Workshop Spotlight: Steampunk Bugs

Look at that adorable little bug! Isn't he the sweetest?! How can you resist those giant cog-eyes?! 

In this Steampunk Workshop, participants will make bugs and other assemblages using metal gears, coils, clock parts, keys, trinkets, gems, hardware and junk drawer finds in Steampunk/Neo-Victorian Style. Steampunk lessons are highly engaging to students and flow easily across the curriculum while enhancing design-thinking and problem-solving strategies.

Melody Weintraub has worked as a professional artist for over 30 years. Her painting has been characterized as representational, evoking a narrative quality. Currently she is exploring mixed media and assemblage. She has conducted teaching workshops both regionally and abroad. She produced a watercolor video series, “Watercolor Painting Made Easy,” and is the author/illustrator of a children’s book, “The Little Bluebird,” published in 2001. She has been published in four issues of School Arts Magazine; “Art Rocks in Memphis” (Summer 2017), “Romare Bearden and Me” (Feb 2017), “Art After Hours” (October, 2016), “The Indispensable Art Teacher” (May/June, 2011), “How to Become a Highly Effective Art Teacher” (August/September 2011) and has five articles pending. Her article on, “Steampunk Bugs” is scheduled for the March 2018 issue of SchoolArts. She writes a weekly blog, “Art Teacher Tips” and has produced several instructional videos on her own YouTube Channel.

Melody Weintraub is an award-winning middle school art teacher at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, having presented both regionally through the Tennessee Art Education Association and nationally through the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Conferences. She is a member of The NAEA, The Memphis Germantown Art League and The Portrait Society of America. In 2014 she was named, “Tennessee Middle School Art Educator of the Year,” by the Tennessee Art Education Association (TAEA). She serves on the Executive Board of the TAEA as West Tennessee Regional Chair. She has taught K-3 through graduate level art education classes having served at The University of Memphis both as an adjunct and full-time instructor. 

Other than teaching and painting, Weintraub loves spending time with her family at the lake house and she also enjoys acting as a second profession. She can be seen in several television commercials and also appeared as the history teacher in the movie, “The Blind Side.” 

Workshop Spotlight: A Taste of Blacksmithing

It's hot and sweaty and definitely hard work. Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm talking about blacksmithing. This workshop is not for the faint of heart; it requires a lot of work and the conditions will be hot... duh! Speaking from experience, its easily one of the most fun I've ever had! Plus, how often do you get to say, "I know blacksmithing?" 

The blacksmithing workshop is an introduction to the fundamental techniques and tooling for forging, joining, and finishing steel into utilitarian forms such as hardware, cutlery, furniture, utensils, and architectural objects.  

Safety Equipment Required:

• personal safety glasses - I recommend a decent pair that fit comfortably, as you will be required to wear them the entire time while working in the studio. 
• a pair of good-fitting leather gloves - The need not be heavy welding gloves; garden style leather gloves will suffice. 
• wear a full-leather shoe - no need for heavy boots. Leather tennis shoes or hiking boots will work just fine. 

We have earplugs available and all tools and metal will be supplied. 

Bill Price is a working artist/blacksmith, and full-time assistant professor of Metal Arts and Sculpture at Memphis College of Art. In 2006 he earned a master’s degree in Blacksmithing from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and has a BFA from Memphis College of Art. Bill maintains a studio and blacksmith shop, making both functional and sculptural pieces for private and corporate collections. He has shown work extensively, in both juried and invitational exhibitions, throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Bill has been nominated for the 2013 Emmett O’Ryan Award for Artistic Inspiration and two Niche Awards. His work has recently been added to the permanent collections of the Arkansas Art Center in Little Rock and the Kamm Teapot Foundation in Sparta, NC. Most recently, Bill was the recipient of the 2016 NICHE Award in the enameled metals category.

Workshop Preview: Sketchbooks

We all have them lying around. Some of us carry one wherever we go. Or if you're like me, you buy lots of them but never quite finish one! Every artist worth their paint knows that your sketchbook is the creative home. And every home can get a little cluttered or disorganized now and then. 

At the TAEA Fall Conference in Memphis this year, join Joseph B. Christy as he explores sketchbook practices that enhance your studio practices. Looking at a variety of artists and how they work, workshop participants will play with media exploration and philosophies of making, using a sketchbook as the basis for this style of playful research and discovery. Sketchbooks are where brainstorms sprout masterpieces. Many styles of working will be explored in this two-day energetic workshop. 

Joseph B. Christy is a Native Tennessean, who currently lives in the Nashville area. In addition to a degree in art from Lipscomb University, Joseph also obtained masters Degrees in Education and Painting, from Georgetown College and Marshall University, respectively. Joseph currently teaches at Woodland Middle School in Brentwood, TN., as well as private and community classes and workshops. 

The maximum number of participants is 15 people. This has already been very popular, so be sure to sign up before its gone! 

How Does Art Build Community?

by: Angie McCarter

Anne Rhodes, a community liaison for the “Extension Reconsidered” initiative asks, “Why are the arts possibly the best tool for the community-building work we want to do in the 21st century? Every problem we face will be easier to solve if we have inter-connected, engaged, resilient, creative communities. Cultivating civic engagement, a sense of agency and legitimacy of leadership, empowerment, and skills for communicating and working together are important tools for building our communities. Why not use the arts to meet these goals? The arts give people a creative voice, a path to leadership, a way to express shared values, and to create a shared experience working together toward meaningful outcomes. There is consensus among social scientists, historians, educators, and activists that it is exactly these kinds of experiences that helps to build community. “ She goes on to talk about how everyone in a community benefits from the arts because art can “connect people to each other, strengthen and heal communities, restore a sense of belonging, and empower people to take on the issues they care about.”

This really got me thinking about the power of art to help build community. I believe that we as art educators have the power to make a remarkable impact on our students, and thus affect our communities in profound ways. What if we as educators could impart on
students and their families the power that art has to heal, inspire, and change a community in a positive way? Let’s make this a topic of discussion in our classrooms! Let’s talk about how “creativity and beauty are powerful agents for change.” Let’s ask our students how art can give everyone a voice, honor different perspectives, and can be used to solve community problems.

I challenge you to bring this up for discussion in your classroom and give students the opportunity to express their thoughts on this topic through their art. This year’s theme for the Youth Art Month flag contest in TN is “Building Community through Art.” Please support Youth Art Month and TAEA by participating in this year’s flag contest with your students. You can find more information about Youth Art Month on our website under Advocacy. 

Youth Art Month is a nationally observed celebration of the visual arts and is observed each year during the month of March. Its goal is to emphasize the value of visual art education for all children and to encourage support for quality school art programs.

Flag entries will be divided into four different grade levels: Primary, Intermediate, Middle, and High. Each teacher can submit up to 10 of your best entries (please no more than 10). A winner will be chosen for each level. The winning student flag designers and their teachers will receive prizes courtesy of Sargent Art. From these four winners, an overall Grand Prize winner will be selected. The Grand Prize winner’s design will be made into the Tennessee YAM flag, which will represent Tennessee at the National Art Education Conference this year. In addition, the Grand Prize winner will win $1000 cash and the winning student’s teacher will win $1500 worth of art supplies from Sargent Art. Entry forms are available on the TAEA website, along with directions on how to submit your entries. More information can also be found on the TN Youth Art Month Facebook page. The deadline to submit is February 9th.

Registration Time!

It's that time of year again! The Fall Conference is on the horizon and our new registration is live on our website. 

How to Register: 

Registration is on our TAEA website this year under than main header "Fall State Conference." Or follow this link http://www.tnarteducation.org/fall-conference-registration/

Scroll down to view all 9 of our amazing workshops this year. 

Select your type of TAEA Membership. Members pay $225, Non-Members pay $310, and students/retired teachers pay $175. 

Add it to your Cart! Don't forget to add the AWARDS BANQUET as well! 

After you add it to your cart, you will be prompted to fill out our registration information.

Once you input all of your information, you can proceed to payment. 

**NO PURCHASE ORDERS OR PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED. WE ACCEPT VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, DISCOVER, AND APPLE PAY. **

If you have any questions or concerns about registration, please email our Past-President, Donna Anderson at artzychick@yahoo.com

Costs:

Member:
• Early registration: $225 

• Late registration: $250

Non-Member:

• Early registration: $310*

• Late registration: $335

Student or Retired Member:

• Early registration: $175

• Late registration: $200

NO on-site registration

*The non-member price includes the price of a TAEA Membership ($85)....  So why not join NAEA/TAEA today and enjoy the many other benefits? Check out what you'll receive at Join YOUR Community!  Then come back and register with your new member ID number!

REGISTRATION INCLUDES ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

• Thursday night Awards Banquet ($25 additional cost)

• Reception/Party at MCA Friday night
• Featured “Amurica Trailer” Photobooth
• Vendor provided Demos and Workshops
• Breakfast and Lunch on Friday and Saturday
• Super Session Presentations
• Hands-on Workshops by World-class Presenters
• Keynote Speaker
• Artisans Market
• Access to Vendors
• Most Studio Supplies
• Swag Bags! 

**NO PURCHASE ORDERS OR PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED. WE ACCEPT VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, DISCOVER, AND APPLE PAY. **

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Unpacking the New Tennessee Visual Arts Standards

Tennessee visual arts teachers will be accountable for the new standards beginning in the 2018-19 school year. That means we have a whole year to practice. In Knox County Schools, we spent last year shifting our pedagogy to student choice and decision making. Now, we are pretty to dive into the new standards, which can be very complex. Follow this voicethread link  https://voicethread.com/share/9377775/ for our beginning of year professional learning on unpacking the new standards. You can play along if you'd like by using the worksheet and standards.

by Heather Casteel

TAEA Annual Fall Conference is coming.

Save the Date! 

October 26 - 28th 

Memphis College of Art and Design 

Every year, the Tennessee Art Education Association hosts the fabulous Fall Conference. In addition to earning plenty of hours to meet those professional development needs, the Fall Conference has inspiring workshops, informative super sessions, and happening entertainment. 

This year, TAEA welcomes Professor Olivia Gude as our keynote speaker. Professor Gude works with art teachers to foster the collaborative creation of new curriculum and assessment models in urban and suburban school districts, including the Chicago Public Schools, Atlanta Public Schools, Cobb County School District in Georgia, Fort Worth Independent School District, Naperville School District, New Trier High School, Tampa public schools, the Los Angeles United School District, and the Singapore Ministry of Education. She served as a member of the Visual Arts writing team for the Next Generation National Visual Arts Standards. Professor is a member of the Council for Policy Studies in Art Education and of the Educational Advisory Board of the PBS series Art 21. In 2009 the National Art Education Association awarded her the Viktor Lowenfeld Award for significant contributions to the field of art education.

Registration opens SOON! 

Costs:

Member:
• Early registration: $225 

• Late registration: $250

Non-Member:

• Early registration: $310*

• Late registration: $335

Student or Retired Member:

• Early registration: $175

• Late registration: $200

NO on-site registration

*The non-member price includes the price of a TAEA Membership ($85)....  So why not join NAEA/TAEA today and enjoy the many other benefits? Check out what you'll receive at Join YOUR Community!  Then come back and register with your new member ID number!

Registration includes ALL of the following:

• Thursday night Awards Banquet ($25 additional cost)

• Reception/Party at MCA Friday night
• Featured “Amurica Trailer” Photobooth
• Vendor provided Demos and Workshops
• Breakfast and Lunch on Friday and Saturday
• Super Session Presentations
• Hands-on Workshops by World-class Presenters
• Keynote Speaker
• Artisans Market
• Access to Vendors
• Most Studio Supplies
• Swag Bags! 

**NO PURCHASE ORDERS OR PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED. WE ACCEPT VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, DISCOVER, AND APPLE PAY. **

Summer PD at the Appalachian Craft Center

            Are you looking for a summer PD opportunity where you can make art alongside your students, meet amazing art teachers from all over TN, and learn new techniques from incredible skilled artists all week long? Then, you need to check out the Appalachian Center for Craft’s High School Summer Art Intensive in Smithville, TN! I went for the first time this summer and I only wish I would have went sooner! It is only for high school, but if you teach another grade level, don’t tune out just yet, just skip ahead and check out the bookmaking trick I learned that is sure clever.

            As a high school teacher, you can take two of your students to this intensive. I picked my favorites, duh! Just kidding! I chose two students who were adventurous, responsible, respectful, and hungry to learn more about art! We chose to do glass and fibers, but metals and wood were other options. We also got to take shorter night classes in blacksmithing, bookmaking, and screen printing. Most of these mediums were new to us and that’s what made it so incredible! Seeing your students take risks and get outside of their comfort zone is so rewarding and fun!

            In glass, we worked in both the hot shop and cold shop. We were all pretty nervous about handling fire, but it quickly subsided under the care and instruction of our amazing teachers! We made tons of stuff including sun catchers, pendants, paper weights, flowers, and bowls. My favorite was blowing the glass to create suck bowls. Sounds strange, but they certainly didn’t suck. My students loved it and one of them is now interested in studying glass!

            In fibers, we worked with Shibori techniques. We tried our hand at various ways of folding, scrunching, twisting, wrapping, and even hand stitching the fabric before dipping in the beautiful indigo dye. It is definitely a process you can do in your classroom and the students love the results! It really is like magic seeing the cloth transform!

            We got to attend these classes all week and as a result, made some incredible new friends from all over TN. (Shout out to the peeps from Craigmont High in Memphis who were in our group!) Each night, there was also a different class in a different medium. My favorite was bookmaking. Claudia Lee let us in on a secret she uses for punching the holes. You use a box and mark the width of one of your signatures as it is opened and held against a corner of the box. Punch the pre-marked holes with a needle tool, allowing it to poke all the way through the cardboard. As each signature is lined up with your marks on the box, you can punch the holes in the same spot by not only seeing it, but also feeling it go through the holes in the box from the previous signature. Clever, right?!

            I hope you enjoy the pictures of our experience and will check it out for yourself! Here is the link for more info. https://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/outreach/hs-art-intensives

You and your students will have a blast and you will get in some quality PD points. Win, win! Feel free to email me any questions about this opportunity and experience at andreah2@wcs.edu. Happy summer!