Conference Wrap-Up

Written by Melody Weintraub, President-Elect

We recently wrapped up our 2017 Fall State Conference, “Every Artist Tells a Story,” in Memphis (October 26-28), hosted by Memphis College of Art, (MCA) with over 120 members participating in nine Two-Day Workshops and thirteen Super Sessions! Arts Memphis provided a scholarship grant for twenty participants to attend our conference. Shelby County Schools recently provided NAEA/TAEA memberships to all of their district art teachers which immediately helped bump up our membership and add to the success of our conference.

Our keynote speaker was artist and art educator Olivia Gudewho is the Angela Gregory Paterakis Professor of Art Education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Professor Emerita at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

On Thursday evening our Awards Banquet was held at The Fogelman Center on the University of Memphis Campus. After a delicious dinner, awards were given to the following:

Tennessee Art Educator of the Year-Tina Atkinson

East Region Art Educator of the Year-Mary Katherine Chin

Middle Region Art Educator of the Year-Ted Edinger

West Region Art Educator of the Year-Amanda Tutor

Elementary Art Educator of the Year-Rebekah Laurenzi

Middle Level Art Educator of the Year-Beth Perthel

Secondary Art Educator of the Year-Carol Vinson

Administration/Supervision Art Educator of the Year-Heather Casteel

Higher Education Art Educator of the Year-Joy Bertling

Museum Art Educator of the Year-Brooke Griffith

Emeritus Art Educator of the Year-Flowerree McDonough

First Year Art Educator of the Year-Ericka Ryba

Pre-Service Art Educator of the Year-Gracie Knestrick

Higher Education Student Achievement Award-Heather Eades

Distinguished Service within the Profession Award-Brad Foust

National Art Honor Society Sponsor of the Year-Cindy Bennett

Friends of TAEA Awards-Richard Ranta and Watkins College of Art

Friday morning registration began with a breakfast sponsored by Memphis College of Art. Participants received a red swag bag full of art goodies donated by local and national vendors. After the morning address and super sessions, lunch was provided by The University of Memphis. Super Sessions included “Digital Curriculum and 21st Centruy Art Education” led by a conference special guest and SchoolArts Editor, Nancy Walkup. 

Workshops began after lunch. This year’s two-day workshops included:

Oilsticks with Paul deMarrais, Painting with Scott Manning, Clay with Wendie Love, Blacksmithing with Bill Price, Monotype Printing with Koichi Yamamoto, Fibers with Grace Eckert, Steampunk with Melody Weintraub, 3D Printing with Cat Normoyle and Sketchbooks with Joseph Christy. Following the first day of workshops, attendees heard the keynote address by Olivia Gude and then everyone moved upstairs for the Friday Night Reception. Food for the reception was hosted by Memphis College of Art. The reception included a live band, three hands-on workshops, vendors and an Artisan’s Market. The highlight of the evening for many was the Amurica Photo Booth Trailer where participants got their photos made and printed for a tip donation to Youth Art Month (YAM).

Saturday began with another keynote by Olivia Gude who shared her work with community collaborative mosaic murals. The audience was inspired by her work as well as her passion for visual arts education. Following her keynote, Amanda Galbraith, Kathy Dumlao, Heather Casteel, Angela Christopher and James Wells lead all attendees in a Breakout Session, “Creating an Arts Education Future.” Sessions included sharing student success stories, creating belief and position statements, crafting an influential message and establishing priorities for art education in Tennessee. This also included a selfie-video challenge where participants recorded a personal statement about, “Why Art Matters!” These videos were then uploaded onto social media sites as advocacy tools.

After the breakout sessions, everyone gathered back into the auditorium for Door Prize Giveaways and to acknowledge the service of Past-President and Conference-Coordinator, Donna Anderson. Each person in the audience was able to walk away with a door prize, thanks to the generous donations from so many vendors and organizations, including NAEA who gave a one-year membership and Tennessee Arts Academy who awarded a scholarship to the summer their summer conference in Nashville. Lunch followed, as everyone got a taste of Memphis barbeque from Stanley’s Barbeque which was sponsored by Davis Publications. The conference concluded back in the studios for the second day of workshops. All participants seemed to walk away with a renewed vision for arts education, fresh ideas to implement in the classroom and new art friends to begin a new chapter with, after all, “Every Artist Tells a Story.”

Workshop Spotlight: 3-D Printing

If you haven't been hearing about the big pushes towards STEM education, you've been under a rock. Many school districts are advocating for STEM-based learning in the classrooms. Oftentimes, this leaves art teachers on our own. 

We all know how important the arts are in a child's education and how applicable our subject is to science and engineering. But maybe you're looking for a stellar project that will really show your administrators that Art is an important STEM subject. Look no further that our 3-D Printing workshop with Cat Normoyle.

This workshop will supply all the details involved in bringing 3D printing into your classroom. Cut through the confusion. How exciting, to make a 3D object from a digital design. Learn the basics so that you can prepare your students for this experience. Participants will print 3D items for take home. All materials will be supplied.

Cat Normoyle is a designer, artist and educator who recently moved from Atlanta to teach design at Memphis College of Art. The assistant professor in Design Arts, teaches a range of classes from advertising, packaging, typography, print design and drawing. She has a BS in Industrial Design from Georgia Institute of Technology and received her MFA in Graphic Design from Georgia State University.

When she’s not in the classroom, you can find her in the studio working on unique ways to fuse graphic design in public urban spaces. She enjoys working in places (both outdoor and indoor) with regard to social positive impact. Some of her most recent work deals with adding meaning in abandoned, neglected, or forgotten spaces. You can see examples at catnormoyle.com. Cat presented at the Cumulus Art and Design Conference in Hong Kong in November 2016. 

NAEA Student Chapter Fundraising

NAEA student chapters have already begun fundraising efforts for important chapter activities that will occur later in the year. Middle Tennessee State University conducted their first fundraiser of the year by painting designs on small pumpkins and selling them to staff and students. Next on their agenda is a bake sale for the week before Thanksgiving break. Along with the pumpkin painting, the bake sale is also a fundraiser for their planned workshops next spring. They are considering a hand lettering workshop as well as water marbling art and the possibility of polymer clay. Meanwhile, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s student chapter has begun raising money for future chapter activities by designing logos for various educational entities. They are currently designing a logo for the East Tennessee STEM Hub. Their vice-president, Heather Eades, will be receiving TAEA’s Higher Student Achievement Award this month.

By Dr. Joy Bertling

Fall Conference Schedule

Curious about the Conference Schedule? We are still finalizing some of the details but we are excited to share all of the fun and excitement.

Be sure to join us for the Awards Banquet on Thursday night to honor the 2018 TAEA Awardees. 

The Conference begins bright and early Friday morning with pastries, fruit, and coffee/tea breakfast, followed by our opening presentation by TAEA Past-President and Conference guru, Donna Anderson. The Membership Meeting, presented by Janis Nunnally will take us right up to the first round of Super Sessions. 

What are Super Sessions, you ask? Super Sessions mini-presentations or workshops about any number of topics. You'll get your choice of which sessions to attend so you'll be sure to find a topic that's right up your alley. 

Following a lunch meeting with your division leaders (Elementary, Middle, Secondary, Higher Ed, or Museum), you'll be in the studios doing what we all love best, making ART! For 4 hours! 

After studio clean-up, we will hear from our keynote speaker, Dr. Olivia Gude and party hard at the reception following! 

Don't go to crazy at the party on Friday because its another early start on Saturday! After breakfast, Dr. Olivia Gude will speak to us again (yay!), followed by a special presentation about Creating an Arts Education Future. Then, its what you've been waiting for! DOOR PRIZES! You'll have to turn in an evaluation sheet before you can win. 

After lunch, you've got 4 more hours of workshops and art making! 

It's going to be fantastic! Won't you join us?

Workshop Spotlight: Stiff Paper, Soft Slabs

To the typical art teacher, clay is a daunting endeavor but to the average student, its just a change to squish some mud! The possibilities with clay are endless, which is one of the reasons students love it so! Whether its a 2-D clay tile with a little relief work or a 3-D vessel, clay is an inspiring medium for students of all ages and all skill levels. Luckily Wendie Love's workshop is all about differentiation and choice through clay. 

This workshop will offer soft slab techniques that are valuable to all levels of students. Adding breadth and depth to any level of clay studio practice the tools and techniques demonstrated in this workshop will allow participants to explore differentiation in the context of clay. Using roofing paper templates to create soft slab forms; students will have the opportunity to explore, design, and construct a wide range of forms. The work may be sculptural, functional, or decorative. The skills will apply to the classroom and/or personal practice. Sam Chung and Bill Griffith are two artists who embrace these techniques. Their work will be used as a point of reference.

Participants should bring: a variety of clay tools, scissors, sketchbook and boxes for transport.

Wendie Love’s artwork is primarily influenced by the role of the form and function in art as it enables the building of community. She works to provide an environment and encouragement for young people to imagine and create. Valuing the creative process over the product, she strives to contagiously instill in her students a love research, planning, and the full embrace of the accidental. For her, clay more than other media, provides endless opportunities for technical research, historical appreciation, creative problem solving, and perpetual learning. Art is about process: establish/recognize a problem, imagine potential solutions, create a solution, evaluate and reflect on the quality of the solution, and repeat. In art and in life, she seeks to experience and share a passion for learning while building a creative community. She teaches at Farragut High School in Knoxville, TN. 

Workshop Spotlight: Introduction to Painting

If you live as an artist in the Knoxville Area than you already know the heaven that is Jerry's Artarama. Seeing all of those art supplies will send a shiver of inspiration from your fingers to your toes! So imagine being taught oil painting by the manager of heaven? Scott Manning gets to play and test these materials all the time! Its sure to be an inspiring painting class!

Participants will explore Color and Mediums from the three major types of Paints - Oils, Acrylics and Watercolors. See how Mediums can open up the world of color from the major Paint Manufacturers of Winsor Newton Oils and Watercolors; Liquitex Acrylics and Golden Acrylics. Participants will try all major mediums and paints from Winsor & Newton and Golden Acrylics A-Z sets. Also an introduction to Caran d’ Ache Drawing and Water soluble product portfolio.

Materials: Participants should bring:

• Drawing Pencils,

• Brushes for Acrylics, Oils and Watercolors;
  Journal Samples from manufacturers will be provided for use in classroom and take home. 

Scott Manning is the General Manager for Jerry’s Artarama of Knoxville. Scott is a Graduate from University of Tennessee in Art and Business. He does multiple Art Presentations and classes throughout the year at University Campuses, Schools and Artist Guilds. He works in Watercolor, Acrylics, Drawing and Pourings. A Winsor and Newton Working Artist will accompany him.

2018 TAEA Award Winners

One of the great privileges of serving on the board of the Tennessee Art Education Association is the opportunity to hear from our members to recognize outstanding art educators from all across the state.  This year, we got a fantastic slate of nominees in seventeen categories.  The executive committee of the board reviewed all of the nominations – carefully considering each nominee’s qualifications – to undertake the task of selecting which teachers to recognize.  Each nominee brought so much experience and passion for teaching; the hard part was choosing one educator per category to recognize!  This year’s award winners truly exemplify the qualities and standards of what it means to be a great art educator, going above-and-beyond for their students and their fellow teachers.  Congratulations to our 2018 award winners!

-Kathy Dumlao, President Elect

Tennessee Art Educator of the Year

Tina Atkinson

East Region Art Educator of the Year

Mary Katherine Chin

Middle Region Art Educator of the Year

Ted Edinger

West Region Art Educator of the Year

Amanda Tutor

Elementary Art Educator of the Year

Rebekah Laurenzi

Middle Level Art Educator of the Year

Eliza “Beth” Perthel

Secondary Art Educator of the Year

Carol Vinson

Higher Education Art Educator of the Year

Joy Bertling

Administration Educator of the Year

Heather Casteel

Museum Art Educator of the Year

Brooke Griffith

First Year Educator of the Year

Ericak Ryba

Pre-Service Art Educator of the Year

Gracie Knestrick

Emeritus Art Educator of the Year

Flowerree McDonough

Higher Education Student Achievement Award

Heather Eades

Distinguished Service within the Profession

Brad Foust

National Art Honor Society Sponsor of the Year

Cindy Bennett

Friend of TAEA

Dr. Richard Ranta

Watkins College of Art, Design, and Film

Workshop Spotlight: Painting with Oil Sticks

Ask anyone about their experience with Paul deMarrais' workshop and you'll hear glowing reviews! His oil sticks are the best quality and his instruction is stellar. Participants always leave with some amazing works of art. 

This workshop will get you started in a brand new kind of painting experience. Five years ago, Paul began learning how to make oil sticks and created his own user-friendly brand. Oil sticks are oil paint in a stick form made of walnut oil, natural waxes and dry pigments. It's a great way to paint. You won't need smelly solvents and the mountain of gear associated with traditional brush painting. Paul will show you how to do both a traditional painting and also techniques that lend themselves to more experimental approaches. In the classroom, Paul believes oil sticks are an excellent way to introduce students to color theory, color mixing and many other key concepts of painting. We all share a common 'crayon' experience from our childhood and these sticks are the ultimate crayon experience but with rich color, creamy handling and the exciting possibilities of oil painting. He will demonstrate and show how to create textures and effects with an inexpensive embossing heat gun. Paul will supply each artist teacher with a starter kit of oil stick colors and with ample supply of boards on hand. Come join me and you will be amazed at what you can create with these oil sticks! You’ll find more information at www.pauldemarrais.com .