“The Arts Connect” Conference Continues: Part XI Art Smart – Lisa Gilman
October 18, 2009Workshop – Art Smart: Share Your Favorite Ideas! by Linda Phillips
Lisa Gilman photo by Shalimar Poulin
Nestled on a wooded hillside overlooking the beautiful coast of Maine, Point Lookout in Northport is an amazing destination no matter what the event. Add an enthusiastic group of artists, arts educators, and advocates and it becomes an event to celebrate and remember! The 2009 Arts Connect conference provided a splendid opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and friends and to meet new ones. Also, it provided a venue in which to share new ideas, strategies, and lessons to bring back to the arts classrooms.
One of the afternoon sessions that I attended was presented by Winthrop Middle School art teacher, Lisa Gilman, entitled, “Art Smart: Share Your Favorite Ideas”. In reading the list of sessions prior to the conference, I was attracted to this particular session because it can be difficult to find the time during the hectic school year to connect with other arts teachers to compare notes about what goes on in our classrooms. I felt that this session would be well worth attending, and I was right!
Lisa Gilman did a fine job of facilitating the session, and it was a pleasure meeting her and all of the other attendees. She also shared a great sculpture lesson about public art in which her students study and plan their own work of public art for a park in their town. They sculpt a maquette of their sculpture out of a styrofoam block and apply paints. A photo is taken of their sculpture and it is digitally “installed” in its public setting! The photos of the sculptures are displayed along with the models.
Two other visual arts teachers shared some of their favorite lessons. Karen Wolfe shared a bunch of helpful tips and creative ideas for working with paper mache in the classroom, and Lynne Nickerson provided us with some great handouts for use in improving students’ drawing skills. Both educators also shared some beautiful samples of student work which made evident their success in the art classroom!
The only suggestion that I would make for next year’s conference is that “Art Smart: Share Your Favorite Ideas” is offered again – perhaps by grade level. Being a new high school art teacher this year after teaching middle school art for nine years, I would like to connect with other high school art teachers and learn about their programs. This type of session would be a great opportunity to do so! Thanks to everyone who presented, not only in this session, but in all the sessions throughout the Arts Connect conference as well as all of those who worked so hard to organize the event. What a great day! I look forward to the next one (and maybe I’ll even stay in one of those cozy little cabins!)
me arts ed 
I enjoyed this session as well. My new job includes middle school and I got some great ideas from participants. I liked the suggestion of doing the sessions by level, but rather than grade, perhaps K-5, 6-8, 9-12. Meeting with other art teachers always gives me new energy to bring back to the classroom.
Thank you for your comments Romy! We will certainly consider this idea for future conferences. I believe if the regional groups in art education for every area of the state begin than ongoing idea/lesson/unit sharing can be part of the conversation.