroundings. One positive thing that has come  out of the situation is that I have had a lot of time to sit and work inside of my sketchbook, something I usually do despite Covid times but it feels very accomplished to be able to sit and just draw for hours while being stuck inside. These sketchbooks will be reminders of this unexpected situation, and bring a sense of accomplishment to these hard times. I will then be able to share this experience with my future students, so I guess you could say there’s a small sliver of a silver lining there. ~Lauren Ashlee Anderson, Maine College of Art, BFA in Ceramics 2020
• I am feeling so inspired by food right now and have been pouring all of my creative energy into cooking and baking. Since the pandemic began, my partner and I have started growing our own vegetables and herbs and have had a lot more time to experiment with new recipes. I never would have guessed I would be so excited about street corn or heirloom tomatoes! ~Madison Mahoney, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, BA in Studio Art, 2019
• Unfortunately as of right now, I don’t have any creative and dynamic practices that will stay with me post Covid. My ceramics practice was cut short due to Covid and I do not have the means to continue it right now. In all honesty, I hope for things to go back to a seminormal if/when Covid is gone. The silver lining for me is that I’m thankful to be in the Master’s of Art in Teaching program to become an art educator. I will be able to share my passion for art to students and hope to inspire them to achieve their dreams. ~Shelby Pyrzyk, Maine College of Art, BFA in Ceramics 2020 
• When Covid first hit back in March, I didn’t make any art for 4 months. I was newly unemployed, broke, and depressed. However, about a month before I moved to Maine from Kentucky, I started doing all these paintings of retro video game covers for my friends, and it helped me rejuvenate my creative confidence. Throughout the MAT program I have been able to keep doing these video game commissions for friends, on top of many other creative endeavors, and so I have been able to sustain that motivation to create, but it wasn’t easy. I think that being an artist during a pandemic has reminded me that there are always ups and downs, but art will always be there for me when I’m ready. ~Trent Redmon, Transylvania University, Lexington, KY, BA in Studio Art 2016
• Storytelling is very important to my life and work as an artist. Traditionally, I tell my stories through comics and graphic novels. Since Covid, however, I’ve invested myself more in the creation of artifacts and life size set pieces from out of my fictional worlds. I’m hoping in the coming years I continue to expand on the idea of bringing the fictional into the real world. ~Sean Dillon, Eastern University 08-12, Exercise Science

What has it been like jumping from student to teacher while continue to nourish your own creative practices?

• I audited a porcelain class taught by Cathy Hammond at MECA this fall. When I was a few years younger, I was so afraid of failure, but now that I’m learning about mindfulness and bringing our whole selves to the classroom, I was so eager to show Cathy my failures and ask her “what do I do now?!” I learned so much about the materials just by being in a classroom (albeit masked and distanced!) with BFA students at all levels, and Cathy was always willing to share her decades of ceramics teaching experience with us. It was so powerful to be able to fail in front of her and have that be an empowering experience of growth. ~Philippa Grace (favorite color: orange)
• The journey from artist to teacher has expanded my perspective on the world. As a working artist, I often felt isolated, deeply buried in late studio nights and internal thought. I love to create but it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t invest every piece of myself into it. I felt as though it wasn’t a sustainable practice for myself or my well being. As much as I loved it, I needed something different, a different purpose. After four years of focusing on the art world, I felt the pull to come to the teaching program. Despite the pandemic, and the upheaval of the world around me, I knew that it was the right decision. ~Audrey Robidoux (favorite color: red)
•  I see the role of teacher and student as interchangeable hats- in one moment, I may have the teacher hat on, but I’m wearing the student one in the next. Flipping back and forth informs both experiences. I feel so lucky to be a student in my 800 studio class because it reminds me of the student experience- what it is like to not know what’s next, how uncomfortable it can be to not know, how to navigate teacher expectations and social interactions. The MAT program (so far) has been the perfect bridge between feeling mostly student to feeling mostly teacher (I plan to identify as a partial student for the rest of my life). ~Sophie Olmsted (favorite color: lavender)
• Jumping straight from student to Teacher has been a crazy experience. I’ve had to strengthen my time management skills along with prioritizing my school and teaching over my personal practice without allowing it to fizzle out completely. ~Cooper Binette (favorite color: pastel purple)
• Starting my practice of teaching has been an incredible new experience. New experiences such as meeting a group of students for the first time will continue to inspire my digital paintings. ~Seth Baron (favorite color: cyan)
• Jumping from student to teacher while continuing to nourish my creative practices has been a big challenge for me. Coming out of quarantine to this program has to be the biggest challenge. My semester in undergrad was cut short due to Covid so all of my studio privileges unfortunately disappeared. I found myself in a creative slump with a lack of inspiring materials. I have worked my way out of the slump by creating awesome lesson plans for future students, and being able to create art while making lesson plans is exciting. I haven’t made much art for myself, but no matter what I still continue to doodle, work in my sketchbook, and pull from the world around me to inspire me. ~Lauren Ashlee Anderson (favorite color: terra cotta)
• It has been a transition for sure. Some parts of teaching have come easy to me, while others have been harder to grasp. Jumping into teaching after months of uncertainty and quarantine felt like a huge change of pace. But luckily this cohort has been able to offer me amazing support. I’ll admit, at the start of this program I found myself neglecting my creative practice. That quickly shifted when we were given the opportunity to join a BFA class to continue our making. It felt amazing to be back in the studio and since I have gained back more of my creative energy that had been lost in quarantine. ~Madison Mahoney (favorite color: slate blue)
• It has been interesting but I like the transition because I am able to apply my knowledge from when I was a student to what I am doing while teaching. It also has been helpful when creating lesson plans to have experience with some of the media. ~Shelby Pyrzyk (favorite color: teal or pink)
• It has been challenging to say the least. It requires so much discipline and drive to be able to change gears from academic work, to studio work, and back and forth. It’s taken lots of perseverance. ~Trent Redmon (favorite color: red)
• Teaching has gradually become a part of my practice as I’ve become closer with my audience.  I started doing art tutorials and live streams for my following a few years ago and educating others has become just another hat I wear. ~Sean Dillon (favorite color: green)

Was there evidence of the teacher as artist or artist as teacher in the show?

• Getting There is a time capsule of our cohort on the verge of student teaching with our mentors this winter, in the midst of this pandemic. We are all in different stages of discovering the balance of being a teacher and an artist (for me and some other peers, we have been out of school for a few years and are falling back in love with art and school–others are fresh out of their BFA programs). As we have grown together since August learning about art education, I am so grateful to be able to share this space as artists in our field as well. It is a potent reminder for me to never stop making–even as my creative practice shifts and changes, being an artist is what guides my teaching and grounds me. ~Philippa Grace (pronouns: she/they)
• For my exhibit I created a sketchbook and a curriculum map, tying in all of the sketchbook prompts. It’s designed for high school students, based off a curriculum map that I dreamt up. High school education is a difficult experience in the current society, and art can teach the lifelong lessons of creative and critical thinking. Giving a young adult a sketchbook can awake a childhood passion that seemed lost and change their perspective on life. The sense of individuality that is born within a sketchbook can inspire. Art and creativity is what every student needs in this current world, where we have no idea what the next few years looks like, let alone the rest of our lives. I want to equip my students with skills that will stay with them no matter what path they take. And it takes an artist to teach these concepts. There really is an art to teaching. And I’m getting there. ~Audrey Robidoux (pronouns: she/hers)
• Yes, absolutely. I made some jars using a technique on the wheel that I had never tried before (or even heard of!). I absolutely plan to make jars in this way again and to teach others to give it a try. The process served as a reminder that you can always learn new ways to do things and you can always teach students to keep looking for those ways of making that spark energy and intrigue. I plan to hold this experience of discovery with me as I step into my role as a teacher. ~Sophie Olmsted (pronouns: she/her)
• I think there is evidence about the importance of the teacher as an artist in every piece in the shell. The artwork helps bridge the gap between what we are learning in class and what we are practicing in our studios. This information will only benefit our teaching practice. It will make all of our learnings more accessible to both the audience and the artist. ~Cooper Binette (pronouns: he/him)
• The show contains an array of illustrations, paintings, ceramics and sculptures. All of which are created by some incredibly diverse perspectives inspired by pedagogy based readings and studies. I highly recommend everyone follow meca.mat on instagram to see all of the pieces from the show. ~Seth Baron (pronouns: he/him/his)
• Getting There is a show depicting each of our individual journeys as artists and future educators. There is both evidence of teacher as artist, and artist as teacher. In my work specifically I have honed in on the idea of “Embracing being a novice”. My work displayed is a variety of new techniques I learned in my BFA class this semester called “The Sculptural Imagination”. As I am learning to be a teacher, I am still continuing to add new tools into my personal tool box that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. These new techniques are now some that I can share with my future students! Embracing being a novice not only means learning new things, but also means that I am learning things I can teach my students in the future.  ~Lauren Ashlee Anderson (pronouns: she/hers)
• Absolutely. In my work there is evidence of teacher as artist in the way I approach a new material; in this case, porcelain. For this exhibition I focused on play and embracing possibility in a medium that was brand new to me. As a painter, I primarily work 2D, but I wanted to get a feel for how my students might experience a 3D material. I was the only handbuilder in a class of wheel throwers and I wanted my pieces to reflect that. All of my pieces in this show are my firsts and many experiment with balance as well as glazes. ~Madison Mahoney (pronouns: she/her)
• Our show Getting There is centered around us as both artists and future teachers. We were tasked with continuing or learning a form of art while being able to tie it back to what we are learning in our program. Many of us have highlighted that in the pieces of our work in the show. I feel this show is important to the program to show us that we can continue our art practices while still being teachers. ~Shelby Pyrzyk (pronouns: she/hers)
• There is definitely evidence of that in our show. Just going around reading everyone’s artist statements is evidence that everyone put a ton of thought into what they made. Everyone’s perspective is so different, but all the work is still unified by our dual perspectives as both artists and teachers. ~Trent Redmon (pronouns: he/him/his)
• It’s a subtle message, you really have to look into the details of my piece to decode the artist-teacher relationship.  For me the piece is more of a physical waypoint in a mostly spiritual journey to become a teacher. ~Sean Dillon (pronouns: he/him)

Getting There, Part II

MECA MAT students

This is Part II of a blog post about the Masters in Arts and Teaching (MAT) students and along with Part I a snapshot of their program this fall at Maine College of Art (MECA). Students presented their work in an exhibit called Getting There, November 28 – December 7 at the college in Portland. Included in the exhibit was a piece that connects each artist and future teacher together. Called Team Awesome, artist Cooper Binette created ten 6×8 inch portraits, oil on panel, of each student. Included in the piece are statements from each of the ten. Their words, below, say it best.

Cooper Binette

Team Awesome 

Cooper Binette

10 6 x 8in Oil on Panel 

I’m getting there…

The journey from artist to teacher has changed my outlook on everything I thought I knew about the subjects. Through readings, guest speakers, field work, and our amazing community of teachers and students, we are all bettering ourselves and deepening our knowledge of the practice. The education system is designed to condition students out of their creativity and to discourage mistakes. The only way to combat this is for teachers to encourage exploration while fostering a safe environment where students can not only make a mistake, but learn from it and discover something new. 

Through this MAT program, I have developed a completely new outlook on art as a whole. My art has always been inspired by a deep interest in the traditional academic style of painting. I was enveloped in the ideas of “mastery” and obsessed with learning different techniques to accomplish what I was trying to convey. These ideas and techniques work for some people, but I have found that each and every student learns differently. There are so many different tastes, styles, and students. The teacher has to have a wide variety of skills and knowledge to help foster an inclusive environment where all students can learn.    

The teacher candidates I work alongside at Maine College of Art have such diverse and creative backgrounds. To capture this I painted each teacher candidate and had them concoct a paragraph describing where each individual is at in their studies. The Masters of Art for Teaching program has introduced me to many incredible new people and ideas. It is my hope that through our study of inclusivity and best practice we can reform not only the future of teaching, but the future of all of our students.

Trent Redmon

“My biggest takeaway from the MAT program is that passion and enthusiasm are contagious. Art is the most important thing in the world to me, and any time I work with a group of students, I try to make that evident to them through my speech and my actions. I believe that demonstrating passion for art can go such a long way towards motivating students to embrace creativity, have fun and grow.”  

Seth Baron

“While I have spent the past few months studying best practices in teaching. I have also found myself more and more passionate about becoming a full time educator. Alongside incredible mentors and peers, my understanding of the world has broadened. Constantly tackling new challenges and living outside of my comfort zone for the past few months. Has kept me on my toes and taught me the vitality and emotional intelligence that is necessary for teaching a classroom of any demographic. I am looking forward to becoming employed in Maine and continuing this life long learning process.”

Lauren Anderson

“I entered the MAT program with a surface level understanding of why I want to be a teacher. I simply had hopes of inspiring my students to make art. As this program has progressed I have gained a better understanding as to why I am here today. Each student deserves to be treated as an individual, and to feel comforted in the classroom. Every student has unique abilities to bring to the table that will allow me as the teacher to continue to learn as well. I want to inspire students to create art, but I also want my students to feel cared for, unique, and to teach me new skills as I am teaching them how to find their voice through their artwork.”

Philippa Adams

“The most important thing to me as a future teacher?  That my students will feel safe and respected in my classroom. Lessons are only successful if students are ready to learn. I am eager to be a teacher who creates accessible learning environments for all students, and turns the idea of “accessibility” away from something we do for some students into something that benefits all of us.”

Sean Dillon 

“Something the MAT program has made me aware of is just how little time you have with your students.  They’re with you, and before you know it, they’re gone, with the whole rest of their story ahead of them.  As teachers, we have a brief window of time to make a meaningful impression on our students and send them off with something good.  I’d like to make sure, as I emerge from MECA a fully certified art teacher, to remain constantly aware that every moment is fleeting and to make the most of my time with my students.”

Audrey Robidoux

“When I first came to the MAT program I had a clear idea of the rest of my life. I wanted to work with elementary kids. But as I learned more, I realized my strengths would be better utilized with high school students. I am excited by art history and complex art projects, by long term sketchbook assignments and critical thinking. I want the opportunity to be a mentor to students about to go off on their own in the world, and equipped with the tools to succeed in adulthood. High School can be the most difficult time during childhood, and I hope that my new knowledge of mindful teaching and the Universal Design for Learning will allow me to best teach them in a meaningful way.”

Shelby Pyrzyk

“My biggest takeaway from the MAT thus far is that I believe I’ve found my life’s calling. This program has made me realize how much I enjoy teaching children art and seeing their excitement when they’ve created something. I’m truly excited to see what the future holds for me after this program!” 

Sophie Olmsted

“The MAT program has encouraged me to step into my power as an artist-educator. I have come to believe that art is the answer. Art provides us with connection, beauty, reflection, laughter, honesty, reckoning, healing, and hope. Everyone needs a little more of it in their life! I feel so lucky to have discovered this program and have so much appreciation for my cohort and their creativity. I am excited and ready to jump into student teaching and put theory into practice!”

Madison Mahoney

“In the past 5 months I have developed a teaching philosophy that is centered around Social Emotional Learning and creating a supportive learning environment. In this environment, experimentation and play is not only welcome, but encouraged. Through my BFA course I am reminded of what it is like to be a novice and how frustrating and exciting the making process can be. It is these kinds of experiences that I believe keep us grounded as educators. I can’t wait to keep embracing challenges and growing with this cohort.”

Rachel Somerville

Dr. Rachel Somerville is the Interim Program Chair of Art Education, Assistant Professor at MECA and works directly with each of the ten MAT students.

“I am in awe of ‘Team Amazing.’ This group of ten entered the MAT program with a curiosity and drive to learn how to teach a subject that they love. Their passion for art has sustained them through a rigorous graduate program and during a very uncertain time. Despite the many twists and turns we have had to take due to the safety protocols instituted in partner schools and community organizations; the cohort has remained flexible, positive, and open to the conditions brought forth by the pandemic.  Each teacher candidate has remained committed and enthusiastic to their goal of becoming a teacher.  I’m quite sure that they are gearing up to change the world, and I’m grateful to be pictured here among the stars. ” 

Getting There

Maine College of Art – Student Journeys

Maine College of Art (MECA) Masters in Arts and Teaching (MAT) students presented their work in an exhibit called “Getting There”, November 28 – December 7. Due to the pandemic it was only accessible by MECA. Thanks to the efforts of many this blog post provides background information, an overview and photographs of the work displayed. The content was coordinated by the efforts of students Philippa Grace and includes contributions from 10 students presently enrolled in the program.

During past work of the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI-now MAEPL), ‘Teacher as Artist’, ‘Artist as Teacher’ has been researched and explored so I’m pleased to see attention being given to this topic at MECA. You will read the thoughts of some of the MAT students below on the topic.

After reading their Artists’ Statements and responses to a group of questions I am confident that the future of visual art education in Maine is in good hands. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this blog post.

BACKGROUND

The exhibit “Getting There” is a reflection of our individual and collective experiences as students learning to be teachers, while also nurturing our creative practice. In addition to our coursework, observations, and field work, all ten of us have been auditing BFA classes at Maine College of Art this fall. Due to limited class sizes because of the pandemic, we weren’t all able to be in our top choice – but we all learned so much. Although our initial prompt was to tie our experience of learning to teach while being an artist to our BFA class, we all expressed ourselves in different ways – from portraits of each other, to new skills we learned, to creating artifacts for future lesson plans. The show is a time stamp of our cohort on the cusp of student teaching this winter. Though this is an unusual year, we are all eager to join the field of art education! 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Throughout the summer and fall, candidates explore the tools they will need to keep their artistry alive. They also learn how to digitize evidence of artistic and teaching performance. During the summer, candidates explore key personal dispositions of the artist-educator and learn how these qualities shape their lives as artists and future educators. Candidates reflect on their identity and articulate how their personal qualities contribute to their development as creative educators. During the fall, candidates register for an art studio course and continue to explore the artist/educator theme. By examining personal learning goals, they select an art form to study that either supplements or expands their existing repertoire. Candidates create a group art exhibition and prepare a final reflection that examines the strengths and challenges of maintaining high-quality teaching while continuing to work as practicing artists.

EXHIBIT STATEMENT 

Getting There 

November 28 – December 6, 2020

Masters of Art in Teaching Exhibition

Getting There encapsulates our Master of Arts in Teaching program experience. As we develop into artist-educators, we wish to share our individual reflections on various art education theories meaningful to the ten of us as we balance our creative and teaching practices.

Throughout the summer and fall, we have been developing the tools we need to keep our artistry alive in this emerging hybrid and remote learning culture. In between fieldwork assignments and coursework, we explored key personal dispositions of the artist-educator role, and learned how these qualities shape our lives as future teachers. We respond to the prompt of how we are individually ‘getting there’ within our own paths. We reflect on our identity and articulate how our personal qualities contribute to our development as creative educators, which culminates in our exhibit, Getting There. 

ARTISTS STATEMENTS  

LAUREN ANDERSON

Getting There: While Embracing Being a Novice

Metal, fabric, casted aluminum, wood

As my brain is reaching information overload, I am excited by all the new tools I am adding to my personal tool box. While I am learning how to be a teacher, I am also learning how to work with wood and metal in my Sculptural Imagination class. I have had the opportunity to learn how to cut wood on various saws; bandsaw, miter saw, and the table saw. I also learned how to weld and bend metal, as well as pour aluminum into sand casted resin molds. I am learning to be a teacher, but I am also learning how to continue being a diverse maker. I will soon be an expert teacher, but I will never stop enjoying  learning new mediums and embracing being a novice.

Lauren Anderson

In this exhibition I have shared a piece of each of my sculpture adventures. I created necklace wearables for my body extension project based on the idea of huge chunky necklaces. These necklaces were created from textile materials as well as metal. I also included my aluminum casting composed of intuitive shapes, and my final project titled “I miss you”, a piece created with metal, wood, and crocheted yarn. In this piece I depicted my mom, my sister and I as circles and focused on displaying our personalities through different materials. My mom, the metal circle, is tough as metal and never fails to make me feel safe. My sister, the wood circle, is older than me and very tough to get through to which is why she is depicted as solid wood. I, the crocheted yarn circle, am very soft, gentle, and easy to open up to. In this study of materials I stepped out of my comfort zone and gained many new tools to add to my personal tool box. 

SETH BARON

The Courage To Teach

Digital painting

Studying best practices in teaching is the most important thing to me at this point in my life. Best practice pedagogy has been formally defined as a program’s procedure that continuously and regularly produces superior results when compared with other strategies. With the right intentions, teachers can be some of the most valuable people in this society. This painting is my visual interpretation of the book The Courage To Teach by Parker Palmer. In this book Palmer writes “To correct our excessive regard for the powers of intellect, I stress the power of emotions to freeze, or free, the mind.” Now more than ever, we as educators need to better focus our efforts towards getting students excited about learning. 

Teachers are doing this. By working overtime every week to make sure that remote learning is successful, whether the gym teacher is doing backflips to start a zoom meeting or the English teacher starts class by playing piano. Teachers show up to class with the positive energy that the students need to feel safe in an environment that feels so dangerous. This is important as schools can very well be safer than home for many students. With the face of the school being the teachers it is vital that they are cool, calm and collected. 

Seth Baron

As an art educator, students should be able to come to my classroom knowing that their voices are heard and respected. Whether their voice is in the form of talking or visual communication. When going outside feels dangerous, art can comfort and make one feel as if they are safe even if they are a mouse riding on the back of a wolf. 

In this painting animals symbolize how I perceive educators are reacting to the CoronaVirus epidemic. As the epidemic is making schools a terrifying place to be, Teachers continue to show up everyday for their students with a big smile on their face. Educators show up to school cool, calm and collected. 

SEAN DILLON

Getting There: The Traveling Shrine 

Storyteller, tomb of travelers, driftwood, cotton sheets, stones, glass vials, story books, assorted found objects

Behind every art piece in Getting There, is an artist, and behind every artist, there is a story.  The Traveling Shrine is a sacred place, a crossroad where my path as an artist intersects with those of my fellow art teachers in training. Together, we are travelers navigating the path from artist to art educator by way of MECA’s Masters of Art in Teaching program (MAT).  The Shrine also serves as a place of rest, and a vantage point for those passing through to observe the present.  Cherish these small moments, for who knows if or when we’ll cross paths again.  It is this feeling of nostalgia and reflection that inspired me to build this shrine that embodies my journey up until now.  Comprised of and adorned with relics, artwork, and trinkets from my past and present, the Traveling Shrine is a reminder to myself and my cohort that we are all indeed getting there.

Sean Dillon

My entry for Getting There is unlike anything I’ve drawn or crafted previously.  In the spirit of using innovation and divergent processes to make art, which is one of our seven MAT dispositions, I chose to bring my spiritual space into the tangible world in full life-size form.  The Traveling Shrine is fully immersive and welcomes visitors on all paths of life.

Visitors of the Shrine are encouraged to sit, observe, and reflect on the surrounding artwork and their own journey that brought them here. They may also inscribe their own story into the Tome of Travelers, a living book that remembers all who visit the shrine and grants them good luck on their own journey.  Time and again, the spirit of the shrine will appear to tell tales, share fortunes, and barter strange magic for the stories of others. 

PHILIPPA GRACE

Failing Fearlessly

Porcelain clay

“How do you calculate upon the unforeseen? It seems to be an art of recognizing the role of the unforeseen, of keeping your balance amid surprises, of collaborating with chance, of recognizing that there are some essential mysteries in the world and thereby a limit to calculation, to plan, to control.”

–Rebecca Solnit, A Field Guide to Getting Lost

Philippa Grace

I never wanted to be a teacher. No matter how many friends and mentors encouraged me to teach, I always dismissed the possibility; my stubborn adolescent self was keen to be different from my professor parents. But in my efforts to avoid teaching, I became an artist; and as an artist, I was fascinated by how the built world is put together. That curiosity led me to become a woodworker and sculptor, and then an apprentice at a wooden boat-building shop. Covered in cedar shavings and epoxy, I was happily entranced with the knowledge that there are “100 ways to skin a cat” when it comes to woodworking: every maker has their own methods; everyone will try it differently and end up with an incredible result. I became a tinkerer, an explorer in the woodshop. And then, I did so as a grassroots labor organizer, as a soup kitchen cook, and then as I built my portfolio to become a teacher candidate. I have found the joy in never knowing the answer, of embracing failure as a means to understanding the questions. These pieces are the embodiment of my acceptance of learning to fail – so that I can teach my future students that making mistakes is how we grow. 

SHELBY PYRZYK

My Teacher’s Journey

Getting There: Continuing to Learn 

Illustration – ink and watercolor

Throughout my compulsory education I looked forward to art class and looked up to my art teachers. They always encouraged me to strive big and pursue my passion for art. These teachers led me to further my art education through college. 

My prior experiences with children, from babysitting in my early teens to working as summer camp counselor during college, allowed me to realize I enjoyed working with children. The biggest contributor to my decision to become an art teacher was when I volunteered at my local art museum for their summer art camp. This opportunity opened my eyes to children’s learning capabilities and excitement for art. The Master’s of Art in Teaching program at MECA was a perfect path for me to travel on and has expanded my understanding of pedagogy and problem solving any challenges that a teacher may face in these uncertain times. I feel I have found my true calling and I aspire to be like the teachers that encouraged me and to spread my passion for art to children as an art educator. 

Shelby Pyrzyk

My art practice revolves around my playful, childlike personality so creating children’s book illustrations is a perfect way to depict snippets of my past experiences that have led up to the MAT program. The smaller panels depict experiences that inspired me to work with children. The medium panels depict major factors that played a key role in planting the seed of going in art education. And lastly the largest panel is of the MAT program, focusing around teaching with small snapshots of different moments, from online observation and working with students from Waynflete and Portland Rec Center. I’m continuing to learn and I’m getting there.

MADISON MAHONEY

Back to Basics

Collection of handbuilt glazed porcelain vessels

I started my journey with porcelain as a complete novice. As a painter, I had never wheel thrown before and had only distant memories of working with any sort of clay. Walking into a room of skilled wheel throwers was intimidating to say the least. Handbuilding felt like the natural first step in tackling this new medium. In creating my first ever porcelain cylinder I discovered so much about how the medium responded to my handbuilding techniques. After forming my block of porcelain into a wonky cylinder I felt an intense frustration that I just couldn’t get it to look the way I wanted it to. That’s when I realized … this is how my students feel!

Madison Mahoney

After that, I felt a new sense of clarity and direction in my making. As an emerging teacher, it is imperative that I understand what my students are going through and support them in the frustrations and triumphs of the making process: those times when you think you’ll never be able to make a smooth pot on the wheel and those times when you finally figure out exactly what colors mix to create the perfect mauve. Students are experiencing these feelings every day when they walk into the art room. I want to create a supportive learning environment for my students where experimentation is encouraged and failure is embraced as just another way of learning. 

This exhibit highlights my embrace of noviceness and experimentation. I did not try to make the most beautiful, polished or perfect porcelain vessels. But rather, sought to explore this new medium with enthusiasm and curiosity.

SOPHIE OLMSTED

Getting There

Glazed Porcelain 

I crave connection. I revel in feeling connection to myself and to others. I notice connection in my visual world, especially in nature. In the Masters of Art in Teaching program at the Maine College of Art, I connected theory to practice, in both fieldwork placements and in my Introduction to Porcelain class with Cathy Hammond.

The bases and lids of these jars used to be connected; they were originally thrown in one piece, a cylinder connected at the top. Each time you use the jar, you lift and replace the lid, disconnecting the form and then leaving it reconnected. To me, the theme of “Getting There” celebrates the connections I’ve made in the learning process. Each jar is an example of my progress and reflection, a step on my way to becoming a teacher. 

Sophie Olmsted

This porcelain class also reminded me of how special it is to be a student. I’ve missed being in a class and so I relished in the demonstrations and assignments, successes and failures, redundancy and discovery. It was inspiring to be surrounded by creative and enthusiastic artists. I hadn’t worked with clay since college and I didn’t use the wheel at all for my senior thesis, so this class was a time of personal and artistic reconnection. The class ended just as I was getting comfortable with the clay body and glazes, which was a timely reminder of the iterative nature of the learning process. Making these jars fuels my excitement to teach students how to see connection. I am in the early stages of getting there; I’m observing and collecting ways teachers can facilitate opportunities of learning and connection for their students. 

AUDREY ROBIDOUX

Finding My Way

Handcrafted book ~ Watercolor, collage, graphite, pen, colored pencil

I’m getting there…

The journey from artist to teacher has expanded my perspective on the world. As a working artist, I often felt isolated, deeply buried in late studio nights and internal thought. I love to create but it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t invest every piece of myself into it. I felt as though it wasn’t a sustainable practice for myself or my well being. As much as I loved it, I needed something different, a different purpose. After four years of focusing on the art world, I felt the pull to come to the teaching program. Despite the pandemic, and the upheaval of the world around me, I knew that it was the right decision. 

And now I have learned why. It has brought out and amplified parts of me that hadn’t made sense to me before. My love for leadership and advocacy, my tendencies towards organization and planning. It allows me to see the grand big picture, while honing in on all the small details. But most importantly it has brought my passion for art into a new light, and given it a new meaning. As a teacher I can create, without the boundaries of being a working artist. I can play with all the different mediums, in endless ways. I can create for just me, I can create for an audience, and I can create for my students.

Audrey Robidoux

This book is an encapsulation of these ideas. It’s formatted as a sketchbook of prompts that is designed for high school students, based off a curriculum map that I dreamt up. High school education is a difficult experience in the current society, and art can teach the lifelong lessons of creative and critical thinking. Giving a young adult a sketchbook can awake a childhood passion that seemed lost and change their perspective on life. The sense of individuality that is born within a sketchbook can inspire. Art and creativity is what every student needs in this current world, where we have no idea what the next few years looks like, let alone the rest of our lives. I want to equip my students with skills that will stay with them no matter what path they take. And it takes an artist to teach these concepts. There really is an art to teaching. And I’m getting there.

TRENT REDMON and COOPER BINETTE

Gateway Triptych

Acrylic paint and oil-based paint marker on panel

Trent’s statement:

 “…it is from popular culture that most people weave their identities and establish their relationships with others and the environment. Mass media images saturate our lives, structuring much of what we know beyond personal experience. We live through visual images as much as we do language” – Paul Duncum 

To us, the phrase “getting there” refers to our journey from artists to art educators, but it also takes us back to our own childhood, before we ever considered ourselves to be artists. As children of the 90’s, the visual culture that we were exposed to via television, internet and video games had a major impact on us. Our admiration for these colorful and imaginative characters ultimately transitioned into a desire to create, thus shepherding us into our respective artistic practices. For us, this series of colorful paintings is a love letter to visual culture. It is our way of paying homage to the classic characters that inspired us, but it also represents the artistic merits of VCAE as a potential gateway into creative expression for kids. The painterly execution of these works further emphasizes the overlap between visual culture and fine art.

Collaboration was also an important concept for these pieces, as Cooper and I worked side by side to create the series in a single day. As future art teachers, we realize the importance of fostering collaboration among students in the classroom, as it requires students to think flexibly and to cooperate with others. With these works, we wanted to highlight the importance of working with people who have different aesthetics and ideas, while ultimately being able to reach the same goal. Cooper’s vibrant underpainting provided a great backdrop for my bold, line-based character renderings, as we successfully harmonized our two distinct artistic voices into one unified series. Cooper was one of the first friends I made at MECA, and to be able to work with him on this project was a joy. Making art with friends can be incredibly fun and rewarding, and we want to encourage our students to experience that.

COOPER BINETTE

Team Awesome 

Ten 6 x 8in Oil on Panel 

Cooper’s statement:

I’m getting there…

The journey from artist to teacher has changed my outlook on everything I thought I knew about the subjects. Through readings, guest speakers, field work, and our amazing community of teachers and students, we are all bettering ourselves and deepening our knowledge of the practice. The education system is designed to condition students out of their creativity and to discourage mistakes. The only way to combat this is for teachers to encourage exploration while fostering a safe environment where students can not only make a mistake, but learn from it and discover something new. 

Through this MAT program, I have developed a completely new outlook on art as a whole. My art has always been inspired by a deep interest in the traditional academic style of painting. I was enveloped in the ideas of “mastery” and obsessed with learning different techniques to accomplish what I was trying to convey. These ideas and techniques work for some people, but I have found that each and every student learns differently. There are so many different tastes, styles, and students. The teacher has to have a wide variety of skills and knowledge to help foster an inclusive environment where all students can learn.    

The teacher candidates I work alongside at Maine College of Art have such diverse and creative backgrounds. To capture this I painted each teacher candidate and had them concoct a paragraph describing where each individual is at in their studies. The Masters of Art for Teaching program has introduced me to many incredible new people and ideas. It is my hope that through our study of inclusivity and best practice we can reform not only the future of teaching, but the future of all of our students.

Part II of this post will appear tomorrow. Included in the post will be the 10 photographs created by Cooper and much more! Photos are contributed by Rachel Somerville and Seth Baron.

MECA

Opportunity for Learners ages 4-17

The Maine College of Arts Master of Arts in Teaching Teacher Candidates will offer a variety of free art lessons to children grades K-12. Click here to register for this event – November 9 (fully online)! Virtual Art Fair! Please share this information with your students and their parents.

MAEA Member Exhibit

Call for artwork

Call for artwork for the Maine Art Education Association member exhibit at Maine College of Art.

Constructing Change

PUBLIC RECEPTION on OCTOBER 4, 2019 from 4:00PM-6:00PM

Artwork Drop Off – Monday, September 23rd from 4-6PM

Artwork on View – Thursday, September 26th through Sunday, October 13th

Public Reception – First Friday, October 4th from 4-6PM

Artwork Pick Up – Sunday, October 13th from 3-5PM

There will be a satellite artwork pick-up site at our fall conference at Haystack. Contact Lisa Ingraham for more information lisa.ingraham@msad59.org.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Looking for student artwork

We are happy to announce the opening of the 2019 Maine Region Scholastic Art Award Competition and the 2019 Congressional Art Competition! Students are invited to submit artwork to participate in these juried competitions.

Since 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have recognized the vision, ingenuity, and talent of our nation’s youth, and provided opportunities for creative teens to be celebrated. Each year, increasing numbers of teens participate in the program, and become a part of our community—young artists and writers, filmmakers and photographers, poets and sculptors, video game artists and science fiction writers—along with countless educators who support and encourage the creative process.

The Congressional Art Competition takes place each spring, when the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since this competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.

The Maine Arts Commission has collaborated with the Maine College of Art for several years on these programs. MECA is pleased to be hosting both Scholastics and the Congressional Art Awards this year. For complete details on student eligibility, competition categories, jury criteria, important dates and deadlines, and more, please visit meca.edu/maine-region-art-awards/or artandwriting.org