Dancing is so fun
Had to share this with you – Parov Stelar – All Night.
Archive for May, 2016
In Today’s News
May 19, 2016John Neal
Oak Hill High School John Neal on WCSH6 Inspiring Teachers segment http://www.wcsh6.com/news/outreach/inspiring-educators/inspiring-educator-john-neal-of-oak-hill-high-school/199534171.
Congressional Art Awards
May 19, 2016Congrats high school artists
It was so wonderful to see high school artists being recognized at a ceremony at the Blaine House earlier this week. Each year two pieces of high school student artwork are selected to be displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for a year beginning in June as part of the Congressional Art Awards. One piece is selected from each of Maine’s Congressional districts. CONGRATULATIONS to the students listed below for their recognition.
JoJo Zeitlin, Cape Elizabeth High School
District 1 represented by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
- Selected Artist: JoJo Zeitlin, Cape Elizabeth High School, grade 11. Art Teacher: Richard Rothlisberger
- 1st Runner up: Anna Callahan, Brunswick High School, grade 10. Art Teacher: Allison Price
- 2nd Runner up: Abigail Stevens-Roberts, Thornton Academy, grade 12. Art Teacher: Dana Altman
- Honorable Mention: Caitlyn Duffy, Gorham High School, grade 12. Art Teacher: Chris Crosby
- Honorable Mention: Gabriel Rosen, Portland High School, grade 12. Art Teacher: Barbara Loring
- Honorable Mention: Katie Sprague, Kents Hill School, grade 11. Art Teacher: Babs Wheelden
Michaela Shorey, Rangeley Lakes Regional School
District 2 represented by Congressman Bruce Poliquin
- Selected Artist: Michaela Shorey, Rangeley Lakes Regional School, grade 12. Art Teacher: Sonja Johnson
- 1st Runner up: Rachel Flannery, Lewiston High School, grade 12. Art Teacher: Nathaniel Meyer
- 2nd Runner up: Chandler Clothier, Lewiston High School, grade 12. Art Teacher: Sarah Stocker
- Honorable Mention: Olivia Berger, Hebron Academy, grade 12. Art Teacher: Jeanine Eschenbach
- Honorable Mention: Alanna Fellows, Lewiston High School, grade 12. Art Teacher: Nathaniel Meyer
- Honorable Mention:Shin Hye Hwang, Hebron Academy, grade 12. Art Teacher: Jeanine Eschenbach
A great big thank you to the teachers, parents and other adults who support these students and their artistic endeavors. Each student received a certificate of award and a scholarship to the Maine College of Art. The two students representing Maine’s Congressional Districts and one guest will be flown to Washington, D.C. for the official opening of the show in June.
The Maine Arts Commission partners with the Maine College of Art and the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards to select the artwork. Gold and silver winners from the Maine Regional Scholastic Art Awards are automatically submitted to be juried in February for the Congressional Art Competition.
In Today’s News
May 18, 2016Congratulations Princeton Elementary School
PRINCETON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECEIVES LOWE’S TOOLBOX FOR EDUCATION GRANT FOR GROWING MUSIC PROGRAM
$27,968.01 will provide funding for Expanding Our Musical Horizons
Princeton, Maine– The Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation has awarded a
$27,968.01 Lowe’s Toolbox for Education® grant to Princeton Elementary School in Princeton
for renovation of a classroom to accommodate the school’s growing music program. Princeton
Elementary is one of many schools across the United States to be awarded a Lowe’s Toolbox
for Education grant this spring for improvement projects.
With nearly 90% of the school participating in the music program, the students at Princeton
Elementary have simply outgrown the current music room. With the help of Lowe’s Toolbox
for Education Grant the students will soon be moving to a larger classroom. Funds from the
grant will provide soundproofing for the room as well as shelving for storage. The grant will
also make possible the installation of an interactive white board for use with computer
assisted lessons. In addition, the classroom will be equipped with a full line of world drums
and orff xylophones. Finally, the school’s 30 year old piano will be replaced with a new
digital keyboard. The project is scheduled to be completed for the start of the new school
year.
“It is so exciting to see our students recognized for their hard work and dedication to the
music program”, said music teacher Alice Sullivan. “This renovation will give them the space
and materials to continue to grow and learn.”
Since its inception in 2005, Lowe’s Toolbox for Education has provided more than $45 million
in grants to more than 10,000 schools, benefiting more than 6 million schoolchildren. Grants
are available to K-12 public schools in the United States for a wide range of improvement
projects. Schools may be eligible to receive Toolbox grants up to $100,000. Parent groups
and educators can apply by visiting ToolboxForEducation.com. The fall cycle will open Aug. 1,
2016.
To view a full list of projects by state, visit ToolboxForEducation.com/winners. Select the
spring 2016 winners tab, which will list the school and the supporting Lowe’s store available
for assistance.
Since 1957, the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation has helped improve
communities across North America through financial contributions and support for employee
volunteerism.
About Lowe’s in the Community
Lowe’s, a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company, has a 50-year legacy of supporting the
communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community
improvement projects. Since 2007, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational
Foundation together have contributed more than $250 million to these efforts, and for more
than two decades Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers have donated their time to make our
communities better places to live. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility and
Teen Opportunity PMA
May 18, 2016Portland Museum of Art (PMA)
The PMA has an interesting summer fellowship position available for a teenager. The position lasts 7 weeks, for a total of approximately 105 hours, July 11 to August 26. If you are an educator who knows of a student who may be interested in this type of opportunity please share this link with them and encourage them to apply.
Position: Homer High School Fellow
Department: Learning and Interpretation
Division: Audience Engagement and Communications
Reports To: Associate Educator for Youth Learning
GENERAL SUMMARY
Under the general supervision of the Associate Educator for Youth Learning, this position offers high school students the opportunity to learn about the museum profession through the development of youth and teen programs. This seven-week fellowship program is designed to foster creative thinking, to build community, and to use the PMA collection for inspiration and idea building. The Homer High School Fellow will be one of eight fellows who will collaborate on projects and programs.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
- Creates new ways for teen audiences to engage with the museum and its works of art through the creation of interpretative materials and programs.
- Participates in discussions about ways in which PMA programming could attract teen audiences.
- Assists Learning and Interpretation staff in design and execution of drop-in art activities for youth, teen, and family audiences.
- Attends PMA public programs (artist and curator talks, daily tours, etc.) to learn about the museum’s collection and exhibitions and to better understand how the museum makes the collection and exhibitions accessible to the public.
- Participates in visits to working artists’ studios and the National Convening for Teens in the Arts at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.
- Participates in a visit to the Winslow Homer Studio at Prouts Neck to learn about the importance of place in Homer’s work, and to link the process of observing with the process of creating.
- Works on special projects in the Learning and Interpretation department with museum staff serving as mentors.
- Complies with all Portland Museum of Art safety rules and procedures.
- Regular attendance at the workplace is required.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
None
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Applicants must be rising high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors.
QUALIFICATIONS
- A high school student highly motivated in the visual arts.
- Comfortable working with museum visitors of all ages, including children, teens, and adults.
- Strong interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work both independently and cooperatively with coworkers and a variety of individuals contacted in the course of work.
- Interest in working with children.
- Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
- Ability to pass a criminal background check.
- Ability to obtain a work permit if under 16 years old.
Internship Period and Hours
Tentatively July 11 through August 26, 2016
The Homer High School Fellows will work at the PMA and offsite daily for a total of approximately 105 hours. Tentatively, five hours a day for three days a week. Some weekend and evening hours required.
WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS
A majority of the work is performed in a museum or gallery setting or in a normal office environment not subject to extremes of noise, temperature, odor, etc. Operates computer, printer, photocopier, and other office equipment. Uses various hand tools, art supplies, and paper cutters. Local and regional travel required.
TERMS
The Homer High School Fellow position is a temporary part-time, hourly, non-exempt, employment-at-will position. Work is tentatively scheduled for July 11, 2016 – August 26, 2016, the specific schedule to be determined. The Homer High School Fellows will work at the PMA and offsite daily for a total of approximately 105 hours. Tentatively, five hours a day for three days a week. Some weekend and evening hours required.
APPLY
Please submit completed PMA Application for Employment and Supplementary application for Homer High School Fellows (available at the website) http://www.portlandmuseum.org/about/employ.shtml to HHSF.pma.042016@portlandmuseum.org or mail to Business Manager, Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland, ME 04101. The deadline for applications is June 5, 2016.
The Portland Museum of Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants shall receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, veteran status, status as a whistleblower, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
Another Arts Teacher’s Story: Lynda Leonas
May 17, 2016Teacher Leader series
This is the tenth blog post of the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) Phase 5 Teacher Leader stories. This series contains a set of questions so you can learn a little bit about the work they are doing as Maine arts educators. CLICK HERE for more information on MALI. CLICK HERE for more information on the 73 of the MALI Teacher Leaders. CLICK HERE for Arts education resources. Search in the “search archives” box on the bottom right side of this post for past stories. There have been 69 posted to date.
Lynda Leonas has been a K-6 Visual Arts Educator working with approximately 700-800
students per year for the past 4 years at two of Lewiston’s elementary schools; Governor James B. Longley Elementary and Farwell Elementary. Prior to her work in Lewiston, she spent 3.75 years in Auburn’s Public Elementary School system across the river and 3 years teaching all forms of fine art to youth and adults at her private art studio in Lewiston.
What do you like best about being a visual art educator?
I love the opportunity to work with every student at the elementary level of education. Seeing all students, even those without confidence in their artistic abilities, allows me to encourage them to overcome any “fears” and to always trust themselves. Working with every student also allows me to champion the arts as an important tool for cross-curricular development in literacy, mathematics, and the sciences; as well as the ever-important motor skill development and hand-eye coordination skills necessary to become a successful athlete.
What do you believe are three keys to ANY visual and performing arts program?
- Listen to your students!
- Keep it fresh! Promote the student work locally!
- Plan ahead as much as you possibly can.
How have you found assessment to be helpful in your classroom?
I have created assessments inspired by students and credit the new assessments as having been inspired by the students whenever I can. The sense of accomplishment the students feel as having been listened to produces a total buy-in from their peers and increases productivity and participation tremendously. The students have fun while using the assessment tools along their learning path in the art room.
What have been the benefits in becoming involved in the arts assessment initiative?
The motivation resulting from working with educators across our state has produced an exciting energy to keep learning and discussing arts education lessons, assessments, and common goals!
Charlie Hewitt MAEA Spring conference
What are you most proud of in your career?
Due to my involvement in MALI, I was encouraged to create a workshop and to present to other arts educators. In doing so, the opportunity to showcase this year’s 5th grade collaborative artwork to the artist we had studied actually came up! The student work was displayed at the entry of our MAEA Spring Conference and Charlie Hewitt, sculptor of “Lewiston Rattle”, was our keynote speaker. The students were so excited to hear he would be viewing their fabulous pieces! It was so thrilling to present Charlie with student art inspired by him!
What gets in the way of becoming a better teacher or doing a better job as a teacher?
Increased class sizes and reduced class times within the arts education field has hurried along some aspects of the visual art class room. This aspect is truly a challenge for me; and, I have had to search for outside opportunities to increase the amount of one-on-one time I spend with students. During a regular school week, there can be less than two minutes to connect with each student in a class on an individual level.
What have you accomplished through hard work and determination that might otherwise appear to at first glance to be due to “luck” or circumstances?
In working with one principal, I had the opportunity to showcase the importance of the visual arts within the elementary general education system. After 17 individual open houses in one year, I was able to connect with families across cultures and provide opportunities for my students to teach their family members how the visual arts embrace techniques that truly develop the “whole” student. After hosting these events, the students themselves truly became more motivated during art classes! This was a bonus!
Look into your crystal ball: what advice would you give to teachers?
Advice? Even after planning ahead as much as you possibly can, be prepared to “fly by the seat of your pants” at times! The art education world can be a hectic environment where everything works out in the end…be flexible!
If you were given $500,000 dollars to do whatever you please, what would it be?
$500,000.00 would start up a terrific college scholarship for those pursuing the arts as arts-for-arts’ sake and arts-related studies that lead toward medical and engineering degrees! It also might buy me a new car to shuttle between the couple of schools I see each day…I am thinking of a Jeep Renegade…just not certain it would be easy to load student supplies and work along with my Great Dane…any recommendations?
Imagine you are 94 years old. You are looking back. Do you have any regrets?
I believe I may still be teaching at the age of 94…depends upon retirement funds! I hope I won’t have regrets. As new opportunities arise, I will be certain to do my best in accomplishing them so that I can avoid regrets down the road.
Trip to The County
May 16, 2016Aroostook county
Most days I feel fortunate to do the work I do. Let’s face, I believe working with Maine’s Visual and Performing Arts teachers is a great job! Most days it doesn’t feel like work because I love it so much. (Don’t mistake this for an easy job!) I don’t get to Aroostook County or the areas of Maine that are further away from the Maine Arts Commission office as much as I’d like but, when I do it is a wonderful treat.
Recently I traveled to the County (as Aroostook is affectionately know to many) and learned a great deal AND had a fabulous time. The early morning drive north on 95, once I reach Bangor, is an opportunity to turn off the radio and look and think. It took me almost 4 hours from my home to my first destination, Wintergreen Arts Center in Presque Isle.
Wintergreen Arts Center, Presque Isle
I met with Dottie Hutchins, the Executive Director of the Wintergreen Arts Center and with the co-chairs of the center board members Heather Harvell, and Kim Guerrette Michaud. I felt like I had known them for a long time. The center has many successful programs that range from pre-school programs to after school art programs for young kids through teenagers to programs for adults. They are a growing center with so much to offer. If you are in Presque Isle be sure and stop in and say hello to the folks there. Dottie and the crew are working on a series of blog posts for meartsed so you can learn more in depth about their programs.
From there I headed north to visit Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) Art Teacher Leader and Leadership Team member Theresa Cerceo. First stop, after my hour drive was at the Dr. Levesque Elementary School in Frenchville where Theresa was teaching a science lab. Yes, art integration in action. It wasn’t about the product but about learning by asking questions and experimenting with materials. For example, students were grinding leaves with a little bit of water. Students test scores in math and reading have increased due to the work that ALL teachers are doing during the weekly labs.
SLAM at Wisdom High School, St. Agatha
From there I headed north again to Wisdom Middle/High School in St. Agatha to visit with the Students Leaders in the Arts Movement (SLAM). It provided the opportunity to talk and listen to the members of SLAM at their own school. We exchanged ideas on the school board presentation they are preparing for. SLAM kicked off the statewide arts education census in December by creating a video inviting principals to submit the survey. It was great to share some of the results – 95% response. So proud of the advocacy work this group is doing. If you are interested in learning more or starting your own SLAM chapter please contact Theresa at tcerceo@msad33.org.
Sip and Paint
Back to Presque Isle for supper with the MALI Teacher Leaders who planned the workshop I was attending the next day including Sue Beaulier who teaches Art K-12 in Ashland, Josh Bosse (and his lovely wife), Music PK-12 in Madawaska, Leadership Team member, Pam Kinsey, Music K-12 Easton, and Theresa. After supper we stopped into the Wintergreen Arts to see the center filled with 31 adults painting as part of a fundraiser, Sip and Paint.
Jake Sturtevant presenting long distance
The next day I headed west for the MALI Mega Workshop at the beautiful Ashland School. Students were in session but you couldn’t tell. The school is laid out beautifully and the rooms are lovely places to work. Thanks Sue for hosting. It was a wonderful day with the following workshops offered:
- Critical Thinking in the Art Room – Sue Beaulier
- Individual Assessments in an Ensemble – Jake Sturtevant, joining electronically
- GT Toolbox: Tools for the GT Classroom – Josh Bosse
- Changing the Way We Think About Special Ed. Students
- Studio Habits of Mind: Planting Seeds Towards Growth and Proficiency in the Arts – Theresa Cerceo
The day was complete with a discussion on PBE to learn where arts teachers in the County are on the continuum. And, two woman from the Partners in the Arts Presentation shared information about the organization and encouraged teachers to apply for grant funding.
MALI Mega participants
Lunch was delicious and the company was wonderful! Congratulations to the MALI Teacher Leaders and to Dave Ouellette from CACE who planned a great professional development opportunities for their colleagues in the County. The drive to the County is far but it is well worth the distance. I learned a great deal and had fun talking with folks about their arts education program. I had never been that far northeast but I must say the trip was so beautiful, especially along Long Lake (ice still on) in St. Agatha. I still need to get to Madawaska – next trip to the County (Josh!).
Long Lake
Congrats Andrew Forster
May 15, 2016Music educator is Kennebec County 2016 Teacher of the Year
Kate Smith, 2014 York County Teacher of the Year, Andy Forster 2016 Kennebec Teacher of the Year, Argy Nestor 1995 Maine Teacher of the Year
Three hundred nominations were received from across the state for teacher of the year. The first step in the process is complete and 15 teachers were named county teachers of the year on Friday at a ceremony at the State House.
I am especially proud to announce that music educator Andrew Forster from Messalonskee High School was named the Kennebec County Teacher of the Year.
Those honored will move forward in an intensive selection process that will include the creation of a video showcasing their classroom instructional practices, portfolio development and review, school visits and an interview with a state review panel. At the end of this review, three state finalists will be chosen, and ultimately the 2017 Maine Teacher of the Year will be selected and named by Maine’s top education officials at a surprise all-school assembly this fall.
Andy Forster with students, colleagues, and his parents. Soooo proud!
Hooray for Andy and good luck as you travel through the process.
- Aroostook: Michael McCartney, Maine School of Science and Mathematics, Limestone
- Androscoggin: Michael Hayashida, Poland Regional High School
- Cumberland: Morgan Cuthbert, Harrison Middle School, Yarmouth
- Franklin: Selina Warren, Kingfield Elementary School
- Hancock: Rebecca Tapley, Brooklin Elementary School
- Kennebec: Andrew Forster, Messalonskee High School, Oakland
- Knox: Beth Heidemann, Cushing Community School
- Lincoln: Erika Atkinson, Dresden Elementary School
- Oxford: Joseph Cummings, Oxford Hills Middle School
- Penobscot: Cherrie MacInnes, Brewer Community School
- Sagadahoc: Lawrence Kovacs, Bath Middle School
- Somerset: Tamara Ranger, Skowhegan Area Middle School
- Waldo: Kristen Kelley, Islesboro Central School
- Washington: Jane Andrews, Princeton Elementary School
- York: Pamela Starkey, Marshwood Great Works School, So. Berwick
So many pictures were being taken!
The Maine Teacher of the Year is a program of the Maine Department of Education, administered by Educate Maine. Funding for the program is generously provided by Hannaford, Geiger, Bangor Savings Bank and Dead River with support from the State Board of Education and the Maine State Teacher of the Year Association.
In Today’s News
May 14, 2016NYA Teacher Ian Ramsey 2017 Grammy Nominee
North Yarmouth Academy (NYA) is excited to announce that Ian Ramsey, Visual and Performing Arts Chair, was chosen as a quarterfinalist for the Music Educator Award presented by The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation. Ramsey was one of 3,300 nominated educators submitted from all 50 states. A total of 290 music teachers from 264 cities across 41 states were announced as quarterfinalists today.
According to the Grammy Foundation, the Music Educator Award “was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools.” The award is open to current U.S. music teachers and can be nominated by anyone. Semifinalists will be announced in September. One recipient from ten finalists will be recognized for their remarkable impact on students’ lives. The recipient will be honored during GRAMMY Week 2017.
“I’m excited and honored to be recognized by the Grammy Foundation as a national quarterfinalist for the 2017 Music Educator Award. In a world where there are so many great and inspiring music teachers, I feel lucky, and humbled, to be part of this process,” said Ramsey. He is not sure who nominated him, but suspects it is a music colleague in western Maine.
Ramsey, a Bowdoin resident, graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a degree in Music Education with a concentration in jazz. He earned a Masters of Fine Arts degree in 2015 from the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. He began working at NYA in 1999. In addition to chairing the arts department, he teaches a variety of music classes at NYA including music theory, wind ensemble, bluegrass ensemble, steel band, and jazz band, to name a few. Ramsey is known for tailoring his teaching to his students’ passions. He created an ensemble for four students who were interested in the Beatles, and continued with the group through the years working up to Abbey Road. In 2012, he led a student bluegrass ensemble to Chengdu, China to perform in the JinJiang-Jiaxiang International Students’ Arts Festival.
In 2013 he co-founded the Maine Acoustic Festival, the first statewide auditioned student roots music festival in America. In 2016 he created NYA’s “Distinction in Music: Performance, Entrepreneurship and Community” program, which helps students develop excellence in music performance while developing skills around service, community involvement and entrepreneurship. Most recently, he created the Kauffmann Program in Environmental Writing and Wilderness Exploration which seeks to educate students and the larger community about the importance of wilderness and nature. Last June, he led this class to Glacier Bay, Alaska.
North Yarmouth Academy is an independent, college preparatory, coeducational school serving toddlers to students in grade twelve. Since 1814, NYA has fostered integrity, character, and intellect in its students. For more information, please contact NYA at 207-847-5423 or visit our website at nya.org.
Art Teacher, Colleague, Friend
May 13, 2016Saying good bye is never easy
We learn from our parents, teachers, experiences, and many of us are fortunate to learn from friends. One of my most important teachers has been my friend and colleague, Anne Kofler. Anne sadly left this world at the beginning of this month. I’ve been fortunate to call Anne a friend and colleague for some 18 years. She was the elementary art teacher (downstairs) and I was the middle school art teacher (upstairs). We bounced ideas off of each other, laughed over silly things, worked side by side on K-8 art exhibits and curriculum development, and most importantly collaborated on numerous BIG ideas. I don’t know anyone that collaborates like we did. Our main goal was always to help everyone involved know that they were important and without their contribution there was a void.
My favorite collaboration was the time that every student (300) and staff member (45) made a domino out of 9″X12″ black construction paper. One sides dots reflected a math problem, the other was their birthday in dots. The day before February vacation we set up the dominoes in the gym for a big domino drop. Imagine those 345 papers – the slightest of air knocked them down. It was quite the feat setting them up – everyone who helped had an important role. At the designated time students and staff poured into the gym on their tippy toes. It was absolutely silent as our State Senator tapped the first domino to set off the drop. 690 eyes followed the chain reaction and the loudest cheer rocked the building when the last one fell. YES, it worked and there was a smile on everyone’s face knowing that without their domino in place it would not have worked.
Anne went about her work in a quiet steady way – always experimenting with new ideas to apply to lessons. Her greatest gift to her students were her own travel experiences. She always explored with an eye towards how to turn her learning into a lesson for students. Anne was a teacher through and through – I am saddened by her death but know that she lives on in everyone she touched including thousands of students. We knew of her impending death so I was able to spend hours with her and thank her for what she gave to me, our students, and both my sons who she taught elementary art. In Anne’s honor I hope that you take the time to thank a teacher and let them know how much they mean to you.
Anne Philbrick Kofler
Sept.9, 1945 – May 2, 2016
Anne Philbrick Kofler of Alna, Maine passed away on May 2, 2016 at her sister’s home in Alexandria, Virginia. She was born in Alexandria, VA on September 9, 1945 to artists Jane (Philbrick) Kofler and John Kofler. She grew up in the community of Tauxemont, outside of Alexandria, and attended Hollin Hall Elementary School and Mt. Vernon High School. Living in Tauxemont gave Anne many cherished childhood memories such as community picnics, 4th of July celebrations with neighbors, attending Mt Vernon Unitarian Church and attending summer camp at the Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, TN.
After graduating high school, Anne went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY from 1964-1970 where she earned a BFA. Her son Marshall was born in Brooklyn in 1970. When he was one, they moved to Maine finally settling in Alna, ME in 1980.
In 1979, Anne attended the Shelter Institute, then in Bath, ME, an owner/builder school. By 1980, with encouragement from the school owners and the help of students, she began building her own home in Alna on land once owned by her grandparents. She lived there until her death.
Anne was an art educator for 25 years first in Damariscotta, ME and surrounding towns then further up the coast in the towns of Friendship, Union and Washington. She came from an artistic family. Her grandfather,Allen Philbrick, was an artist, her grandmother, Edith Kellogg Philbrick, a pianist, her father a painter and her mother a painter and stained glass artist. It was this background that led to her career as arts educator. Together Anne and her students, kindergarten – sixth grade, explored the world through art.
An avid traveler, in 2010 Anne realized a life long goal of a trip around the world with stops in Viet Nam, Cambodia, India, Africa and Italy. Others trips took her to Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia), Russia, Hungry, France, Cuba,Turkey, Thailand and China. Inspired by her travels, upon retirement, she began painting folding screens. She completed one on Kenya depicting Giraffe Manor, Karen Blixen’s coffee farm outside Nairobi and a safari scene from her experience in the Masai Mara. She was working on one that was to depict highlights of her trip across Rajasthan in 2013 when she died. If not on the road, she enjoyed a good book, gardening and, in later years, her greatest joy was spending time with her grandson Dominic. Together they read, explored museums in Washington, DC and enjoyed the summer sun in Corolla, SC.
Anne was predeceased by her parents. She is survived by her son Marshall Kofler and his wife Dee Zamora of Arlington, VA, sister Susie Kofler of Alexandria, VA, brother John Kofler of Chantilly, VA , beloved grandson Dominic Kofler along with cousins in New Orleans, Houston and Ann Arbor and her uncle’s wife Elaine living in London, Ontario.
As per her wishes, there is to be no funeral service. She asks only that her family and friends find joy in the extraordinary journey of life we shared.
me arts ed 