From the Editors - Art Educators of New Jersey
From the Editors - Art Educators of New Jersey
From the Editors - Art Educators of New Jersey
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Table <strong>of</strong> ContentsA Message from Linda Devlin Page 3<strong>From</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Editors</strong>:When we announced our intent to change artbeat from a newsletterto a magazine, we had no idea what <strong>the</strong> response would be; asyou can tell, it was overwhelmingly positive!There were over 20 articles submitted for <strong>Art</strong>beat, and <strong>the</strong>re wereliterally three times that many photographs. Our thanks to <strong>the</strong>editors and readers (all members!) who gave up more than oneSaturday to discuss, edit and pro<strong>of</strong> read <strong>the</strong> magazine.Our thanks to <strong>the</strong> staff (see page 43) and <strong>the</strong> AENJ Executive Boardfor <strong>the</strong>ir support and enthusiasm as <strong>Art</strong>beat took it’s new form.And thanks to you our members whose support and encouragementare so important to our work.2Cover submissions for <strong>Art</strong>beat 2010If you havent’ received Web-beat you’ve been missngout on up to date information on events and activities!Make sure we have your email address, andtake advantage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> workshops, dinners, exhibits,scholarships, grants and awards program availableto all members.
in this cave painting affected mystudents very much, includingseveral young men, who likedshowing how tough <strong>the</strong>y were.They thought being sensitivemade <strong>the</strong>m weak and vulnerable.Students long to be both strongand graceful, and <strong>the</strong>y suffer because<strong>the</strong>y feel <strong>the</strong>y can’t be. Thisis a question teachers have also.We feel we have to be strong and<strong>the</strong>n feel awful because we don’tfeel we’re kind. I was once askedin an Aes<strong>the</strong>tic Realism consultation: “Do you have a ‘gentle’ attitudeand a ‘fist’ attitude? Have you been unkind in BOTH ways?”I had been! And I learned that in every instance <strong>of</strong> successful art,opposites are working well toge<strong>the</strong>r.I asked my students “Would it have been possible for early stoneageartists to paint <strong>the</strong>se animals with that oneness <strong>of</strong> grace andstrength, power and delicacy, 1) if <strong>the</strong>y didn’t have <strong>the</strong>se possibilitiesin <strong>the</strong>mselves; and 2) if <strong>the</strong>y didn’t observe <strong>the</strong>se qualities in<strong>the</strong> animals?” The answer was a resounding, “NO!”Students who can feel painfully separate from <strong>the</strong> people <strong>the</strong>ysee every day were moved to think about <strong>the</strong> feelings <strong>of</strong> a personwho lived 35,000 years ago. As <strong>the</strong>y saw <strong>the</strong>y were related through<strong>the</strong> opposites to people so far back in time, what was far away andstrange came to have immediatemeaning for <strong>the</strong>ir lives.They came to have a great carefor <strong>the</strong>se paintings and have agreat respect for <strong>the</strong> mind <strong>of</strong>early man who painted <strong>the</strong>m.And <strong>the</strong>y began to think about<strong>the</strong> people <strong>the</strong>y knew in a deeper,kinder way, including each o<strong>the</strong>r.“When you think about how longago <strong>the</strong>se paintings were done,”wrote Grisel, “and how <strong>the</strong>y weretrying to make sense <strong>of</strong> what <strong>the</strong>y saw in <strong>the</strong> world, this gives me afeeling <strong>of</strong> closeness to people.” And Tyshona was excited to see that“People thousands and thousands <strong>of</strong> years before me were tryingto fulfill <strong>the</strong> same things I am.”The ancient artist--like <strong>the</strong> modern artist and like us--was tryingto put opposites toge<strong>the</strong>r. What an artist long ago did beautifullyin <strong>the</strong>se cave paintings we now can learn from. The Aes<strong>the</strong>tic RealismTeaching Method has enabled my students and me—through<strong>the</strong> meaning and technique <strong>of</strong> art—to have large emotions aboutbeauty, and to have a new respect for <strong>the</strong> world and for all people,<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> past and now.This paper was presented at <strong>the</strong> 31 st InSEA World Congress, International ConversationsThrough <strong>Art</strong>, <strong>New</strong> York City, August 2002.5
Just Entering <strong>the</strong> Classroom Was aDaunting ExperienceBy William CrowIalways liked making things—drawings, models, and craftsfrom just about every activity book from <strong>the</strong> county library. Itreally wasn’t until I reached high school that I understood I wasinterested in art, and I started taking painting classes after schoolwith a local artist who taught me how to paint landscapes, usuallyones that included a cloud made by dabbing a paint-dipped spongeonto <strong>the</strong> canvas or creating <strong>the</strong> effect <strong>of</strong> snow by using a paletteknife. When I headed to college I think<strong>the</strong> idea <strong>of</strong> art as a career started tosink in because I received an art scholarshipand immersed myself in studio artclasses and some art history seminars—“The Ancient World,” “Spanish BaroquePainting,” “The <strong>Art</strong> <strong>of</strong> China.” I remembersitting in those classes, <strong>the</strong> hum <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>slide projector and my pr<strong>of</strong>essors waxingpoetic about objects from <strong>the</strong> Venus<strong>of</strong> Willendorf to Andy Warhol. So, aftercollege when I took a position as a teacher<strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong> History, Studio <strong>Art</strong> and Spanishat an independent school in Morristown,<strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> I had a goal to entrance <strong>the</strong>students with <strong>the</strong> wonders <strong>of</strong> art as I had experienced <strong>the</strong>m—<strong>the</strong>y would rhapsodize about dramatic Caravaggesque light or <strong>the</strong>exquisite carvings <strong>of</strong> Egypt, and <strong>the</strong>y would start to see art and <strong>the</strong>world differently.I was wrong.Just entering <strong>the</strong> classroom was a pretty daunting experience—<strong>the</strong> high school seniors in my <strong>Art</strong> History class acted like <strong>the</strong>yknew everything, and on top <strong>of</strong> it <strong>the</strong>y seemed like giants, many <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>m football stars and twice my height. I had spent <strong>the</strong> summerthumbing through my notes from college and getting re-acquaintedwith Gardners’ <strong>Art</strong> Through <strong>the</strong> Ages, and so I forged ahead withmy plan to unveil <strong>the</strong> power and mystery <strong>of</strong> art to <strong>the</strong>se teenagers.Instead, I was challenged with questions like “Why is this so special,Mr. Crow?” or “My kid bro<strong>the</strong>r paints really well—why is this guy6Pollock so famous?” I started to wonder what happened to <strong>the</strong>magic I had experienced with art—<strong>the</strong> moments <strong>of</strong> revelation thatmy college pr<strong>of</strong>essors had proclaimed, or <strong>the</strong> excitement <strong>of</strong> adding<strong>the</strong> final touches to a painting that I had shared with my studioart teachers. In fact, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r classes I was teaching weren’t goingso well, ei<strong>the</strong>r—two sections <strong>of</strong> Spanish III and a section <strong>of</strong> middleschool drawing. Even my boldest attempts to translate <strong>the</strong> lessonsI had experienced while in school failed, and I wondered how Icould give <strong>the</strong>se students <strong>the</strong> same joys I had experienced.Spring arrived at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> my first year <strong>of</strong> teaching, and I wasexhausted. It’s a common story to hear that teachers are stretchedthin, as I was finishing a year as yearbook sponsor, faculty advisorto <strong>the</strong> Architecture Club and even middle school squash coach fora while, in addition to my teaching. I remember cleaning up aftera class project in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Art</strong> Room on a warm day and talking withFa<strong>the</strong>r Beatus, a Benedictine monk and former headmaster <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>school who had recently returnedfrom a semester-long excursion toEurope. He was showing my colleagueDiane and I a portfolio <strong>of</strong> watercolorsthat he had completed during histravels—images <strong>of</strong> monuments andmountains and views <strong>of</strong> historic townsquares. Diane and I admired his work,but Fa<strong>the</strong>r Beatus sighed “Well, <strong>the</strong>yreally don’t do justice to <strong>the</strong> beauty <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> places I visited. There’s really noway to capture it.”His words seemed all too familiar,since I knew that I was faced with a similar challenge in my <strong>Art</strong> Historyclass: how to convey <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>ound meaning <strong>of</strong> a work <strong>of</strong> artto a group <strong>of</strong> students? Is it possible to translate my own experienceswith art to my students, and how could I make <strong>the</strong>m see<strong>the</strong> mystery and even sublime quality <strong>of</strong> a painting or sculpture? Ididn’t have <strong>the</strong> answer. I needed to find a way to reenergize myselfover <strong>the</strong> summer, and hope that <strong>the</strong> fall semester would bringsome new approaches.In <strong>the</strong> faculty lounge I remember coming across a pile <strong>of</strong> brochuresfor various workshops and summer pr<strong>of</strong>essional development programs.One that caught my attention was a flyer describing summerteacher workshops at <strong>the</strong> Metropolitan Museum <strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong>. SinceI was sneaking away to <strong>New</strong> York City quite <strong>of</strong>ten on <strong>the</strong> weekendsI thought this would be a good opportunity to reconnect with art,to enjoy <strong>the</strong> summer in <strong>the</strong> city, and hopefully pick up some ideasfor <strong>the</strong> classroom. I signed up for two July workshops: “Portraits:Ideas About Identity” and “Latin American Legacies”.
Visual <strong>Art</strong>, Student Success,Public Relations and <strong>the</strong> FRESHPERSPECTIVES ExhibitionBy Dr. Paula Valenti, PrincipalPrincipals and superintendents are always happy whenstudents and teachers experience success. Success is a goodthing for <strong>the</strong> students, teachers and school programs. Successbreeds program zinterest, student/teacher motivation, goodpublic relations and <strong>the</strong>se cannot be underestimated in an era <strong>of</strong>fiscal frugality and concern over property taxes and school funding.Now, more than ever, it is important for school artprograms to maintain high visibility.<strong>Art</strong> teachers, and those who work in <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>ession,know that sometimes achievement and success in <strong>the</strong>arts is overlooked. This oversight can sometimes be dueto lack <strong>of</strong> awareness and sadly, sometimes poor pr<strong>of</strong>essionalrelationships and lack <strong>of</strong> commitment to studentlearning in <strong>the</strong> art program. However, <strong>the</strong>re areopportunities available in <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> where art educatorscan garner visibility and success for <strong>the</strong>ir studentsand art programs, as well as educate school leaders andinform <strong>the</strong> community, specifically, <strong>the</strong> Fresh Perspectivesjuried exhibition at The Morris Museum.The annual Fresh Perspectives juried exhibition <strong>of</strong>fersvisual art students <strong>the</strong> opportunity to compete for <strong>the</strong>spotlight and accolades afforded o<strong>the</strong>r to o<strong>the</strong>r schoolprograms and sports. Fresh Perspectives is made possiblewith support from <strong>the</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> State Councilon <strong>the</strong> <strong>Art</strong>s/Department <strong>of</strong> State, a Partner Agency <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> National Endowment for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Art</strong>s and <strong>the</strong> Geraldine R. DodgeFoundation. The Fresh Perspectives exhibition began in 1989 togive artistically accomplished high school students a pr<strong>of</strong>essionallyorganized museum exhibition experience and to recognize artteachers for <strong>the</strong>ir encouragement and <strong>the</strong> effective teaching <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>se talented student artists. This juried show is organized by <strong>the</strong>Morris Museum located at 6 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown,NJ. Teachers from nor<strong>the</strong>rn and central <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> are solicited tosubmit a maximum <strong>of</strong> four pieces <strong>of</strong> outstanding student artworkproduced by <strong>the</strong>ir students during <strong>the</strong> current school year. Jurorsfor <strong>the</strong> show include pr<strong>of</strong>essional artistsand representatives from colleges anduniversities and a culminating receptionis scheduled to celebrate <strong>the</strong> student artists,<strong>the</strong>ir teachers and schools. The 2010 Fresh Perspectives exhibitionis scheduled for April 28 through June 11, 2010. As <strong>the</strong> principal<strong>of</strong> a Junior-Senior High School I am delighted that <strong>the</strong> visual artteachers in my school submitted student art works for consideration<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> jurors. We were fortunate to have two student artworks selected for <strong>the</strong> exhibition and I am eager to attend <strong>the</strong>opening reception to celebrate <strong>the</strong> students and <strong>the</strong>ir teachers. Tolearn more about <strong>the</strong> Fresh Perspectives annual juried show andprograms at <strong>the</strong> Morris Museum please visit <strong>the</strong> following link:www.morrismuseum.org.8
The National <strong>Art</strong> EducationAssociation Conference,Baltimore, MarylandJennifer TiongsonWilliam L Dickinson High School<strong>Jersey</strong> City, NJWhat an event! I was so excited to receive <strong>the</strong> Rick LasherPr<strong>of</strong>essional Development Grant to attend <strong>the</strong> 2010 conference.This was <strong>the</strong> first conference that I traveled out <strong>of</strong> state toattend, so I was a little nervous leaving my students, daughter, andhusband for five days <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional development. I weighed <strong>the</strong>pros and cons <strong>of</strong> going away (such a selfish act!), and went for <strong>the</strong>five days <strong>of</strong> workshops and celebrations <strong>of</strong> being an art teacher.Upon my return, all can I can say is, if you haven’t attended a nationalconvention, put it on your to do list! The whole atmospherevibrates in excitement, with art education pr<strong>of</strong>essionals millingabout from session to session carrying bags full <strong>of</strong> ideas, and notebooksfull <strong>of</strong> inspiration.I focused on high school and art history sessions during my stay,and all I could think about was wishing it was <strong>the</strong> fall so I couldgo back to my classroom and implement all <strong>the</strong>se awesome ideasand techniques. I felt pr<strong>of</strong>essionally reenergized, was creativelyinspired, and met new friends at every turn. On Thursday, my firstday at <strong>the</strong> conference, I attended a workshop by NAEA Secondary<strong>Art</strong> Educator 2008 (and author <strong>of</strong> Experience Printmaking), DonnaAnderson. Her presentation, Printmaking and <strong>the</strong> Visual Journal,showed how her students created relief prints, and <strong>the</strong>n handbound a book that included a print from every student in <strong>the</strong> class.She also created one for her administrator and o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong>ficials asan advocacy tool for her program. What a wonderful idea to show<strong>the</strong> talents <strong>of</strong> your students.Friday I started my day with Color Theory Books, presented byRosie Riordan. This workshop showed how she taught her paintingclass in Kansas color <strong>the</strong>ory, by creating a book <strong>of</strong> color exercises.Her students created poems about color and value to add textto <strong>the</strong>ir personal books. I wrapped up <strong>the</strong> conference experienceby attending a two part session on Advanced Placement <strong>Art</strong> History,presented by Yu Bong Ko and John Gunnin. In Bringing <strong>Art</strong>History to Life, Ko and Gunnin illustrated <strong>the</strong> various methods <strong>of</strong>teaching art history, and incorporating studio experiences into arthistory classes.By <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> my stay I was completely ready to go back to myclassroom energized for a strong finish. If ever <strong>the</strong> opportunityarises for you to attend a National Conference do it. It was one <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> best pr<strong>of</strong>essional experiences <strong>of</strong> my career.Note: NAEA will be in Seattle in 20100, March 16-21, and in <strong>New</strong> Yorkin 20102, March 1-4! Apply for a Rick Lasher NAEA Residency Grantyourself. It’s not too early to start planning now! For more informationgo to http://www.naea-reston.org/.9
School and CommunitySpirit Mural,NAEA Foundation GrantBy Michelle D. Dillon, <strong>Art</strong> instructor, Ocean Gate Elementary SchoolThe day I met <strong>the</strong> Principal/ Superintendent <strong>of</strong> our small Pre-kthrough Sixth Grade school he shared his vision with me <strong>of</strong>a lively school that had multiple enrichment opportunities forstudents, including art and painted murals. Only two problems:where would <strong>the</strong> funding come from? How could it fit into <strong>the</strong>school schedule?Since our school has scheduled articulation time, a co-workerand I decided to devote some <strong>of</strong> our meeting time to trying to wina grant. I had never applied for a grant before. We wrote three proposals;a science/ art proposal, an art/ music proposal, and an artproposal for a mural project. It was <strong>the</strong> mural project that receiveda partial grant from <strong>the</strong> National <strong>Art</strong> Education Foundation, <strong>the</strong>Mary McMullen Fund For <strong>Art</strong>.Winning <strong>the</strong> grant was one thing, proceeding was ano<strong>the</strong>r! Theintent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> murals was to highlight <strong>the</strong> rich history, beauty,and spirit <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> community and school, encourage communityinvolvement, <strong>of</strong>fer enhanced art opportunities for students, andreinforce <strong>the</strong> standards for art education. Ocean Gate is a smallcommunity situated along <strong>the</strong> Toms River with a view <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>Seaside Bridge and bay. There used to be a railroad station hereand <strong>the</strong> one and two-room school houses are still in use on schoolproperty. Many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> people livingin town had relatives that ei<strong>the</strong>rwent to <strong>the</strong> school or were o<strong>the</strong>rwisedirectly involved in <strong>the</strong> school.As <strong>the</strong>re is no mail delivery, <strong>the</strong>post <strong>of</strong>fice is still a place for neighborsto socialize. Oh, and not t<strong>of</strong>orget <strong>the</strong> infamous first town in<strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> to use a Wind Turbine.Enthusiasm by <strong>the</strong> Administration,School Board and student body10was inspiring. First, I surveyedstudents, community members,and school staff as to what<strong>the</strong>y wanted in <strong>the</strong> mural. Thisincluded a class assignment forstudents to make sketches <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>ir ideas. While I was ga<strong>the</strong>ringideas, <strong>the</strong> Board <strong>of</strong> Educationapproved matching <strong>the</strong> Grantto start an after school artclub. Next, I researched recentcommunity mural projectsdone across <strong>the</strong> nation. I hadn’t made a mural since High School,although my background as a graphic designer, (my career beforebecoming a teacher), helped because I had been trained to problem-solve,working a concept through to completion. I discoveredan artist named Michael Schwartz. I was inspired by <strong>the</strong> process heused when he worked with <strong>the</strong> community on large murals. Thisstyle <strong>of</strong> working became <strong>the</strong> prototype for our large mural.The process was that I would combine some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> submittedsketched ideas and historical photos to design one large 8’x12’mural for an entrance area. It was fur<strong>the</strong>r decided that this areashould be developed into a historic photo gallery, as well. It wouldbe a welcoming area to highlight <strong>the</strong> uniqueness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> school. (Igot experience in establishing a committee to handle <strong>the</strong> photogallery). As if that wasn’t wonderful enough, <strong>the</strong> students in <strong>the</strong><strong>Art</strong> Club were to design mini-murals to be painted throughout<strong>the</strong> school to piggy-back on a “Go Green” <strong>the</strong>me to pick up on <strong>the</strong> excitement<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Wind Turbine, (which can be seen and heard from<strong>the</strong> school yard). Their murals ranged from pictures <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> schoolmascot recycling to a “save <strong>the</strong> rain forest” mural.If I were to say <strong>the</strong>re were noproblems, I’d be lying. To ensurepermanency, instead <strong>of</strong> paintingon a cinder block wall, we decidedto paint on plywood panels. TheFire Marshal determined weneeded fire resistant wood. Itwasn’t easily obtained and it costmore, but it could be deliveredfree. After priming <strong>the</strong> boards,and sketching <strong>the</strong> designs out, <strong>the</strong>wood started to warp. The boardseventually had to be wet down.They warped again and started
aking apart. They had to be thrown away. Weeks <strong>of</strong> time andwork were lost! Time was becoming an issue. We had to go back topainting directly on <strong>the</strong> wall. This meant that children could notdo <strong>the</strong> upper portion because it was too high for <strong>the</strong>m to reach.Ano<strong>the</strong>r challenge became knowing what colors I needed to order.Don’t assume all primary colors can be mixed to make satisfactorysecondary colors. There are cool and warm blues, reds, etc. It maynot be <strong>the</strong> color you are looking for. Better to order pr<strong>of</strong>essionalquality acrylics in several pigments <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> primary colors, plusblack, brown, and white. A slightly anticipated problem was howto select students, how to supervise all <strong>the</strong>se various murals andwhen <strong>the</strong> murals were done who to let go and who would remainto help with <strong>the</strong> large mural.On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, <strong>the</strong> positive rewards were so numerous I cannot list <strong>the</strong>m all here. I think I grew pr<strong>of</strong>essionally as much as<strong>the</strong> students grew in artistic knowledge, ability and confidence.The entire school population has witnessed seeing <strong>the</strong> process<strong>of</strong> a mural being developed from start to finish. Two commentsI found particularly endearing were, “Hey, Mrs. Dillon is drawingon <strong>the</strong> wall!” and “Wow, I didn’t know my art teacher is an artist!” Idiscovered all <strong>the</strong> posters in <strong>the</strong> world can’t educate like personalinvolvement and witnessing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> art. Many childrenwere fuzzy on <strong>the</strong> word, “mural” until <strong>the</strong>y saw it happen, even with<strong>the</strong> wonderful posters <strong>the</strong> grant afforded us to acquire. The clubmembers engaged in <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> analyzing art for meaning,fine-tuning sketches, adjusting <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong> enlarged space andreevaluating <strong>the</strong>m for color harmony, contrast, detail, texture, etc.when painted – all <strong>the</strong> things we needed to do on <strong>the</strong> large muralas well. Two parent volunteers helped to supervise <strong>the</strong> smoothing<strong>of</strong> image edges and to create <strong>the</strong> lettering. (The age level withwhich we were working: fourth through sixth grade, proved to bemuch too young to successfully complete <strong>the</strong> lettering and clean<strong>the</strong> lines).The small murals are now all completed. The large one was almostcomplete, at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> this writing. I have committed to finishingby graduation. I have been fortunate to have been able to spendextra time painting, as it has become time consuming completingall <strong>the</strong> finishing touches. Students proudly say <strong>the</strong>y recognize <strong>the</strong>ideas <strong>the</strong>y contributed in <strong>the</strong> completed mural. They spend timeconsidering <strong>the</strong> gull, butterfly, train, rainbow, beach, school houseand more. Not a day goes by when someone doesn’t say how beautifulit is or how cheerful all <strong>the</strong> murals look. This art has enlivened<strong>the</strong> environment and brought people toge<strong>the</strong>r…truly creatingfur<strong>the</strong>r school and community spirit! I have felt very proud to bepart <strong>of</strong> something so valuable!11
friend was able to spend <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> her year free toapply her own creativity to <strong>the</strong> lessons learned.More Musings from <strong>the</strong>Rocking Chairby Eileen ScallyWell, I haven’t spent much time in thisold rocking chair lately, what withvisiting my mom, traipsing <strong>of</strong>f to Boston to see<strong>the</strong> grandkids and taking painting classes <strong>the</strong>re hasn’t been muchtime. Painting classes? Yes, I am a student again.When I was in school, I never had much training in <strong>the</strong> art <strong>of</strong> painting.The one class I had as a freshman actually had a dramaticinfluence on my teaching. But, not in <strong>the</strong> way you might think.The pr<strong>of</strong>essor I had in that freshman class liked to work withstudents who already knew how to paint. The most feedback Iwould get was a few grunts as he passed by my easel. At <strong>the</strong> end<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> year, <strong>the</strong> students had to set out all <strong>the</strong>ir canvases for <strong>the</strong>pr<strong>of</strong>essor to comment on. Now, we all know that one does not waituntil <strong>the</strong> end to give summative evaluation <strong>of</strong> work, but to provideongoing feedback so that <strong>the</strong> student could make changes andapply knowledge learned. And you all do that, right? But I digress...Well, when Pr<strong>of</strong>essor B came to my work, his only comment, aftera year <strong>of</strong> grunts, was “Miss Mackey and I have discussed this andwe have decided that painting is not her medium.” I have to tellyou, its 45 years later and it still smarts to remember those words.Worse, still, I came to believe <strong>the</strong>m, and never tried to paint again.The power we teachers have!Ano<strong>the</strong>r situation that affected my teaching was <strong>the</strong> philosophy<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> art department <strong>of</strong> that time which could be summed up as“learn by doing”. The <strong>the</strong>ory being that if one was trying to make aclay pot and it continually collapsed, one would eventually figureout a way to make it work, and that knowledge would be more“valuable” than if one were taught <strong>the</strong> basics. The idea was thatsomehow one would have a more intrinsic knowledge <strong>of</strong> a subjectby making discoveries independently. Well, following that <strong>the</strong>ory, itwould take me a year to learn how to make that pot before I couldbegin to create works <strong>of</strong> my own. A dear friend and fellow studentwho came into <strong>the</strong> program as a sophomore had a differentinstructor who demonstrated and taught <strong>the</strong> basics to students,challenging <strong>the</strong>m to master those basics before moving on. My12As a result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se experiences, I started my teachingcareer determined to show my students <strong>the</strong> basicsand give <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> building blocks upon which tobuild <strong>the</strong>ir own ideas. As I noted in my article lastyear, I was really good at task analysis and at breakingdown a lesson into its components. Because <strong>of</strong> thisevery student could, and did, create a masterpiece. Somany good “projects”! So many “never fail” lessons! But<strong>the</strong> doubts began to creep in. If every student’s workwas a masterpiece, <strong>the</strong>n whose was it? Was it <strong>the</strong>irsbecause <strong>the</strong>y faithfully followed my instructions? Or,was it mine, because I created <strong>the</strong> idea? I would go home at nightexhausted from having “solved” creative questions all day. “Whatcolor should I use now, Mrs. Scally?” “How does my drawing looknow, Mrs.Scally?” Now I ask, “Whose success were you building, Mrs.Scally?” It was clear to me I needed ano<strong>the</strong>r way to go. I was open tonew ideas, and influences can come at any point in a career.Through my involvement with AENJ’s Hands & Minds, I foundteachers whose teaching was not about projects, but about ideas.I watched a brilliant teaching mind turn a Bugs Bunny poster intoa discussion <strong>of</strong> how to discern a civilization through <strong>the</strong> icons<strong>the</strong>y leave behind. Ano<strong>the</strong>r mind, just as brilliant, used a space agestapler to show how archeology can define a civilization. Theseapproaches enlivened my teaching. I began to look for ways toshow students how to think beyond <strong>the</strong> usual. It was important toprovide situations that would give each student an opportunity tocreate personal works, based on a syn<strong>the</strong>sis <strong>of</strong> ideas from history,from <strong>the</strong> influences <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own environment, and a workingknowledge <strong>of</strong> varied art media. The results were exciting, not onlyto me, but to my students. There was one time we had such a balllearning about <strong>the</strong> relationship <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> design <strong>of</strong> Greek vases to<strong>the</strong>ir function. One example was <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir versions <strong>of</strong>lekythos. This is a small jar with a narrow neck designed to control<strong>the</strong> flow <strong>of</strong> precious oils. The students were challenged to create aclay vessel designed for something that was precious or importantin <strong>the</strong>ir lives. The result was a roomful <strong>of</strong> wildly varied pots <strong>of</strong> allshapes and sizes, uniquely individual. Thereafter, <strong>the</strong>ir willingnessto follow me down unknown paths proved <strong>the</strong>y understood <strong>the</strong>validity <strong>of</strong> this individual approach to art.I challenge you to think <strong>of</strong> your influences. Be aware <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m anddeliberate <strong>the</strong> effect <strong>the</strong>y have had on your teaching. One alwayshas <strong>the</strong> right and <strong>the</strong> privilege to keep or reject those influences.Be mindful <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> effect your decisions have on your teaching andon <strong>the</strong> lives <strong>of</strong> your students. Will <strong>the</strong>y be empowered by what youchoose to do? Will <strong>the</strong>y go on because <strong>of</strong> you, or in spite <strong>of</strong> you?What will be your effect on genius?
Spring Symposium:The Most Special <strong>Art</strong>ist in your ClassThe AENJ 2010 Spring Symposium washeld May 1, 2010, in Princeton NJ at <strong>the</strong> PaulRobeson Center for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Art</strong>s. The <strong>the</strong>me <strong>of</strong>this years event was : “The Most Special <strong>Art</strong>istin your Class” which focused on Childrenwith Special Needs. Our Keynote Speakerwas Peter Geisser, Chair <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Special NeedsInterest Group <strong>of</strong> NAEA, along with a panel <strong>of</strong> teachers and expertsto discuss and answer questions on strategies, law and methods <strong>of</strong>successful inclusion in <strong>the</strong> artroom.Peter GeisserPeter’s experience includes teaching language, philosophy/ critical/creative thinking at <strong>the</strong> Rhode Island School for <strong>the</strong> Deaf. He is <strong>the</strong>chair <strong>of</strong> NAEA’s Special Needs in <strong>Art</strong> Education (SNAE) Issues GroupPanelMaura Geisser: Collaborates with husband, Peter, at <strong>the</strong> RI Schoolfor <strong>the</strong> DeafAnn Holmes: Chief Clinical Officer for <strong>the</strong> Eden Family <strong>of</strong> Services,Autism specialistCindy Hamilton: <strong>Art</strong> <strong>the</strong>rapist, <strong>Jersey</strong> City Public SchoolsModerator: Lauren Parmelee MurphySpring Symposium 2011The next Spring Symposium will be held May 21st at Mercer CountyCommunity College and will focus on using Technology in your<strong>Art</strong>roon. Check Web beat and <strong>the</strong> AENJ website for more information.Space will be limited and we are asking hat you BYO laptop!(Bring Your Own)! OR Come with a fellow art teacher who has alaptop!13
The <strong>Art</strong> Student’s Workbook; A ClassroomCompanion for <strong>Art</strong> and SculptureBy Eric GibbonsIhave completed a workbook this year based on all <strong>the</strong> paperworkand lessons that I use throughout <strong>the</strong> year. With my 20+years in <strong>the</strong> classroom, and plenty <strong>of</strong> curriculum writing under mybelt, I thought it might be a valuable resource to new teachers ando<strong>the</strong>rs trying to find a new project or approach to <strong>the</strong>ir course. Iam heavily influenced by <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> Ken Vieth, author <strong>of</strong> manybooks on teaching art and use methods similar in approach.I have made two versions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> book available, first a teacher’sedition will more than a year’s worth <strong>of</strong> lesson ideas. My secondbook, <strong>the</strong> student edition could be purchased for a low cost for allstudents to avoid unauthorized photocopying. All are welcome touse <strong>the</strong> ideas in <strong>the</strong> book and re-form <strong>the</strong>m to your own or just buyannual student editions.Lessons are easily adjusted to accommodate special needs studentsand material availability in many environments from <strong>the</strong>school classroom to a fine arts camp program. I created <strong>the</strong> bookwith grades 6 and up in mind.I use <strong>the</strong>se in my introductorycourses.The book includes more thana year’s worth <strong>of</strong> lesson ideas,project samples, vocabulary, worksheets,sample tests, researchpaper samples, grading rubrics,sketch/note taking pages, andshort creative 5 minute writingassignments. It is designed towork with Crystal & Davis Publications’materials and <strong>the</strong> textbook,“The Visual Experience” but may14be used alone as well.This book is also a helpful aid in fulfilling State and Federal accommodationrequirements (504, IEP) by providing special needsstudents additional documented & written material that may betaken home.Every lesson is designed to be personal and expressive Fine <strong>Art</strong>.There are NO “crafty” projects or “cookie-cutter” lessons whereeveryone has <strong>the</strong> same outcome. This book stresses a “DivergentThinking Processes” approach and creative problem solving, withan art <strong>the</strong>rapy undertone. All lesson suggestions may be done indifferent media to work withintight budgets.Teachers and schools that wouldlike to purchase multiple copiesmay contact Firehouse Publicationsfor “Student Editions” at amuch reduced rate. Informationhas been included on <strong>the</strong> book’scopyright page. (Student copiesDO NOT contain lesson suggestionsor internet art references)I can accept purchase ordersthrough my home based business,The Firehouse Gallery.Please direct questions to emailLOVSART2@aol.com
For readers <strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong>Beat, you can go to <strong>the</strong> publisher’s webpage andorder a copy for yourself with 30% <strong>of</strong>f using code: VTK94ME4https://www.createspace.com/3412518
certificate. Ample time was given for each student’s familymembers and teacher to take photographs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> artists and <strong>the</strong>irflags. The student artists were made to feel that what <strong>the</strong>y createdwas <strong>of</strong> great importance.A Capital Dayfor Youth <strong>Art</strong>MonthbyCheryl Parisihis year, my artT student, CyaniRodriguez, a fourthgrader at Nellie K. Parker School in Hackensack had <strong>the</strong> goodfortune to be selected to have her design turned into <strong>the</strong> flag torepresent <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> at <strong>the</strong> Youth <strong>Art</strong> Month Flag Ceremony inWashington DC.In addition to <strong>the</strong> ceremony, Cyani and her mom experiencedan additional bit <strong>of</strong> excitement. Congressman Steve Rothmanwho represents <strong>the</strong> 9 th district which includes Hackensack madea special trip to visit with Cyani and congratulate her on herprestigious award.Yes, it was a capital day for Youth <strong>Art</strong> Month!Yes!When we were informed that Cyani’s design was selected to bemade into <strong>the</strong> flag and that Cyani, her family and I would have<strong>the</strong> opportunity to go to <strong>the</strong> nation’s capital for <strong>the</strong> ceremony,it sounded like an exciting prospect. But, nothing could haveprepared any <strong>of</strong> us for <strong>the</strong> grandeur <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> locale or <strong>the</strong> ceremony.Sponsored and hosted by <strong>the</strong> Council for <strong>Art</strong>s Education, Inc.and The <strong>Art</strong> and Creative Materials Institute, Inc. it was held onThursday March 25, 2010 in <strong>the</strong> Library <strong>of</strong> Congress MembersRoom located in <strong>the</strong> Thomas Jefferson Building. The building,outside and in, is itself a work <strong>of</strong> art. The Members Room with itsmarble fireplaces at ei<strong>the</strong>r end was an artist’s and art teacher’sdream. Displayed above <strong>the</strong> fireplaces were intricate mosaicswhich represented history and law. Seven painted panels graced<strong>the</strong> ceiling and depicted <strong>the</strong> spectrum <strong>of</strong> light. Oak panels lined<strong>the</strong> sides <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> room with oak lunettes highlighting <strong>the</strong> threedoorways. What a wonderful atmosphere in which to hold thisevent which emphasizes <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> visual arts.The reception and <strong>the</strong> ceremony matched <strong>the</strong> splendor <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>room. Vegetable platters, s<strong>of</strong>t drinks, assorted desserts and acelebratory cake were provided for <strong>the</strong> guests.Deborah Fanning, Executive Vice President <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Council for<strong>Art</strong> Education, Inc. gave <strong>the</strong> opening remarks and presentedeach young artist whose flag was represented with an awards16
<strong>Art</strong> ConnectionsBy Kristen Marino & Stephanie RomanoFrank R. Conwell MS #4, <strong>Jersey</strong> City NJhe Frank R. Conwell Middle School #4 inT <strong>Jersey</strong> City has made great strides indeveloping unique art programs <strong>of</strong>fered to 6th,7th & 8th graders. <strong>Art</strong> <strong>the</strong>rapist and educator,Kristen Marino, and art educator, StephanieRomano have been integrating <strong>the</strong> arts with21st century life and career education to expandstudents’ thinking about what art can be. With<strong>the</strong> support <strong>of</strong> administrators, colleagues andparents, two unique art programs have evolvedduring <strong>the</strong> 2009-2010 school year.The Urban <strong>Art</strong>s Program is <strong>of</strong>fered tostudents who want to develop drawing,painting, computer and design skillsrelated to urban/graffiti style art. Theprogram developed out <strong>of</strong> a need to tap<strong>the</strong> interest <strong>of</strong> at-risk children throughalternative arts not typically <strong>of</strong>fered inour school district. Computer animation,graffiti, silk screening and airbrushingare desired mediums that tend to“hook” students’ interest in school. Itgives <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> opportunity to developartistic skills, apply <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong> marketplace, and engage in positive educationalactivities. This can directly impact<strong>the</strong>ir high school choice, motivation to stay in school, and futurecareer paths. Over <strong>the</strong> past 2 years, (4) <strong>of</strong> our six 8th graders wereaccepted into <strong>the</strong> media arts and visual arts high school, and (2)were accepted into <strong>the</strong> general arts high school.Classes meet 1x/week during <strong>the</strong> school day for a 90 minute blockin groups <strong>of</strong> 5-10 students. Class size is kept small so studentscan receive more individualized attention and guidance.Programming focuses on utilizing <strong>the</strong> skills and talents <strong>of</strong>18pr<strong>of</strong>essional artists and art <strong>the</strong>rapists within <strong>the</strong> community,along with using pr<strong>of</strong>essional supplies, equipment and computers<strong>of</strong>tware. Students have <strong>the</strong> ability to learn design skills usingAdobe Photoshop and Illustrator, computer animation using 3DStudio Max, airbrushing and silk screening. Students also learnhow to create a digital portfolio and website(www.ms4urbanart.weebly.com), how tomarket and sell <strong>the</strong>ir ideas and designs, andparticipate in local art shows and festivals.Trips include visits to local galleries andpr<strong>of</strong>essionals in <strong>the</strong> industry, art supply stores,and participation in community art events.Continuing our desire to make positiveconnections with <strong>the</strong> arts within ourcommunity, <strong>the</strong> second art programspotlights <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> public art and<strong>the</strong> environmental concerns <strong>of</strong> recycling.Working with local artist Pollie Barden, Ms.Romano and her 8th grade students spentmonths collecting water bottles for Ms.Barden’s Bottled V.2 (www.bottledproject.org). Bottled V.2. was an installation<strong>of</strong> a low-resolution landscape motifmade up <strong>of</strong> more than 2,000 discardedwater bottles collected from schoolwaste receptacles, <strong>the</strong> beachfrontalong <strong>the</strong> Hackensack and HudsonRivers, city streets and neighborhoodparks. The installation was housedin <strong>the</strong> windows <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mack-Calibuilding in downtown <strong>Jersey</strong> City. Inaddition to collecting bottles, studentsalso participated by attending Ms.Barden’s artist talk at <strong>the</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> CityMuseum, where <strong>the</strong>y delivered over1300 recycled water bottles. Studentsalso experienced her finished installation when <strong>the</strong>y attended <strong>the</strong>opening reception.Because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir involvement and interest, Ms. Barden asked <strong>the</strong>students <strong>of</strong> MS #4 to redesign her bottled project in <strong>the</strong> samewindow space her original installation occupied. Beginning in <strong>the</strong>classroom, students from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Art</strong>istically Talented Class and <strong>Art</strong>Club brainstormed, sketched, and created numerous prototypesuntil <strong>the</strong>y decided on <strong>the</strong> idea <strong>of</strong> a log cabin design. There weretwo constraints <strong>the</strong>y had to work around; (1) <strong>the</strong> bottles had toremain recyclable so adhesives could not be used and (2) <strong>the</strong>re wasno budget for extra supplies. Despite <strong>the</strong>se constraints, students
came up with an inventive way to connect <strong>the</strong> bottles by cutting<strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> one and inserting it over <strong>the</strong> top <strong>of</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r.Once <strong>the</strong>y figured out how to successfully make connections <strong>the</strong>ygot to work cutting 2,000 more to be used as <strong>the</strong>ir logs.Students <strong>the</strong>n took a trip to <strong>the</strong> actual window space to build<strong>the</strong>ir life-size log cabin. Working with Ms. Barden and Ms. Roman<strong>of</strong>or two 4-hour sessions, students learned what it takes to buildan art project on such a large scale, work within time constraints,work as a team, and problem solve. Because <strong>the</strong> window spacewas narrow and could only fit four people at a time, students tookturns stacking <strong>the</strong> logs inside <strong>the</strong> window space and assembling<strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong> adjacent parking garage. In addition to <strong>the</strong> log cabin,a flower garden was created in front <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> house and flying birdsand bugs were hung over <strong>the</strong> cabin. In <strong>the</strong> end <strong>the</strong> only suppliesused to create <strong>the</strong> installation were plastic bottles and fishingline. An opening reception was held at <strong>the</strong> window space for <strong>the</strong>students to celebrate <strong>the</strong>ir accomplishment and share <strong>the</strong>ir artwith friends and family (and anyone else who happened to walkby). To view more photos <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bottled V.2 Redesign visit www.stephanieromanoart.com.19
At Grounds for Sculpture,Interactive <strong>Art</strong> Helps Frame a MovingExperienceby David Steelem sure that readers who are arts educators already have experiencedthat art possesses a quixoticI’power and, because <strong>of</strong> that, has numerouspositive effects, sometimeseven pr<strong>of</strong>ound ones. <strong>Art</strong> is capable,without it explaining why or how,<strong>of</strong> expanding your horizons bo<strong>the</strong>motionally and <strong>the</strong>n, equally inexplicably,intellectually. <strong>Art</strong> secretly helpsyou deal with anxiety, fear, sadnessand depression. It can become adependable emotional transfusion. It<strong>of</strong>fers tolerance and compassion andbridges cultural differences. Throughpublic art we celebrate our greatestaccomplishments and find meaningin our greatest tragedies. <strong>Art</strong>can exhilarate and transformus. It can stimulate emotionalmemory and creativity and,thus, rejuvenates us.Believing in this sends an importantmessage to me andI think perhaps to more andmore <strong>of</strong> us engaged in exhibitingart. What I increasinglyfind myself intent on doingis trying to help visitors overcomeindividual resistancesor fears <strong>the</strong>y may acquire anddevelop about <strong>the</strong>ir relationshipto art in a hope that eachand every one can, a step at atime, share more abundantlyin art’s wonders.Too many people have not shared, have not partaken <strong>of</strong> thiselusive feast. They view o<strong>the</strong>rs from afar going to museums,<strong>the</strong>aters, sculpture parks, concerts or dance performances andsomehow assume that <strong>the</strong> experience that those o<strong>the</strong>rs embraceand extol is somehow exclusive, probably 90 percent intellectualand, thus, personally intimidating. They <strong>the</strong>n feel <strong>the</strong>mselves tobe outsiders, not knowledgeable enough to comprehend it, to getit. So, in order to not expose and embarrass <strong>the</strong>mselves, <strong>the</strong>y sadlyavoid <strong>the</strong> attempt <strong>of</strong> discovery. Therefore, <strong>the</strong>y retreat.At Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong>, we try to shatterthat syndrome. Our goal is to make <strong>the</strong> visitor’s experience adeeply felt, personally owned one-<strong>of</strong>-a-kind developing relationshipwith art. We start with an introductory film that says <strong>the</strong>reis no right way to meet or confront art. You’ve got to follow yourown nose and, intuitively, wendyour own way across 35 beautifullylandscaped acres through your ownsequence <strong>of</strong> experiences, almostunconsciously building a uniquepattern <strong>of</strong> cumulative, very personalresponses. Much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> art, hiddenwithin nature, separates eachintroductory experience one fromano<strong>the</strong>r, many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> choices blind,instinctive, ones that have nothingto do with <strong>the</strong> knowledge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>art that lies ahead. We urge visitors,where feasible and safe, to touchand physically, socially or emotionallyinteract with <strong>the</strong> sculpture.Nobody has an advantageand, just as importantly,no one is at a disadvantage.The Grounds For Sculpture experienceis entirely individualand so, if you are moving asa group, move slowly! Alloweach person to make <strong>the</strong>irown discovery and make it in<strong>the</strong>ir own chosen sequence.Allow each and every one toslowly fill <strong>the</strong>ir own well <strong>of</strong>cognitive, emotional response,<strong>the</strong>ir own fingerprint <strong>of</strong>sequential experience. Part<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir experience may bepeople-watching, seeing o<strong>the</strong>rsexperiencing <strong>the</strong> sameprocess.20
This can be done on days when <strong>the</strong>re is<strong>the</strong> purity <strong>of</strong> just sculpture and natureintermixed, sequentially, unconsciously,challenging or seducing one’s sensibilities,or on days when <strong>the</strong>re is ano<strong>the</strong>r art formor activity to interweave with <strong>the</strong> sculptureand nature. For us this requires great diversityin our more than 250 works <strong>of</strong> sculpture,from <strong>the</strong> most accessible, representational<strong>of</strong> works to <strong>the</strong> most challengingand abstract. That gives us <strong>the</strong> best chanceat capturing <strong>the</strong> viewer’s imagination andopening doors to greater possibility. Wehope you will find that we take great carein <strong>the</strong> placement <strong>of</strong> sculpture and try to usenature to frame it, invite you to it, and evenstartle you but also give you space for intimacyand contemplation. You may find it isalso why we try to create multiple “portals<strong>of</strong> entry” that do not rely solely upon <strong>the</strong>sculpture. Where <strong>the</strong> secondary attractionis music, dance, poetry, fine dining, <strong>the</strong>ater,or a business or family event, visitors discovernew harmonic combinations because<strong>the</strong> art, in whatever form, surrounds you.This, you may find, reverses resistance andopens hearts, individually or shared withano<strong>the</strong>r, fur<strong>the</strong>r enriching <strong>the</strong> memory andmaking it easier to carry home or to workto enrich <strong>the</strong> following day.I have come to believe that <strong>the</strong> more individual<strong>the</strong> package <strong>of</strong> emotional responsesyou take home, <strong>the</strong> richer, deeper andmore durable <strong>the</strong> penetration and enrichmentyou will carry with you. These effectsconstantly both amaze and humble me,especially when I see <strong>the</strong>m in children. Theyalso feed my art and an ever-evolving vision<strong>of</strong> Grounds For Sculpture. The creativity <strong>of</strong>so many has made it what it is, including <strong>the</strong>creativity <strong>of</strong> every visitor who, by a simplestroll, has been joined in a unique, but commonexperience. This just has to end upbeing a source <strong>of</strong> strength.21
Turning Knobs andShifting Paradigmsby Andrew WerthThere are different ways to think about creativity, from <strong>the</strong>“small-c” creativity <strong>of</strong> thinking outside <strong>the</strong> box when youfinally come up with a way to do a task differently to <strong>the</strong> “Big-C”Creativity <strong>of</strong> someone like Einstein whose insights completelychanged <strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong> entireworld thinks about physics.Douglas H<strong>of</strong>stadter thinks <strong>of</strong> creativityas “variations on a <strong>the</strong>me”or “knob-twiddling”. In his bookMetamagical Themas (a collection<strong>of</strong> articles he wrote for ScientificAmerican in <strong>the</strong> 1980s), hewrites that, “Making variationson a <strong>the</strong>me is really <strong>the</strong> crux <strong>of</strong>creativity.” (H<strong>of</strong>stadter, 1985)What are <strong>the</strong>se knobs thatwe’re twiddling? Consider <strong>the</strong>knobs on a (pre-touch-screen)stereo system. The knobs letyou change things like volume,bass, and treble. When using thismetaphor to describe creativity,you’re turning <strong>the</strong> knobs on aconcept ra<strong>the</strong>r than a stereo system.For example, <strong>the</strong> abstractidea <strong>of</strong> “device that plays music”might have knobs that representdimensions such as “how <strong>the</strong>music is stored”, “how <strong>the</strong> musicis played back”, “how <strong>the</strong> musicis acquired”, “fidelity <strong>of</strong> storedmusic”, etc.22Andrew spoke at <strong>the</strong> Youth <strong>Art</strong> Month Reception for High School Students,Trenton State House,March 2010In <strong>the</strong> past, most commercial music was “stored” on vinyl disks asspirals <strong>of</strong> tiny physical bumps in grooves, purchased at a recordstore, played back on a device that spins those disks and converts<strong>the</strong> little bumps into vibrations <strong>of</strong> sound. Over <strong>the</strong> years, inventorshave tweaked those knobs in many ways. Storage moved to cassettetape, <strong>the</strong>n to digital compact discs, and now to hard drivesand memory cards. For a long time music was purchased primarilyin retail outlets, though o<strong>the</strong>r venues appeared such as musicclubs, mail order, and Amazon. These days, <strong>the</strong>re’s <strong>of</strong>ten nothingphysical that moves when music is purchased: it’s just downloadedonto a hard drive (and subsequently transferred to a memory cardon a digital music player). Note that knob-turning doesn’t alwaysneed to make things better: many audiophiles prefer <strong>the</strong> fidelity <strong>of</strong>old-fashioned vinyl records to digital MP3 players. But each time<strong>the</strong>se knobs were turned, a new product and a new market wasformed and we witnessed a form<strong>of</strong> creativity in action.In my own paintings, some <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> knobs that I twiddle relateto palette colors; design strategy;<strong>the</strong> physical support’s size, shape,and material; or how <strong>the</strong> marksthat make up my paintings areapplied (e.g., in one layer or inmany layers separated by glazes).By varying <strong>the</strong>se (and manyo<strong>the</strong>r) knobs, I have a large spacein which to explore and producenew paintings. If I feel that I’mrepeating myself, I can ei<strong>the</strong>r trytwisting some knobs fur<strong>the</strong>r thanI have in <strong>the</strong> past or in differentdirections, or I can look for a newknob altoge<strong>the</strong>r. For instance,most <strong>of</strong> my abstract paintings todate have been informed by myinterest in cognitive science and<strong>the</strong> philosophy <strong>of</strong> mind. But atsome point, I know that I’ll wantto change “subject matter” from aconstant into a knob and turn itto something else. I have a list <strong>of</strong>o<strong>the</strong>r possible knobs that I mightsomeday call upon in order formy work to continue to grow andgo <strong>of</strong>f in new directions.
<strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs who changed <strong>the</strong> paradigms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir respective fieldsthrough Big-C Creativity. (Gardner, 1993)While most <strong>of</strong> us probably won’t be changing paradigms on <strong>the</strong>scale <strong>of</strong> Picasso or Einstein, we can look for and cultivate opportunitiesfor discovering and turning <strong>the</strong> creative knobs in our ownwork and for encouraging those we teach to do <strong>the</strong> same.In order to make knob turning a creative act, however, one has t<strong>of</strong>igure out what <strong>the</strong> knobs are. This requires thinking abstractly.One type <strong>of</strong> abstraction is generalization, where an analysis <strong>of</strong> aconcept’s common attributes helps you figure out <strong>the</strong> knobs. Perhaps<strong>the</strong> most creative and satisfying aspect <strong>of</strong> s<strong>of</strong>tware development(my previous career) is designing <strong>the</strong> abstract model for <strong>the</strong>objects in a system and deciding what <strong>the</strong>ir knobs will be. Ano<strong>the</strong>rtype <strong>of</strong> abstraction is metaphor, <strong>the</strong> “understanding and experiencing<strong>of</strong> one kind <strong>of</strong> thing in terms <strong>of</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r.” (Lak<strong>of</strong>f & Johnson,1980) For instance, once you recognize <strong>the</strong> common metaphorthat “life is a journey”, you might reason about how to resolve being“stuck in a rut” by changing direction and giving yourself a littlepush.Ano<strong>the</strong>r kind <strong>of</strong> creativity – “Big-C” Creativity, <strong>the</strong> kind that leadsto what we call a paradigm shift – usually requires more than justtwiddling some knobs. It may mean changing <strong>the</strong> set <strong>of</strong> knobscompletely. Einstein recognized that <strong>the</strong>re were problems with<strong>the</strong> <strong>New</strong>tonian picture <strong>of</strong> physics, where space is absolute andtime moves along evenly for everyone, and saw that minor tweakswouldn’t solve <strong>the</strong> problems. Through clever thought experiments,superior visual-spatial imagination, and sheer hard work,he changed <strong>the</strong> worldview <strong>of</strong> physics to one where time and spacearen’t fixed but are curved in <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> matter and energy.Pablo Picasso, Martha Graham, and Igor Stravinsky are examplesReferencesGardner, H. (1993). Creating Minds. <strong>New</strong> York: BasicBooks.H<strong>of</strong>stadter, D. (1985). Metamagical Themas: Questing for <strong>the</strong> Essence<strong>of</strong> Mind and Pattern. <strong>New</strong> York: BasicBooks.Lak<strong>of</strong>f, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: TheUniversity <strong>of</strong> Chicago Press.23
Priceless Pr<strong>of</strong>essionalDevelopment: Receiving <strong>the</strong>Geraldine R. Dodge’s Visual <strong>Art</strong>sInitiative FellowshipDollars, Dodge and a Dream!by Jude HarzerIrecall sealing <strong>the</strong> envelope containing my completed applicationfor <strong>the</strong> Geraldine R. Dodge’s Visual <strong>Art</strong>s Initiative Fellowshipwith a kiss and a wish before mailing it! That’s right…akiss and a wish! Although I had never before applied for such anaward, I felt particularly hopeful about <strong>the</strong> possibility <strong>of</strong> receivingthis grant. The purpose <strong>of</strong> this program was to provide NJ publicschool art educators, who actively produce and exhibit <strong>the</strong>ir ownwork, funding which would allow <strong>the</strong>m to rejuvenate <strong>the</strong>mselvesas visual artists during <strong>the</strong> summer months! $ 5000 would beawarded to each recipient to pursue a project <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir choice. I wasoverwhelmed with ideas and excited by <strong>the</strong> possibilities!One thing I have learned as both a visual artist and educator, isthat my best work results when I trust my own instincts. During<strong>the</strong> application phase <strong>of</strong> this process, my confidence waivered andI responded to <strong>the</strong> essays with <strong>the</strong> review board, ra<strong>the</strong>r than myself,in mind. Upon completion, I handed my efforts to my daughter,a gifted writer, to critique and “approve.” I nearly cried whenshe basically suggested that I trash <strong>the</strong> application and beginanew. She explained that my answers revealed nothing personalabout who I was as an artist andas an individual. I believe she used<strong>the</strong> words, “boring, impersonaland excessive use <strong>of</strong> educationalrhetoric.” Her advice, “Be genuineand tell <strong>the</strong>m your story!”.I desperatelywanted this fellowship andso considered her wise words. Ispent many hours rewriting <strong>the</strong>entire application. The kiss and<strong>the</strong> wish were actually for mydaughter ,who reminded me to beau<strong>the</strong>ntic and to trust my own thoughts and abilities.In order to apply for <strong>the</strong> grant, I also needed to seriously considerhow I would effectively use <strong>the</strong>se precious funds to advance <strong>the</strong>content and direction <strong>of</strong> my work as a visual artist. I entertainedthoughts <strong>of</strong> painting in Italy or studying pattern and textile designin India. Both were viable options but my main objective was to explore,in depth, my own painting. My proposed “project” was to liveand paint in <strong>New</strong> York City as an artist in residence at <strong>the</strong> School<strong>of</strong> Visual <strong>Art</strong>s during July and August <strong>of</strong> 2009. I was attracted tothis program because it <strong>of</strong>fered <strong>the</strong> opportunity to for uninterrupted,intensive painting, under <strong>the</strong> guidance <strong>of</strong> accomplishedpr<strong>of</strong>essional artists. I would have my very own studio space, with24 hour/7 day access .The culminating event, would be an openstudio exhibit at SVA, with artists, critics and gallery owners inattendance. Perfect!Living <strong>the</strong> Dream!The great news is that <strong>the</strong> kiss,<strong>the</strong> wishes and <strong>the</strong> applicationrevision worked! My proposalwas approved and fully funded! Idid in fact paint at SVA in my veryown, well lit 4 th floor studio on21 st Street and lived at <strong>the</strong> GeorgeWashington residence hall on LexingtonAvenue in a single dormroom for 5 entire weeks! It waslike a dream!24
There were approximately 25 o<strong>the</strong>r artists participating in <strong>the</strong>same painting/mixed media program. These emerging artistswere from very diverse backgrounds and cultures, most not beingfrom <strong>the</strong> United States. I was privileged to meet and interact dailywith students from Austria, China, France, Spain, Estonia, Turkeyand Japan. The cultural and ideological versatility <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se artistsand <strong>the</strong>ir works, made for incredibly interesting and intelligentinteractions and critiques.Did I mention critiques?The critique process was one which I secretly dreaded. I wonderedif <strong>the</strong>y would expose me as talentless and suggest I pursue analternate pr<strong>of</strong>ession! :) I awaited <strong>the</strong> pain <strong>of</strong> scrutiny conductedby a panel <strong>of</strong> renowned artists including, Alois Kronschlager, AmyMyers, Peter Hrist<strong>of</strong>f, Danica Phelps and art critic, David Gibson.I nervously welcomed <strong>the</strong>ir guidance. The first was indeed <strong>the</strong>most painful. My initial assessment by faculty member, artist, AloisKronschlager, was <strong>the</strong> most definitive and memorable. He indeedchallenged my confidence. After a few tear filled encounters, I realizedthat he wanted little more than for me to “BELIEVE” in myselfas an artist and in <strong>the</strong> intention <strong>of</strong> my work ! These critiques weremeant to inspire growth, not diminish spirit. Once I was able toembrace <strong>the</strong>m as such, I felt freer to focus on <strong>the</strong> improvement <strong>of</strong>technique, skills and composition. The work and <strong>the</strong> “worth” afterall, are in <strong>the</strong> process.passion for my discipline. My appreciation for last summer’sopportunity, afforded by The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, is immeasurable.It was undoubtedly, <strong>the</strong> most valuable form <strong>of</strong> qualitypr<strong>of</strong>essional development that I could have experienced. I lived andpainted as a fine artist in <strong>New</strong> York City! My nearly 700 Kindergartenart students at <strong>the</strong> Brick Community Primary Learning Center,also benefited from my efforts as I was awarded an additional$2000. grant for <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong> implementing a relief printmakingprogram in our school. This project promoted collaboration andcommunity awareness. Their art was created with <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong>being shared. Volunteers, staff members, administrators, children’sbook author, Alyssa Satin Capucilli, and o<strong>the</strong>rs, received beautifulprints and cards designed by my students.Unfortunately, due to financial cutbacks, <strong>the</strong> Dodge Foundationhas suspended availability <strong>of</strong> this fellowship program until fur<strong>the</strong>rnotice. However, here is a truly priceless link that I would like toshare! Colleague and Dodge fellow, So Yoon Lym, sent this comprehensivelink featuring grants, fellowship and residency opportunitiesfor artists and art educators, compiled by Jeanne Brasile, curator<strong>of</strong> Seton Hall University Galleries http://jeannecurates.com/#/links/4534099946. Unleash your artistic genius by considering one<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se worthwhile pr<strong>of</strong>essional development opportunities!http://judeharzerfineart.blogspot.comIt’s showtime!My experience at SVA, culminated in an open studio exhibit, heldon <strong>the</strong> evening <strong>of</strong> August 6, 2009. Each participant was responsiblefor transforming <strong>the</strong>ir studio space into a gallery setting. The objectivewas to create an environment that best showcased selectedworks. The space had to <strong>the</strong>n be returned to its original statewithin 24 hours, post exhibit. I prepared walls with a distressedfaux finish, painted <strong>the</strong> floor and designed literature for advertising,business cards, and invites. Preparation for <strong>the</strong> exhibition was<strong>the</strong> final stage in <strong>the</strong> creation process and reinforced <strong>the</strong> notionthat our efforts truly become “<strong>Art</strong>”, when shared. The event waswell attended and a great success! It yielded additional exhibitionopportunities for me in <strong>the</strong> fall and winter months. Attending criticsand gallery owners invited select artists to exhibit in Chelsea.Several <strong>of</strong> my works were featured in <strong>the</strong> “Essential <strong>Art</strong> and MusicShow”, last October in NYC.Priceless!The greatest gift I can <strong>of</strong>fer my students, is my enthusiasm and25
The <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> Performing<strong>Art</strong>s CenterThe <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> Performing <strong>Art</strong>s Center and AENJ are again collaboratingto bring <strong>the</strong> visual and performing arts toge<strong>the</strong>r.Your students’ artwork could be displayed beautifully in <strong>the</strong> VictoriaTheatre lobby and be viewed by thousands.2010 September AENJ Calendar ExhibitSeptember 12th- NJPAC Set-up, 10am to 12pmSeptember 19th- NJPAC Student <strong>Art</strong> Reception, 11am to 12pm2010 Winter Exhibit<strong>Art</strong>work must be received no later than November 3 rdDecember 5th- NJPAC Set-up, 10am to 12pmDecember 18th- NJPAC Student <strong>Art</strong> Reception, 11am to 12pmFree KWANZAA Festival to follow reception at 2pm2011 Winter Exhibit<strong>Art</strong>work must be received no later than January 5 thFebruary 6th- NJPAC Set-up, 10am to 12pmFebruary 13th- NJPAC Student <strong>Art</strong> Reception, 11am to 12pm2011 Spring Exhibit<strong>Art</strong>work must be received no later than February 28 thMarch 27th- NJPAC Set-up, 10am to 12pmApril 3rd- NJPAC Student <strong>Art</strong> Reception, 11am to 12pm2011 September AENJ Calendar Exhibit<strong>Art</strong>work must be received no later than June 3 rdLook for more info at www.aenj.org and in Web-beat in <strong>the</strong> upcomingmonths!Some things to remember to participate in <strong>the</strong> NJPAC/AENJ Student<strong>Art</strong> Exhibits:NJPAC provides frames…so size is MANDATORY!<strong>Art</strong>work will mount to 12x18 horizontal image or 18x24 verticalimage.You may mount artwork on construction paper to make <strong>the</strong> artwork<strong>the</strong> sizes above. No o<strong>the</strong>r size artwork can be accepted.10- 18x24 images and 20- 12x18 images are selected for every exhibit.The AENJ Permission Label must be completed and attached to<strong>the</strong> back <strong>of</strong> each piece. Labels can be found at: http://www.aenj.org/files/AENJ_Permission_NEW_10-11.docMail all artwork in FLAT packaging to:Carrie RussonielloEJF, Jr.-Aldene School339 W. Webster AvenueRoselle Park, NJ 0720426
<strong>Art</strong> as Museby Cheryl ParisiSince <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ancient Greeks,a muse has been considered to bea source <strong>of</strong> inspiration for an artist’sgenius. By <strong>the</strong> late Hellenistic period,<strong>the</strong>re were considered to be nine muses.However, <strong>the</strong>y were meant to inspireepic poetry, history, lyric poetry, music,tragedy, choral poetry, dance, comedyand astronomy.What happened to <strong>the</strong> visual arts? Well,if <strong>the</strong> visual arts didn’t have a muse, <strong>the</strong>ycan at least take credit for playing museto some 450 students at <strong>the</strong> Nellie K.Parker Elementary School in Hackensack.Two years ago, Lillian Whitaker, principalat Parker School and a formermusic teacher in <strong>the</strong> Hackensack SchoolDistrict, approached me and asked ifit was feasible to combine <strong>the</strong> visualarts and literacy in an intriguing way.She proposed an art show where all<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> students in our school (gradesPre-K through Four) could choose <strong>the</strong>ir favorite piece <strong>of</strong> artworkwhich <strong>the</strong>y created during <strong>the</strong> school year and write about it. Theliterary work would ei<strong>the</strong>r be a piece <strong>of</strong> poetry or prose. It coulddescribe <strong>the</strong> artwork, let <strong>the</strong> viewer know why <strong>the</strong> student chosethis specific art piece to write about, or <strong>the</strong> young artist couldcreate a story based on his or her art. The writing could be seriousor whimsical. In <strong>the</strong> end, it would be <strong>the</strong> culmination <strong>of</strong> what ourstudents learned about <strong>the</strong> literary arts during <strong>the</strong> year and <strong>the</strong>irinspiration would be one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own visual creations.The inaugural show, “Celebration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Art</strong>s,” took place on May20, 2009 and was a great success. Reading Coach Arlena Jones cochaired<strong>the</strong> event with me. Children in all classes, including thosein special education participated. <strong>Art</strong>work from <strong>the</strong> year was sentto <strong>the</strong> students’ classrooms. The young artists chose which piece<strong>of</strong> art <strong>the</strong>y wanted to write about. Students and teachers spentseveral days brainstorming and <strong>the</strong>n refining <strong>the</strong> writings. Once<strong>the</strong> written word was put down on paper, <strong>the</strong> artwork, poetry orprose were mounted toge<strong>the</strong>r and displayed on <strong>the</strong> main level <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> school in <strong>the</strong> auditorium, cafeteria, gymnasium and hallways.Invitations were sent out to <strong>the</strong> parents, administration, <strong>the</strong>Hackensack Board <strong>of</strong> Education, and <strong>the</strong> Hackensack City Council.A brochure was created to discuss <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> program aswell as display a map <strong>of</strong> where <strong>the</strong> pieces <strong>of</strong> art would be found.The display <strong>of</strong> each child’s work was a wonderful sight. Each parentin attendance marveled at <strong>the</strong>ir child’s work as well as <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong>o<strong>the</strong>r students.To add to this gallery-like atmosphere,Parker teachers volunteeredto create finger sandwiches. Severalteachers <strong>the</strong>n walked around <strong>the</strong>“gallery space” with trays <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se delicious<strong>of</strong>ferings, serving <strong>the</strong> invitedguests.To top <strong>the</strong> evening <strong>of</strong>f, several musicalmembers <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> community volunteered<strong>the</strong>ir services to entertain<strong>the</strong> guests with interludes <strong>of</strong> vocalsand piano solos in addition to o<strong>the</strong>rentertainment.This year, <strong>the</strong> second annual “Celebration<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Art</strong>s” was held on Thursday,May 27 th . We followed almost <strong>the</strong>same procedure as last year. As withany initial project, <strong>the</strong>re is alwayssome room for improvement. Thisyear, to make <strong>the</strong> event even moregallery-like, we sent out a “Save <strong>the</strong>Date” postcard to parents and o<strong>the</strong>rinvited guests with one <strong>of</strong> our fourthgradestudent’s art designs on <strong>the</strong>front and pertinent information on<strong>the</strong> back.This year, students made <strong>the</strong>ir selection<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> artwork <strong>the</strong>y wanted to write about in <strong>the</strong> art roominstead <strong>of</strong> sending <strong>the</strong>ir art to <strong>the</strong> homeroom teacher. This made<strong>the</strong> selection process go more quickly. The artwork and writingpieces were displayed on 18”x24” black construction paper or <strong>the</strong>construction paper was cut smaller to accommodate a smallerpicture. This made it easier than trying to decide what colorsshould be chosen as background paper. With approximately 450pieces <strong>of</strong> student work, this became a necessity. This was also agreat help because it cut down on <strong>the</strong> space where <strong>the</strong> artworkwas to be displayed. This year, <strong>the</strong> gym didn’t have to be used asa display area. Although masking tape was used on <strong>the</strong> cafeteriawindows (<strong>the</strong> outer wall is made entirely <strong>of</strong> glass windows) to cutdown on residue, we used a lot <strong>of</strong> Fun-Tak to hang <strong>the</strong> artwork in<strong>the</strong> auditorium and <strong>the</strong> hallways when <strong>the</strong>re weren’t any bulletinboards for displays. Teacher volunteers placed <strong>the</strong> work from eachclass toge<strong>the</strong>r. Last year, <strong>the</strong> hope was that parents would walkaround <strong>the</strong> entire gallery area looking for <strong>the</strong>ir child’s work if <strong>the</strong>student’s art was completely separated. However, it made it moredifficult to place <strong>the</strong> work in a way that made it easier to organize.Still, to everyone’s surprise, parents this year still wandered aroundlooking at <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> artwork.As part <strong>of</strong> May 27 th ’s show, we still had those delicious sandwichesand o<strong>the</strong>r treats. And our musical guests this year ranged froman opera singer to jazz musicians. But, <strong>the</strong> real stars were <strong>the</strong>students’ artwork: <strong>the</strong> muses for <strong>the</strong> beautiful, thoughtful and attimes humorous writing which adorned this show.27
The Lonely Penguin<strong>From</strong> <strong>the</strong> Visual <strong>Art</strong>sto <strong>the</strong> Literary<strong>Art</strong>s:The Creative Processby Cheryl ParisiThe artwork chosen by <strong>the</strong> Parker School students to inspire<strong>the</strong>ir literary creativity ranged from a kindergartener’sunique elephant based on David McKee’s book “Elmer” to paperweavings done by second graders influenced by <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> JacksonPollock, and even a design project influenced by <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong>Romero Britto (Thank you Carrie Russoniello for your inspirationat <strong>the</strong> 2009 AENJ Conference).Since kindergarten students are just learning how to write,<strong>the</strong> kindergarten teachers needed to keep <strong>the</strong> writing within amanageable format while still allowing <strong>the</strong> children to use <strong>the</strong>irimaginations while exploring <strong>the</strong>ir writings. One way to do thiswas for me to read a picture book, also a part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir classroomcurriculum, to <strong>the</strong> students.There was a little penguinnamed Victoria in Antarctica. Shewanted friends more than anything.Everyone but her had friends andthat made her sad. She lookedaround and <strong>the</strong>n she saw a lonelypenguin like her. She went to<strong>the</strong> girl and asked her name.Her name was Latoya and <strong>the</strong>ysaid lets be friends!By <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> first grade, <strong>the</strong> students have more opportunity towork independently, as shown here by Andreas’ “The Circus Horses”and Adjowa’s “The Lonely Penguin”:The Circus HorsesAt <strong>the</strong> circus lived a horsenamed Rex and his family. Rexiis white with brown spots andhe likes to run in circles. When hewas running he looked away when hewas going up <strong>the</strong> ramp. He flipped and gothurt. His family helped him to get upand kept <strong>the</strong> show going!Third grade students’ work ranged from prose to poetry to a combination<strong>of</strong> both:Nia’s underwater scene inspired her to write:What Do Humans Look Like?“Hey!” yelled Star to Darty.“Hey!” answered Darty in a deep blue ocean voice.“I heard <strong>the</strong>re’s a big new museum,” said Nemo.Darty interrupted and stated, “We should go this afternoon.”Star replied in a squeaky voice, “Lets go get Shark, Hammer, Eelie,Crabie, and Jelly.”Once <strong>the</strong>y were all toge<strong>the</strong>r, Nemo explained that <strong>the</strong> museum28
is showing <strong>the</strong> fish what humans look like. “Wow! Wow! Wow!”blurted <strong>the</strong> hammer fish. The star fish suggested that <strong>the</strong>y go andtake a look.“Look at those humans. That one over <strong>the</strong>re has short blonde hair.The o<strong>the</strong>r one has short red hair. Why are all <strong>the</strong>ir noses pushedagainst <strong>the</strong> glass?” questioned Eelie.“Hey!” asked Darty. “Why are <strong>the</strong>y wearing those dresses? Why are<strong>the</strong>y so dressed up?”“I know,” gasped Jellie. “We are in <strong>the</strong> museum and <strong>the</strong>y are lookingat us.”HandsSo many different peopleSo many different handsYour hands can help you when you fall.Your hands can even catch a ball.Hands are used for many things.I am so glad to have my hands.A luscious looking cupcake drawn by Afua evoked this idea:Sweet CupcakeThe creamy silky goodnessThat’s swirled up all on topSo sweet like candyIt’s hard to keep from tasting it.The zigzag orange wrapperHolds all that yum inside.I’m peeling back that orange skinSo I can taste its sweet delight.I’ll wrap my teeth around itAnd let <strong>the</strong>m sink in slowIcing will coat my lipsAnd maybe <strong>the</strong> tip <strong>of</strong> my nose.Gianna incorporated poetry within her story.Several fourth grade students were inspired to write poems about<strong>the</strong>ir work. Emma wrote <strong>the</strong> following about her rabbit design:Meet Running BunnyMy friend Running BunnyHe runs all aroundLook, <strong>the</strong>re he isJumping on <strong>the</strong> ground!He can change into different colors,Multiply by <strong>the</strong> numbers.What else can he do?I think he can change into different patterns too.First he looks like chocolate.And you will love it when he turns into a rainbow.He’s amazing, sooooo…Go and meet him!Mr. Running BunnyHe is very funny.He is always happy like a clown,So don’t even try to put him down.Red, green, purple and blueI’d like to meet him,How about you?!Elizabeth and <strong>the</strong> PoemOne hot summer day a girl named Elizabeth went to her friendMary’s house. “Mary, Mary, Mary,” Elizabeth shouted miserably.“What?” Mary shouted. “I need to write a poem but I don’t knowwhat to write a poem about,” Elizabeth answered terribly. “Whatcan I do?” asked Elizabeth, worried. Elizabeth was as worried as amo<strong>the</strong>r fish about to be eaten. “Well, you can write a poem aboutsomething useful you use everyday,” Mary answered. “Pencils, books,elbow…” “Stop” Elizabeth shouted. “I will write a poem about hands”Elizabeth answered.Saturday morning Elizabeth worked really hard on her poemand was so excited. Here is how Elizabeth’s poem goes:29
Senior High School StudentScholarship ApplicationsAENJ Scholarship and GrantProgramsSusan Bivona, AENJ Past President - Grants & Scholarship Chairspbivona@aenj.orgScholarship Winners:High School Scholarship Recipients:$2,000.00 Nicole Pivinski Piscataway High School<strong>Art</strong> Teacher: Dorothy Amme$2,000.00 Xizi Chen Academy for Visual & Performing <strong>Art</strong>s<strong>Art</strong> Teacher: JoAnn Onnembo$1,000.00 Cindy Chan Academy for Visual & Performing <strong>Art</strong><strong>Art</strong> Teacher: JoAnn Onnembo$1,000.00 Barbara Yang Academy for Visual & Performing <strong>Art</strong>s<strong>Art</strong> Teacher: JoAnn OnnemboCollege Scholarship RecipientsKathryn Petrillo = $1,500.00Susan Mitrano = $500.00Past Presidents’ Scholarship RecipientsAlicia Bynoe = $2,000.00Joseph Schwartz = $500.00Lauren Parmelee Murphy = $500.00Applications Due: February 21st, 2011<strong>New</strong> for 2010 - 2011Attention High School Teachers - <strong>the</strong> DUE DATE for <strong>the</strong> High SchoolScholarship has been moved back to February 21st, 2011.ALL Applications and Portfolios will be completed ONLINE!In 2010, AENJ provided $17,000 in scholarships to students at alllevels. Take advantage <strong>of</strong> this opportunity to help your studentsfur<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>ir education; <strong>the</strong>y are <strong>the</strong> future <strong>of</strong> our pr<strong>of</strong>ession.Candidates for this award include high school seniors interestedin pursuing <strong>the</strong> study <strong>of</strong> visual art or art education in any publicor private school <strong>of</strong> higher learning. It is our intention to select astudent whose submission is diversified. The nominator must bean active member <strong>of</strong> AENJ for a period <strong>of</strong> not less than two years.The deadline for High School scholarship applications is February21st! You need to submit your student applications by February21st, 2011 so that <strong>the</strong> scholarship committee may evaluate <strong>the</strong>m.Students selected to receive scholarships are honored at <strong>the</strong> Governor’sAwards in <strong>Art</strong> Education ceremony in May 2011.Information about all scholarships may be found on our website:http://www.aenj.org/pages/scholarships. The link for <strong>the</strong> highschool applications form can be found at <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> this pageas well as descriptions <strong>of</strong> all scholarships and <strong>the</strong> link to a helpfulcheck <strong>of</strong>f list for all scholarship applications.High School Scholarship Award Winners30
AENJ GrantsMoney available for AENJ Members and <strong>the</strong>irStudentsApplications Due: April 15, 2011NEW for 2010 - 2011The entire process for applying for an AENJ Grant has been putONLINE. This makes applying for a grant even easier!We encourage ALL members to apply!Do you have a student who would like to take an art class afterschool or on <strong>the</strong> weekend? The AENJ Student Enrichment Grant isintended to provide AENJ art teachers an opportunity to encourage<strong>the</strong>ir students entering grades 1 through 11 to participate in artclasses, beyond those <strong>of</strong>fered by <strong>the</strong> regular school curriculum.Is <strong>the</strong>re a workshop you would like to take this summer? TheAENJ Summer Workshop Grant was established to encourage artteachers to attend summer workshops to rejuvenate <strong>the</strong>mselvesas artists and enhance <strong>the</strong>ir skills as educators?Would you like to attend our October 2011 conference in Somerset,NJ or <strong>the</strong> Spring 2012 National <strong>Art</strong> Education Association (NAEA)Convention in <strong>New</strong> York City? AENJ recognizes attendance at <strong>the</strong>seevents as important to <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional growth <strong>of</strong> our members.Two grants are available to help you defray <strong>the</strong> costs <strong>of</strong> participatingin <strong>the</strong>se two annual events.The AENJ Residency Grant presents members <strong>the</strong> opportunity tospend extended time at our fall conference. Grantees are reimbursedfor ONE night’s stay in <strong>the</strong> hotel to encourage <strong>the</strong>ir fullparticipation, including evening programs and activities, as a part<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir pr<strong>of</strong>essional development experience.The Rick Lasher Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Growth Grant was named afterformer AENJ President Rick Lasher for her dedication and commitmentto pr<strong>of</strong>essional growth and development <strong>of</strong> all art teachersin NJ. Grantees receive $500 to financially support <strong>the</strong>ir attendanceat <strong>the</strong> NAEA Convention.Pre-Service Teachers would you like to attend <strong>the</strong> National <strong>Art</strong>Education Convention? Apply for <strong>the</strong> NAEA Convention pre-ServiceTeacher/Student Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Growth Grant. Grantees receive$500 to financially support <strong>the</strong>ir attendance at <strong>the</strong> NAEA Convention.The application for this grant only is due: December 31st, 2010.The AENJ Special Events Grant, This grant was established to supportevents that promote quality art education outside <strong>the</strong>traditionalschool setting and that bring art education to a community<strong>of</strong> people. A maximum <strong>of</strong> $500.00 will be awarded to <strong>the</strong> grantrecipient. If you have a community event that needs financial supportthis grant just might be for you!A full description <strong>of</strong> ALL <strong>the</strong> AENJ Grants as well as all <strong>the</strong> necessaryforms can be found on our website at: http://www.aenj.org/pages/grants2010 AENJ Grants Recipients:Summer WorkshopGlobal Explorations INDIA (7/29 - 8/15) $500.00Lisa Schustak, Florham ParkSummer WorkshopSCAD - <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Educators</strong> Forum (7/25 - 31/2010) $450.00Amy North, ManchesterNAEA Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development Grant $500.00Karen Kiick, CollingswoodGraduate & College StudentScholarship ApplicationsApplications Due: April 15, 2011<strong>New</strong> for 2010 - 2011<strong>the</strong> entire process for applying for an AENJ Scholarship has beenput ONLINE. This makes applying for a scholarship even easier!We encourage ALL members to apply!Are you a college student majoring in visual art or visual art education?Are you an AENJ member pursuing a degree in art educationor an art teacher pursuing a master’s degree in an art related fieldsuch as <strong>Art</strong> Administration, <strong>Art</strong> Supervision, Museum Education,<strong>Art</strong> History, <strong>Art</strong> Curriculum or Studio <strong>Art</strong>s? If you answered yes toei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se questions, you are eligible to apply for AENJ scholarships<strong>of</strong> at least $1,000 that are paid directly to your college tuition.Information about all scholarships can be found on <strong>the</strong> AENJ website:http://www.aenj.org/pages/scholarships Descriptions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>AENJ Past Presidents’ Graduate Scholarship and College StudentScholarship can be found on this page along with links to <strong>the</strong>ir ApplicationInformation Sheet.31
Children’s <strong>Art</strong> Takes Flight at<strong>New</strong>ark Liberty Airport(Students Display Murals – A collaboration <strong>of</strong> state, schooldistrict, art organization & community organizations)By Jenifer Simon and Alonzrea (Lonnie) Stewart-AustinPassengers from all over <strong>the</strong> world travelling through <strong>New</strong>arkInternational Liberty Airport Terminal B will be greeted witha collection <strong>of</strong> murals created by children from nearby MountVernon School in <strong>New</strong>ark, NJ. The exhibit, <strong>Art</strong> Beyond <strong>the</strong> Horizons, isa unique project by <strong>Art</strong>s Horizons, a <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> arts-in-educationorganization that has brought <strong>the</strong> joy and vitality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> arts toover eight million children since 1978.The murals were unveiled to <strong>the</strong> public in June 2009 in <strong>the</strong> Airport’sTerminal B on <strong>the</strong> departure level. The opening ceremonycommenced with a performance by <strong>the</strong> Mount Vernon ChoralEnsemble and include remarks by Susan Bass Levin, Deputy ExecutiveDirector <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Port Authority <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> York and <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong>;Nina Mitchell Wells, <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> Secretary <strong>of</strong> State, who presenteda Proclamation; and Carol Herbert, Chair <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> StateCouncil on <strong>the</strong> <strong>Art</strong>s. Community organizations, The Essex CountyChapter <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Links, Inc., The Zonta Club <strong>of</strong> Essex County and TheBUS Shop, Inc. supported <strong>the</strong> event by providing tee-shirts for<strong>the</strong> students. The exhibition will be on display on <strong>the</strong> temporarywalls <strong>of</strong> Terminal B which have been erected while <strong>the</strong> terminal isundergoing renovations.With funding provided by The Port Authority <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> York & <strong>New</strong><strong>Jersey</strong> and <strong>the</strong> Aviation Development Council, <strong>Art</strong>s Horizonsprovided a 10-week artist-in-residence program for seventy-sevenfourth through eighth grade Mount Vernon students to createtwelve acrylic murals. <strong>Art</strong>s Horizons’ <strong>Art</strong>ist-in-Residence Kit Sailerled students through <strong>the</strong> mural-making process in collaborationwith Mount Vernon School art teachers AENJ/NAEA member LonnieStewart-Austin, Laura Salley and social worker Charles Webb.Ms. Sailer explained, “The children, many <strong>of</strong> whom arrived at <strong>the</strong>airport when immigrating to <strong>the</strong> United States, were inspired byits global connections and history, as well as <strong>the</strong>ir own experiences.The <strong>the</strong>mes for <strong>the</strong> murals selected by <strong>the</strong> students were basedon <strong>the</strong>ir own research about what airports do in addition to flyingplanes. The <strong>the</strong>mes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> murals include cultural diversity, immigration,transportation, aviation engineering and <strong>the</strong> TuskegeeAirmen.”Fifth-grader Joccelyn Alvarado described <strong>the</strong> mural making process.“We started with sketches. I made a train and a plane. When itwas done, we transferred it on <strong>the</strong> actual board that <strong>the</strong> mural ison.”Soon, <strong>the</strong> painting would begin. “It was hard painting <strong>the</strong> smalldetails like faces, small plants and building details,” Joccelyn explained,“It helped to use different brushes and mix colors to make<strong>the</strong>m look different than <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs.”Fifth-grader Yousaf Khan reflected on <strong>the</strong> opportunity to displaystudent art work. “<strong>New</strong>ark Airport is a great place for kids to show<strong>the</strong>ir work – it will grab people’s attention <strong>of</strong> what youngsters cando and this makes me proud to be a Mount Vernon School student.”The idea for <strong>Art</strong> Beyond <strong>the</strong> Horizons developed after Carol Herbertexpressed interest in seeing more artwork at <strong>New</strong>ark Airport. In2003, <strong>Art</strong>s Horizons held its first exhibition <strong>of</strong> children’s murals atJohn F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4 in <strong>New</strong> Yorkand was interested in developing a similar exhibition at <strong>New</strong>arkAirport. <strong>Art</strong>s Horizons selected Mount Vernon School to create <strong>the</strong>murals due to its commitment to art education, student development,and community outreach.Principal Bertha Dyer remarked, “We’re honored to have beenchosen for this project among all <strong>the</strong> schools in <strong>New</strong>ark. It’s a testamentto our school’s dedicated faculty and exceptional students.”In order to honor <strong>the</strong> students hard work, plans are being madefor <strong>the</strong> murals to be permanently installed on <strong>the</strong> school grounds.32
about <strong>Art</strong>s Horizons<strong>Art</strong>s Horizons, located in Englewood, NJ, is a premier arts-in-education organizationthat provides live pr<strong>of</strong>essional performances and artist-in-residence programs tostudents grades PreK-12 throughout <strong>the</strong> entire tri-state region. The organizationworks to transform schools into vibrant, exciting places where children gain appreciationfor <strong>the</strong> arts, fulfill <strong>the</strong>ir need to create and use <strong>the</strong> arts to improve <strong>the</strong>irpr<strong>of</strong>iciency in reading, writing and math. Its mission is to foster development <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>whole person and to improve education by delivering quality arts programs andactivities that engage schools and communities. Contact Jenifer Simon, Director <strong>of</strong>NJ Programs, Partnerships and The <strong>Art</strong>ist/Teacher Institute, email jenifer@artshorizons.org,www.artshorizons.orgAbout <strong>New</strong>ark AirportThe Port Authority <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> York and <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> has operated <strong>New</strong>ark Liberty InternationalAirport (EWR) under a lease with <strong>the</strong> City <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong>ark since March 22, 1948.As <strong>of</strong> 2008, Terminal B is being renovated to increase capacity for departing passengersand passenger comfort. The renovations include expanding and updating<strong>the</strong> ticketing areas, building a new departure level for domestic flights, and buildinga new arrivals hall.About Kit SailerKit Sailer is an experienced fine art painter and muralist. She has created group muralswith children <strong>of</strong> all ages as a teaching artist and artist-in-residence with <strong>Art</strong>sHorizons, <strong>the</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> State Council on <strong>the</strong> <strong>Art</strong>s, The <strong>Jersey</strong> City Museum andThe Boys and Girls Club <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong>ark. Ms. Sailer teaches adult students at <strong>the</strong> Visual<strong>Art</strong>s Center <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong>, The <strong>New</strong>ark Museum and The <strong>Art</strong>ist/Teacher Institute.About Mount Vernon Elementary SchoolMount Vernon Elementary School has a population <strong>of</strong> 730 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 8 th grate and is located in <strong>the</strong> West Ward <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong>ark, NJ.The vision at Mount Vernon School is to empower all students to become life-longlearners by forming active partnerships with parents, staff, and community. Theschool’s staff and student body represent a diverse background <strong>of</strong> individuals frommore than 50 countries.33
Kean ExhibitThe Journey <strong>of</strong> aPainting.By Fiona WeissThis year’s AENJ membersexhibit was an exciting andnew experience for me; it was myfirst real exhibit outside <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>college experience and was also <strong>the</strong>first time I had an opportunity togallery sit and welcome visitors.The painting I chose to display wasmy most recent work and one that has a rich story all it’s own. AsI entered <strong>the</strong> James Howe Gallery at Kean University and saw mylarge heavy piece hung and lighted in such an elegant setting, mymind traveled back to it’s inception, as I whispered to her, “You’vecome a long way baby.”If you did not make it to <strong>the</strong> exhibit at Kean this summer, youmissed out on a wonderful opportunity to view firsthand <strong>the</strong> talentedwork <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong>’s educators. I felt humbled by <strong>the</strong> talentdisplayed and privileged to be joining <strong>the</strong> ranks <strong>of</strong> such a dedicatedorganization.The piece I put on show was an approximately 3 ft x 3 ft acrylicpainting on 1” thick pressed wood.The subject matter was a portrait<strong>of</strong> a Baroque artist you undoubtedlywill be familiar with, named<strong>Art</strong>emisia Gentileschi. Due to herpassionate life and strong spirit,I have found myself fascinatedwith her story for quite sometime and had already made somesmaller wood paintings <strong>of</strong> her,but for this particular painting Iwanted to go BIG.34My rendition <strong>of</strong> <strong>Art</strong>emisia began its journey on a beautiful sunnyday in May whilst out driving with my teenage daughter. Whenone ventures out to find something it generally eludes but on thisparticular day <strong>the</strong> stars must have aligned, for within minutes Ispied it: a very large piece <strong>of</strong> flat wood board sticking up from adumpster situated outside a local country club. I stopped <strong>the</strong> carand my daughter and I got out and proceeded to scramble around<strong>the</strong> container to investigate fur<strong>the</strong>r. It was perfect: it had someknots, some roughness, would support a lot <strong>of</strong> rusty metal andappeared to be exactly what I was looking for. Unfortunately, it wasjammed in with piles <strong>of</strong> discarded refuse. Undeterred and aftermuch concerted effort, we managed to pull <strong>the</strong> seemingly, unendingpiece <strong>of</strong> wood up and out, freeing it from it’s tight crevice <strong>of</strong>rancid company. In doing so we must have caused a good deal <strong>of</strong>fracas because we suddenly realized we had amassed an audience.The kitchen staff; dressed in white uniforms were standing, armsfolded, nonchalantly staring at us, as one might upon encounteringa new type <strong>of</strong> species. Embarrassed, I apologized for pilferingthrough <strong>the</strong>ir garbage and explained I was planning on seekingpermission before carrying anything away and that all I had wantedto do was inspect <strong>the</strong> wood to see if it would be suitable for myart. It appeared this was <strong>the</strong> magic word, <strong>the</strong>y smiled and <strong>of</strong>feredto help me get <strong>the</strong> cumbersome piece into my van, even refusing toaccept any compensation for <strong>the</strong>ir efforts.<strong>Art</strong>emisia shows no signs <strong>of</strong> her lowly beginnings, oneweek later, after some cleaning, sanding, sawing, hammering andpainting she was transformed into <strong>the</strong> aes<strong>the</strong>tic loveliness sheis today and has become such a part <strong>of</strong> my collection that whenasked for a price I can only respond, ‘<strong>the</strong>re is none’. Perhaps <strong>the</strong>staff who helped me that day were also artists or perhaps <strong>the</strong>yjust felt sorry for me. I prefer tothink that as fellow humans <strong>the</strong>yunderstood <strong>the</strong> word ‘art,’ what itmeans, what it does and <strong>the</strong> universallanguage it speaks. I couldnever part with this piece, it is myreminder that art continues toopen doors, open minds and connectus on all levels. I am gratefulAENJ gave me <strong>the</strong> opportunity todisplay her and I am beholden to<strong>the</strong> helpful individuals I encounteredthat sunny day that helpedmake this story and her journeypossible.AENJ <strong>Art</strong>ists
“I enjoyed seeing my painting hanging on <strong>the</strong> wall surrounded bymany lovely works <strong>of</strong> art. Interacting with <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r artists was apleasure. Everyone was happy to discuss what motivated <strong>the</strong>m tocreate, <strong>the</strong>ir love <strong>of</strong> art and <strong>the</strong>ir feelings about <strong>the</strong>ir work. Beinga part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Kean exhibit was fun and inspiring. Thank you for allowingme to be a part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Kean exhibit.” ~ Celeste Caparulo“I would like to thank all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> AENJ art teachers who made<strong>the</strong> Kean Exhibit possible by putting all <strong>the</strong> aspects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> showtoge<strong>the</strong>r. I feel very empowered to have my work shown amongst<strong>the</strong> fine artwork <strong>of</strong> teachers from AENJ. As teachers we are alwaysstriving to teach our students something innovative and new.Often we do not have time to share our own personal work with<strong>the</strong>m, let alone have time to create on our own time. This showgave me <strong>the</strong> impetus to focus on me and my craft. I was proudto have it shown in a show with variety, talent and artistic pride.Thank you for <strong>the</strong> opportunity and I look forward to next yearsexhibit.” ~ Helen Frees35
My Personal AENJ Motto: Give a Little,Get a Lot!by Ellen Hargroveve been an art teacher for 11 years. For <strong>the</strong> first year or two II’ didn’t even know that <strong>the</strong> AENJ existed. Then one day a brochureappeared in my mailbox. Luckily I didn’t toss it right into <strong>the</strong> trashwith <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r junk mail; instead I took it home to look over. I didn’tjust read it-I perused it front to back, and back to front. It was,<strong>of</strong> course, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Educators</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong>’s annual conferencecatalog. I was excited and intrigued by <strong>the</strong> thought <strong>of</strong> hundreds <strong>of</strong>my peers ga<strong>the</strong>ring toge<strong>the</strong>r in one place (at that time I was an elementaryschool art teacher working in what seemed to be almostoverwhelming isolation), and by all <strong>the</strong> opportunities <strong>the</strong> conferencepromised. I decided I wanted to attend and was fortunateenough to get <strong>the</strong> okay from my administration.My colleague (<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r elementary art teacher in our district)wanted to go too, so we completed <strong>the</strong> paperwork and made ourplans. We drove up toge<strong>the</strong>r Monday night, registered and doveright in with an evening hands-on workshop. I’m pretty sure tha<strong>the</strong>r experience was <strong>the</strong> same as mine. For two hours we listened,learned, talked, played, and created. We were hooked! The nexttwo days found me whizzing from here to <strong>the</strong>re filling a stenopad with priceless information, and a tote bag with a plethora <strong>of</strong>handouts and freebies. I’ve attended nine consecutive conferencesand I still feel excited to be going, engaged while I’m <strong>the</strong>re, and reenergizedfor <strong>the</strong> return to work.Of course, over <strong>the</strong> years things have changed, especially me. At acertain point I began to want, and need, more than <strong>the</strong> conferencegave me. No, it wasn’t a shortcoming on <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong> AENJ-it was me.I realized that I needed to do more than attend, absorb and takeaway from <strong>the</strong>se precious pr<strong>of</strong>essional development days. I neededto give back. It was time to show my gratitude and commitmentto our wonderful organization.information. What if I was boring? What if what I had to <strong>of</strong>ferwasn’t what anyone needed? At this point <strong>the</strong>re was no backingout, it was a “just do it” moment, so I did it and it was amazing. I felta strong connection with <strong>the</strong> audience, and <strong>the</strong>y were responsiveand appreciative. The rest as <strong>the</strong>y say, is history. I’ve branched outinto solo presentations and have presented at <strong>the</strong> last six stateconferences (and at five out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> last six national conferences aswell).In addition to <strong>the</strong> great feeling I get from actually delivering eachpresentation I find that I am a better teacher because <strong>of</strong> presenting.Nothing makes you hone your skills and know your stuff likeknowing you will be sharing with o<strong>the</strong>r teachers-teachers who inturn will possibly be using your <strong>of</strong>ferings to teach <strong>the</strong>ir students. Iknow I’ve definitely become more thoughtful about sharing witho<strong>the</strong>rs away from <strong>the</strong> conference, whe<strong>the</strong>r it’s by giving informalworkshops to peers or signing on more frequently to be a cooperatingteacher. The confidence and pleasure I gained encouragedme to volunteer for AENJ in o<strong>the</strong>r ways, so among o<strong>the</strong>r thingsI’ve manned <strong>the</strong> information table, worked at a booth to collectstudent art for a show at <strong>the</strong> NJEA convention, and written for andhelped to edit our new <strong>Art</strong>beat magazine.I know that <strong>the</strong> AENJ has enriched my pr<strong>of</strong>essional and personallife quite a bit. I’ve never been such a cheerleader before but <strong>the</strong>inspiration I’ve been given, and <strong>the</strong> many ideas I’ve come awayfrom <strong>the</strong> conferences with are just <strong>the</strong> tip <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> iceberg. Thecamaraderie <strong>of</strong> this organization, from those at <strong>the</strong> top down, isvery special, and <strong>the</strong> warmth <strong>of</strong> each individual I’ve dealt with over<strong>the</strong> years has added to my feeling <strong>of</strong> being cared about and encouraged.I’ve made new friends and feel I have an extended supportgroup. It certainly has urged me, and many o<strong>the</strong>rs, to want to playa bigger part in AENJ. Perhaps <strong>the</strong> time has come when you too arelooking for something more. If so, jump in! I know you won’t regretit. If you’re not ready to give a presentation that’s fine, <strong>the</strong>re aremany, many ways to be more involved. Just ask. It will be worth it.Remember my motto, give a little and you will certainly get a lot!At this point I was teaching in our high school alongside an amazingand award-winning colleague. She was a step ahead <strong>of</strong> me,already presenting and giving back to <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>ession in manyways. She encouraged me, and I was able to ease myself into thingsas her co-presenter. Was I nervous! Looking out at a sea <strong>of</strong> faces Iwondered if I would be able to deliver pertinent and interesting36
<strong>Art</strong> Class “<strong>Art</strong>ivism”By Ellen HargroveA s art teachers we give our students skills. We teach <strong>the</strong>m tacticsfor idea generation and instruct <strong>the</strong>m in self-assessment. We makea safe place for <strong>the</strong>m to speak <strong>the</strong>ir minds, to question and tocreate. We challenge <strong>the</strong>m and we give <strong>the</strong>m assignments. We alsoneed to give <strong>the</strong>m ways to find a genuine voice.In my high school classroom I hear lots <strong>of</strong> opinions, but rarely do Ihear anything backing up those opinions. I wanted to teach a lessonthat would force my students to not only voice a strong opinion,but to also do it in a meaningful way, with <strong>the</strong> goal <strong>of</strong> informingand possibly influencing <strong>the</strong> viewer. Our focus was to be onsocial, political and environmental issues, and while investigatingartists to share with my classes I came across <strong>the</strong> term “<strong>Art</strong>ivism”.This new word, joining art with activism, captivated me. I decidedmy students would all become <strong>Art</strong>ivists. The resulting lesson wasone <strong>of</strong> those rich opportunities for <strong>the</strong> students to genuinelyexpress <strong>the</strong>mselves through <strong>the</strong>ir own au<strong>the</strong>ntic art, meaningfuldiscussion and thoughtful writing.We spent time looking at, and discussing, <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> contemporaryartists such as Chris Jordan, John Robertson and Bansky. Weread and dissected <strong>the</strong>ir artist statements. I asked my studentsto think about issues <strong>the</strong>y felt were important enough to inspire<strong>the</strong>m to create <strong>the</strong>ir own art. Everyone was expected to come upwith a short list (at least 3 issues) and <strong>the</strong>n, in a group, we brainstormedand compiled a long inventory <strong>of</strong> possibilities. The resultinglist included issues that impact students on a daily level (peerpressure, education, <strong>the</strong> economy), issues that were cultural (stereotyping,discrimination, animal cruelty) and also global (poverty,war, <strong>the</strong> environment). Each student was expected to carefullyconsider and investigate <strong>the</strong> idea that most interested <strong>the</strong>m.The students <strong>the</strong>n answered a series <strong>of</strong> questions, in writing,about <strong>the</strong> ideas <strong>the</strong>y ultimately chose, and why <strong>the</strong>y decided on<strong>the</strong>ir specific issues. This was important because it helped <strong>the</strong>m tocrystallize why <strong>the</strong>y felt compelled by <strong>the</strong>ir chosen issue, what <strong>the</strong>ywanted to express, and how <strong>the</strong>y planned to communicate this in<strong>the</strong>ir pieces. Students continued planning, sketching and researchingfor several days, and <strong>the</strong>n started to work as soon as <strong>the</strong>y feltready. We spent almost a full marking period on this assignmentand had two important in-progress critiques. Students came to<strong>the</strong>se critiques with completed self-assessment sheets and questions<strong>the</strong>y planned to ask <strong>the</strong>ir peers. After <strong>the</strong> second critique I seta date for a third and final critique at which each student wouldbe expected to share <strong>the</strong>ir completed piece, and <strong>the</strong>ir own artiststatement.The atmosphere during class each day was electric. Students wereeven more driven than usual to work and eagerly went through allstages <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> assignment. Some students seemed to know exactlywhat <strong>the</strong>y wanted to do, and how <strong>the</strong>y would do it, while o<strong>the</strong>rswent through a series <strong>of</strong> trial and error type experiments until<strong>the</strong>y were satisfied not only with <strong>the</strong>ir idea, but with its execution.There was a great deal <strong>of</strong> peer-to-peer discussion and assistance.The amount <strong>of</strong> trust <strong>the</strong> students placed in each o<strong>the</strong>r, in <strong>the</strong>irown abilities, and in me was tremendous.The resulting art works, created in a vast variety <strong>of</strong> media, processesand styles, were strong, compelling and intensely personal.The class discussions that took place during <strong>the</strong> brainstorming,creation and critiquing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se pieces were <strong>the</strong> most animatedI’ve ever facilitated, and <strong>the</strong> students’ artist statements and postproject writings were exciting, informative and real. During <strong>the</strong>final critique, as each student stood and shared <strong>the</strong>ir work, it wasevident that <strong>the</strong>y were proud <strong>of</strong> what <strong>the</strong>y had to say, and what<strong>the</strong>y had done. It was a long and intense journey but along <strong>the</strong> waywe found our voices, and <strong>the</strong>y are worth listening to.37
Collaborating withCollageBy Karen KiickCollaborating with o<strong>the</strong>r teachers andstudents across <strong>the</strong> curriculum is a funand enriching way to help kids learn, and it’spretty fun for <strong>the</strong> teachers too! This year was<strong>the</strong> fourth year that I’ve worked with our 10 thgrade honors English teacher and his studentson an exciting project called “My PersonalWar.” It’s amazing what youngpeople can create when <strong>the</strong>y areinvited to look inside <strong>the</strong>mselves.Our students are encouraged to see,identify and accept vulnerabilitieswithout judgment.Pat McCloskey, <strong>the</strong> English teacher,spends several months discussing<strong>the</strong> concept <strong>of</strong> personal war. Forthis <strong>the</strong>matic unit, his class readsand discusses three novels, TheThings They Carried by Tim O’Brienand A Separate Peace by John Knowlesand The Road by Cormac McCarthy.All address <strong>the</strong> human conditions<strong>of</strong> struggle, grief and overcomingphysical and mental obstacles,which may be real or perceived. Thestudents are engaged in <strong>the</strong> topicfrom a variety <strong>of</strong> perspectives andPat brings <strong>the</strong> experience to a climaxby having each student writean essay about <strong>the</strong>ir own personalwar.The students’ essays are everythingit sounds like <strong>the</strong>y would be…<strong>the</strong>y’re personal, some are intense,some are painful. The topics rangefrom things that have happened to<strong>the</strong>m, (death in <strong>the</strong> family, illness or abuse)to things that happen because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m (pressureto be <strong>the</strong> best, overachieving or beingunable to prioritize) or things that <strong>the</strong>y perceiveas personal shortcomings (weight issues,shyness etc). Many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> students haveexperienced some sort <strong>of</strong> closure or resolveto <strong>the</strong>ir war, while o<strong>the</strong>rs are still activelydealing with <strong>the</strong> issue, and will continue todo so long past <strong>the</strong> tender age <strong>of</strong> sixteen. Fora few <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> students, this essay may be <strong>the</strong>first healthy exploration into guided introspectionthat <strong>the</strong>y have been asked to have.Due to ei<strong>the</strong>r a class swap or class coveragearranged by our amazing secretary, I enterhis English class right after <strong>the</strong>y hand in<strong>the</strong>ir papers to introduce what will be <strong>the</strong>double-whammy to <strong>the</strong> assignment – acollage. My role is to guide <strong>the</strong> studentsto visually articulate <strong>the</strong>topic <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir essay using imageryinstead <strong>of</strong> text. Basically,<strong>the</strong>y must now say <strong>the</strong> samething, but in a whole new language!Since many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se kidsare non-art students, I shownumerous examples <strong>of</strong> collage,talk about <strong>the</strong> process and give<strong>the</strong>m pointers and websites tolook at to assist <strong>the</strong>ir understanding.I also explain how tosuccessfully juxtapose interestingpictures to create visualmetaphor.Four days after I introduce <strong>the</strong>lesson, I come back to his classfor a general critique, wherewe discuss what’s working andwhy. I invite <strong>the</strong> students tocome talk to me outside <strong>of</strong> classto discuss <strong>the</strong>ir collage, <strong>the</strong>irprocess and progress. Manytake me up on that <strong>of</strong>fer, whichallows me to personally meetstudents that I might not haveever encountered in one <strong>of</strong> myart classes. Two days after <strong>the</strong>in-class critique, <strong>the</strong> finishedcollages are due. It’s fast, furiousand fantastic!38
Mr. McCloskey hands me <strong>the</strong> students’ essaysunread. I photocopy <strong>the</strong> collages andcreate what will become <strong>the</strong> cover sheetto each student’s essay. I print <strong>the</strong>ir nameand title underneath <strong>the</strong>ir image andstaple <strong>the</strong> cover sheet to <strong>the</strong> student’swritten work. After all that, I get to read<strong>the</strong>m! That’s right, <strong>the</strong> art teacher reads<strong>the</strong> English papers before <strong>the</strong> Englishteacher. The students give Pat permissionfor me to read <strong>the</strong>ir work, (a fewdecline). I enjoy <strong>the</strong> opportunity to read<strong>the</strong> writing that honors level studentssubmit to <strong>the</strong>ir English teacher. It helpsme know what I should expect from myown students when I require a writingassignment.Mr. McCloskey spends hours writingback to each <strong>of</strong> his students, validating<strong>the</strong>m and acknowledging that his or hervoice has been heard. He grades <strong>the</strong> piece<strong>of</strong> writing as an English teacher, whilesimultaneously treating each individuallike a courageous war hero. It’s one <strong>of</strong> hisstrengths and a true gift that he bringsto his interactions with his students. Ifeel honored to be a part <strong>of</strong> it. I grade <strong>the</strong>collages based on <strong>the</strong> overall aes<strong>the</strong>ticsuccess <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> work and consider <strong>the</strong>ireffort. The students receive two gradesfor this cross-curricular experience - onefrom him and one from me.Our collaboration began when I approachedPat after reading one <strong>of</strong> ourshared student’s essays. I was so movedby <strong>the</strong> comments that he took <strong>the</strong> timeto write to her, that I told him that Ithought it would make a great collaborativeproject. It’s been that and so muchmore!Every collaborative lesson that I am apart <strong>of</strong> teaches me how to be a betterteacher. And it’s free! In our currentworld <strong>of</strong> scores, standards, testing andAYP, I feel like Pat and I are on <strong>the</strong> samepage. We are two different teachers,teaching different disciplines, who toge<strong>the</strong>rguide students through <strong>the</strong> art <strong>of</strong>being human.39
AENJ believes <strong>the</strong> rationale for conferring awards is tw<strong>of</strong>old. First,to recognize those individuals within <strong>the</strong> membership who haveachieved <strong>the</strong> highest level <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism in <strong>the</strong> field <strong>of</strong> visualarts education. Second, to show appreciation to those individualsand/or organizations who have contributed <strong>the</strong>ir services in anexemplary manner to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Educators</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> and to <strong>the</strong>goals espoused for <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>ession.The Award Categories are as follows:The Distinguished Achievement AwardEstablished to honor a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> association whose longterm dedication to <strong>the</strong> visual art pr<strong>of</strong>ession and dedication toAENJ goals, leadership and teaching experiences are recognized asexemplary.The Anthony A Guadadiello AwardEstablished to honor former President, Anthony Guadadiello,whose dedication to <strong>the</strong> joy <strong>of</strong> service was a major part <strong>of</strong> his tenurein <strong>of</strong>fice. It recognizes outstanding contribution and service toAENJ.The Master Teacher AwardEstablished to honor those members who are actively involved inteaching visual art and whose teaching methodology and resultshave been judged to be exemplary.Barbara YangThe John J. Pappas Recognition AwardEstablished to honor former President John J. Pappas, whosededication to <strong>the</strong> idea that arts education is universal and inclusiveinvolving those who support arts experiences from a widerperspective.The George DiBouno Recognition AwardEstablished to honor former President, George DiBouno, whosededication to arts education in <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> was marked by a realization<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong> leadership in education to move <strong>the</strong> arts to<strong>the</strong> forefront. This award is for those who are “within” <strong>the</strong> field <strong>of</strong>education, but not <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Educators</strong>.Cindy ChanDivisional AwardsEstablished to honor those members who are actively involved inteaching visual art and whose teaching methodology and resultsare exceptional. An award may be presented to a teacher fromeach <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> divisions: Elementary, Middle, High School and HigherEducation. Click here to see eligibility requirements.40
2010-2011 CalendarExecutive Board 2009-2010November 3 AENJ @ NJEA <strong>Art</strong> Exhibit Atlantic CityDecember 1: YAM Design Contest Entries DueDecember 4: AC Planning MeetingDecember 18: NJPAC Opening Reception 11 - 12Kwanzaa FestivalJanuary 25: Pre - Yam DinnerJanuary 29: Breakfast and a WorkshopFebruary 13: NJPAC Reception 11 - 12March 1:High School scholarship applications DueMarch 11: Trenton Reception:March 15: Conference Proposal DeadlineMarch 16-21 NAEA Seattle WAYAM County show runs through out <strong>the</strong> monthApril 2:AC Planning MeetingApril 3: NJPAC Reception 11 - 12April 15:Scholarship, grant and award nominations dueMay 21:Spring Symposium (Focus:Technology, MercerCounty Community College)June 15:<strong>Art</strong>beat deadlineOctober 4-6: 2011 ConferenceDon’t forget additional NJPAC dates(see page 31 and at www.aenj.org)And Youth <strong>Art</strong> Month Dates!(posted in Yambeat and at www.senj.org)Linda DevlinPresidentGene NegliaTreasurerJude HarzerCommunicationsUrsula AccumannoPresident-ElecttJoAnn OnnemboVice-PresidentDebbie GrehHistorianSussan BivonaPast-PresidentBarbara CalvoMember ServicesKaren Blenner-Public Relations<strong>Art</strong>beat Editorial Board and StaffEditor-in-Chief: Jude HarzerAssignment Editor: Linda DevlinContributing Editor: Jane GrazianoAdvertising Editor: Karen BlennerLayout Editor: Debbie GrehEditorail Staff: Denise Sala, Cheryl Parisi, Susan Bivona.Linda Devlin, Carrie Davey, Joann Onnembo, and BarbaraCalvoLayout Staff: Eileen Glynn and Ellen HargroveTerri TroumpourSecretaryCarrie DaveyAdvocacy ChairTo contact a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Executive Board please visitour website at: www.aenj.com/For more information on <strong>the</strong>se or any articles in <strong>Art</strong>beat,go to www.aenj.orgIf you would like to write for <strong>Art</strong>beat, deadline for submissionsis June 15th to: jharzer@aol.comEditorial Statement:The editors reserve <strong>the</strong> right to edit all submitted articles and releases.Photos will not be returned unless specifically requested. <strong>Art</strong>icles,photos and ads received after <strong>the</strong> deadline may not be considered forpublication.41
XIXI ChenNicole Pavinski42