Illuminating the Beauty and Tragedy of Darfur
Twenty eight year old El-Fadel Arbab fled his village in Darfur at age 12. His story has been shared with many including students at Falmouth High School in art teacher Nancy Durst’s class. The artwork students have created continues to tell Arabab’s story. This past week the work was on display. You can read about how this came together in the Forecaster from April 6th by clicking here.
Featuring one teacher’s journey as an arts educator
This is the third in a series of blog posts telling arts teachers’ stories. This series contains a set of questions to provide the opportunity for you to read educators stories and to learn from others. Jeff Orth is the featured teacher this week and has been teaching visual arts for 13 years, the last 10 in Richmond, grades 6-12. Jeff sees around 175 students every two days in his art room. He has served as the curriculum leader for visual art for the last three years and has been involved in helping the way the arts are delivered and assessed in schools. Jeff is one of the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative’s Teacher Leaders, Phase I.
What do you like best about being an arts educator?
I like opening up the world of art to the students that I teach, to help them see the world in a different light and to help them see that they are creative people.
Tell me what you think are three keys to ANY successful arts ed program?
What specific way(s) do your assessment practices tie into the success of your program?
The goal of my assessments is for the students to understand what they are learning and how to show that learning. I believe in formative assessment which calls for feedback at all stages of the art making process.
What have been the benefits in becoming involved in the arts assessment initiative?
The best benefits have been the connections made between educators and learning about different assessment strategies.
What are you most proud of in your career?
That I am always striving to learn better ways to deliver my program to my students.
What gets in the way of being a better teacher or doing a better job as a teacher?
For me it is the cliché of time, but I have very little time in the school day to work on inventive lessons for the classroom.
Apple or PC?
Apple
What have you accomplished through hard work and determination that might otherwise appear at first glance to be due to “luck” or circumstances?
I can not think of anything specific at this time but I am always aware the importance of putting yourself in the right place for “luck” to happen. Some things are out of a persons control but once you decide what you want or need to happen you can do things that increase the chances that something positive will happen.
Look into your crystal ball: what advice would you give to teachers?
Stay true to what you know and be an advocate for your program and your students.
If you were given a $500,000.00 to do with whatever you please, what would it be?
Pay off the little debt that I have, buy a house and put the rest away for my kids collage education. Safe and boring I know, but at this stage in life this bit of financial security would be great to have.
Thank you Jeff for taking the time to tell your story!
Sharing the lessons learned over the last year and a half…
April 4, 2012
The Maine Arts Assessment Initiative was launched in the Summer of 2010 as a first-in-the-nation state effort to bring best practices in arts education to the forefront by developing and refining assessment strategies at the grass roots level. The stories of the journey are numerous, and lessons learned along the way are many. These have deep ramifications not only for the Initiative as it moves forward, but for anyone associated with arts education in Maine: parents, students, teachers and administrators. Join Catherine Ring and Rob Westerberg on their webinar on Wednesday, April 4 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm as they unpack these lessons learned.
Drawing from recent data; feedback from over two hundred professionals in the field, feedback from the Fall Conference, Regional Workshops and prior MAAI webinars, Catherine and Rob have organized this presentation into an informing set of common themes. With guest presenter Argy Nestor, Visual and Performing Arts Specialist at the Maine DOE, they will attempt to make sense of it all in a way that can help focus and direct future work for all of Arts education in Maine and beyond. 
Participants will be instructed to provide live, real time feedback as the webinar unfolds, and everyone’s voice is encouraged to be heard! Active MAAI educator or first time participant, single listener or in a group, as an educator, parent, administrator or student, this is THE webinar that you will want to be sure to put on your calendar and attend!
To join the meeting:
Go online to http://stateofmaine.adobeconnect.com/pk2014412a/
Type your name in the field labeled “Enter as Guest”
Dial in access: 1-866-910-4857 – Passcode 140893
Greely High School and North Yarmouth Academy
Advanced Placement Studio Art
International Baccalaureate Studio Art
Untitled, 18" x 24" Mixed Media, Sarah Ingraham
Student Art Show at 317 Main Street, Yarmouth
An exhibit of work by students of Greely High School and North Yarmouth Academy
The exhibit will include drawings, paintings, mixed media, and photography.
Dainius Bukauskas AP NYA, Sarah Ingraham IB 1st year GHS, Olivia Ryder IB 1st year GHS, Lila Hall 1st year IB GHS, Emily Colesworthy AP GHS
OPENING RECEPTION Friday, April 6, 2012 6:00-7:30 pm
with live music by NYA Bluegrass Ensemble
Gallery Hours: 12:00-6:00 pm Monday-Friday through April 24, 2012
Open to the community!
317 Main St Community Music Center
Music Lessons, Jam Sessions, Cafe and Gallery. FMI call 846-9559 or visit www.317mainst.org
Waterville High School, March 22, 2012
Thank you to Suzanne Goulet, Waterville High School art teacher, who provided this post from her experience at the assessment initiative regional workshop. Photos by Suzanne also.
Mud season.
Time to let the liquid stores of winter settle, shift, drain in anticipation of the bloom.
It is a time of patience and planning.
Gathering to learn more about the statewide Arts Assessment Initiative, visual arts educators from Peru to Deer Isle met recently in Waterville, taking advantage of this time of preparation.
The Arts Initiative is facilitated by regional leaders that have participated in emerging their own training and explorations in assessment. Then, coordinating and facilitating interactions between other educators, Shannon Campbell, our regional leader, did the excellent job of sharing and preparing this groundwork for growth among “area” colleagues.
Discussions of “what works”, “real” and “ideal” were all supported with experiences, struggles, groans, laughs, thank yous………….and planning of when we gather again.
Something is blooming here.
Participants – Shannon Campbell (Deer Isle), Katrina Billings (Winslow), Suzanne Goulet (Waterville), Gloria Hewett (Mount View), Lisa Ingraham (Madison) and Karen Thayer (Dirigo)
Linda speaks at the Youth Art Month Opening, Portland Museum of Art
Linda Stanley retired from teaching art but not before she was recognized for her contributions to teaching by the Maine Art Education Association. On March 10th Linda spoke at the opening for the Youth Art Month exhibit at the Portland Museum of Art. Below you will find her message. The student exhibit remains at the museum until March 31st.
Last week I had the honor of representing the art teachers of Maine at the National Art Education Association Conference in New York City. With five thousand registered attendees and an expected two thousand walk-in registrations, I had the chance to meet and discuss art with many creative artists and teachers.
One of the artists I had a chance to meet and hear was Peter Max. He quoted Isaac Newton who said, “I have not come far without having stood on the shoulders of giants.” Peter Max then said, “My art teachers have all been great giants to me, ever since I was a young boy who was fascinated with art, imagination and creativity.” As I walk through the halls of this museum I hear the footsteps of giants urging all of you to create and work as artists throughout the state of Maine.
Peter Max was raised in Shanghai, China and would spend hours with a calligraphy brush in his hand. His Chinese nanny encouraged him to “just draw”. He developed his muscles in his hands and wrists. He would go through stacks of paper each day. The skills he built early as a child would later help him as an artist.
I would encourage you to draw everyday. Just as a successful athlete or musician makes their art appear to flow from them and seem easy…they practice everyday. Peter Max’s work may appear easy but his practice as a child helped him build a repertoire of images in his mind and skilled hands to work from.
Chuck Close was another artist I had a chance to listen to at the convention. He said, “inspiration is for amateurs – the rest of us just show up and work. If you go to work – everything comes out of the work itself. I’ve never had an artistic block – inspiration is overrated.”
Each of you is already an artist so please continue to work, create and most of all enjoy what you are doing. I agree with most of what Chuck Close had to say. However, your works hanging in this museum are an inspiration to all of us. An inspiration to get out our sketch books and practice, practice, practice as Peter Max said.
Linda Stanley who is the Maine Art Education Association teacher of the year shared these thoughtst at the opening for the state Youth Art Month opening at the Portland Museum of Art on March 10th.
me arts ed 