2015 Harry Hart Memorial Senior Scholarship Winners

The Harry Hart Memorial Scholarships are named in honor of long-time KAEA member Harry Hart who passed away in 2009.  The Kansas Art Education Association gives TWO $500.00 scholarships each year which are paid directly to the Institutes of Higher Learning chosen by the winning student.

This year's scholarship winners are Miranda Pratt from Lawrence High School, student of Wendy Vertacnik, and, Madeline Smith of Washburn Rural High School, student of Bradley LeDuc. 

	Miranda Pratt: Artist Statement I have wanted to be an artist since I was three years old. My style reflects the same sense of wonder I had when I was a child, through the exploration of feminine identity. I use ethereal variations on primary color palates to create an atmosphere reminiscent of old fairy tales and feminine nature. I have been greatly inspired by Alphonse Mucha, the frontrunner of the Art Nouveau movement, with his treatment of the female figure and use of ethereal color palates. My body of work mainly consists of a variety of
self-portraits, both observational andinventive. My pieces include experimentation of light, color, composition and medium. Many of my works have an underlying feminist message and explore what feminism and femininity mean to the individual. Next year I will continue to evolve my style by attending either the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design or the Kansas City Art Institute. I hope to major in painting or illustration.

	Madeline Smith: Artist Statement "Ever since I was in elementary school, I have worked by planning and not by fixing. I have always been told to "measure twice, cut once" by my father whenever we would work with tools in the garage and tried to apply that same concept to my art until recently when my AP Studio Art class
had a guest painter paint en plein air. The artist spent more time observing what he was painting rather than on his stroke or where he even placed his brush, which was a foreign concept to me, for I learned todraw my paintings with a pencil first, leaving the acrylic for the final product. I have learned now with art that I work much better when I substitute a detailed plan for a looser, more free technique, which I successfully showed through my piece, "Tying That Knot". My other favorite media is watercolor for its soft texture and light transparency gives the piece a feeling of comfort and delicacy like that of, "The Angel of the Gap", and "Patching Up". I will be continuing my art at Kansas State University with majors in art and secondary education as well as a leadership minor in hopes of becoming an art teacher for high schoolers."

KAEA Summer Camp 2015

Thursday, June 29th & 30th

McPherson College

Cost Overview

Early Bird Rate of $100.00 plus class supply fees if registration is receieved before June 12, 2015. Late registration will be a fee of $120.00 + supply fees for the workshops you select.

Make checks payable for your registration fee plus the costs of the workshop supply fees to Kansas Art Education Association and mail them to:

Linda Morgan
2719 N. Athenian, Ave
Wichita, KS 67204

Camp is open to all KAEA/NAEA members. Not a member? No problem, sign up today at: http://www.arteducators.org/community/join.

Lodging: Double occupancy lodging in the dorm is available on June 29 to the first 40 participants for FREE, you will need to provide your own bedding and towels and clean up after yourselves.

Graduate credit will be available for $85.00 for one credit hour.

Click HERE for online registration!

Workshop Information

The Workshops will all last one day each so choose your top two and we will try to accommodate you. Classes will fill up quickly so register today! PIXEL PERFECT Dee Erway-Sherwood, Associate Professor of Art, McPherson College Perfect your vector work pixel by pixel with this workshop focusing on learning tools and functions of Adobe Illustrator CC. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to create a series of illustrations and print them for class examples. Please bring a flash drive to save your electronic illustrations. Fee for printing: $8.00 HI HO SILVER Ann Zerger, Associate Professor of Art Participants in this workshop will learn a variety of silversmithing techniques as they design and fabricate a pendant or pin made from sterling silver. Techniques taught include form folding, overlay, piecing, creating textures, stone setting, soldering silver, and finishing processes. Limit of 10 participants each day. Fee to be determined by market price of silver and other materials. Ann is going to get a “guess-timation” to me soon. Fee for silver: $35 GO FIGURE! Michaela Groeblacher, Assistant Professor of Art, McPherson College Creating the human figure in clay. Beginning with strategies to define proportions of the human figure, participants will experience the “building solid/hollowing out” techniques that Michaela uses to create her figures. Participants will encounter the flexibility in planning dramatic, performative poses when working with clay. Fee for use of clay: $20 TIGHT AND LOOSE !! Wayne A. Conyers, Professor of Art, Visual Arts Department Chair, McPherson College A day of two completely different methods of painting in watercolor. Participants will begin with strategies for painting highly reflective metal objects. The focus will be on “keying up” skills of perception and observation. Can it get any tighter? As the workshop progresses, participants will move into altered mixed-media watercolor monotypes combining watercolor with ink and/or acrylics. As plates are drying to be printed, participants will return to painting reflective objects. So back and forth the participants will go between the tight rendering of reflections and the more spontaneous and expressive process of monotypes. Talk about loose! An “interesting” day of watercolor is guaranteed for all. Participants need to bring watercolors and brushes for the tight reflective paintings, as well as a couple of objects to paint. For the loose monotype experience, it would be good to add other watermedia of their choice. Plexiglas plates for the monotypes will be provided.

Gallery Spotlight Interview

Enjoy our first "Gallery Spotlight" Interview with
Elizabeth Daniel
Youth Education Director at
CityArts in Wichita

• Which artwork(S) in your collection/exhibitions do you most enjoy sharing with visitors, and why?

"Here at CityArts, our Exhibitions are always changing. We run through about 36 shows in a year, so this means new work is always readily available for patrons to come and observe. I like to walk through the gallery with children of all ages, and get them to have a thoughtful conversation about what they're viewing. I have a different set of questions I like to ask each different age groups."

 

• What example comes to mind when you worked with a non-arts faculty member on a collaborative project in a particularly effective way? What interdisciplinary conversations have you had?

"CityArts partners with the Girl Scouts of the Heartland for many activities throughout the year. We provide instruction and space for the girls to earn their arts badges, we give many tours, and they even use our Main Gallery for meetings such as their annual "Cookie College Kick Off." It's a large enough room to accommodate their many participants, and works out for us too, because they become aware of all CityArts has to offer to Wichita youth."

• Aside from field trips, how might students connect with your museum/ galleries?

"We offer camps, classes, and free activities to people of all ages. To enroll, visit our website at wichitacityarts.org, or call 350.3245. Every second Saturday, we do a FREE "Adult & Me" activity for kids, where they work on a small project that they can immediately take home. On Friday nights we offer a "Urban Draw Night" where we provide paper, pencils, erasers, and drawing boards for anyone to come and participate in drawing the hubbub of activity going on around them."

• What digital resources should all art teachers know about?

"www.wichitacityarts.org, find us on facebook, Instagram and twitter at Wichita CityArts.

CityArts also features a Digital Art Studio, that offers classes such as blogging, photoshop, learning to use Wacom tablets, filmmaking and more."

• What is one feature of your museum/gallery space that all visitors should notice?

"CityArts is more than anything, an education facility. Visitors are encouraged to "Find Your Art" on an interactive wall space that showcases all the different classes and workshops that we offer. Getting visitors to come back and take a class is what we're all about!"

• How might a teacher best connect their students with artwork in your collection/exhibitions in their classroom prior to a visit?

"Teachers could have a discussion about what a community art center provides to Wichita. CityArts operates like a non-profit, using any overhead to offer free programming to those who might not be able to otherwise afford it. They could discuss how important art is in the lives of people, and how the freedom to think creatively overflows into all aspects of learning."

 

• What do you love most about your job?

"I love every part about working at CityArts. I love that I am there when a child realizes that the addition of a horizon line completely changes how their landscape drawings look, I love that I'm here to see their faces when I open our glass furnace and they look at glass that is so hot it looks more like honey. I love the look of satisfaction on our adult students as they leave after a few hours of throwing on the wheel. But most of all, I love the feel of the building when there's so many people inside of it doing something that is completely for themselves."

Do you know a museum educator that you would like to see 
featured in our "Gallery Spotlight"?  
Contact Karen Gerety-Folk at kgerety@jccc.edu

Featured Member: DeAnna Morgan

KAEA would like to start featuring members from across the state in semi-regular blog posts to share some of the amazing things happening in Kansas art education and to shine a spotlight on members. Our first featured member is DeAnna Morgan.

DeAnna Morgan, center, with students after winning the Pioneer League Art Competition this spring. 

Interview with DeAnna Morgan

Where are you from? Fontana, Ks

Where did you earn your degree(s) and what are they? 

I have a BSED in Art Education with a minor in Special Education from Pittsburg State University

Tell us about your teaching situation- where, what grades, how long have you been there? 

I am the only Art Teacher at Wellsville USD 289 teaching grades 7-12. This is my second year here.

How long have you been a KAEA member? I have been a member since I was a student at Pitt State, three years.

How have you benefited from KAEA membership?  

NETWORKING. I never realized how much you can learn from others in your field until I joined. From lesson plans, to media tips and tricks, to connecting across the state for collaborative projects- it's been a great resource. It's such a great organization and I cherish opportunities to meet and work with colleagues.

What is your favorite thing about being an art teacher?

Seeing that moment when a student sits back and smiles and says, "I've done it. I've finished this artwork. Isn't it great?" When a student sees their progress and how proud they are of their hard work, those are the moments I look forward to every day.

What is your most memorable moment from teaching?

My most memorable moment was this last week when my Art Department won the first place title of our Pioneer League Art Competition over Prairie View's seven year streak. They worked incredibly hard all year and competed with phenomenal projects. We came home with three of the five best of show ribbons. The best part is that they were so humble about their win and that is when you know you're teaching your students right.

One piece of advice you would give to someone just starting out in art education?

Just starting out in college?- take special education classes they will help you more than you think. Interventions and accommodations take on another meaning when working in art media and it's important to learn things to help you be successful. First year teacher- Keep a journal, write down things that work, throw out things that don't. It's okay for things to go bad once in a while, you learn, gain experience, and better your craft.

What is a tip or trick you’d like to share? To keep your supplies from walking off, make students give you a shoe to 'check out' an eraser, pencil, compass, or xacto blade. When you get your supplies back, they in return can get their shoe. It has saved me a lot of worry about running out of things and the kids get a good giggle walking around lopsided too.

Thanks, DeAnna, for sharing!

If you would like to recommend a member to be featured, leave a comment or send us a message on Facebook!