In the wake of the devastating tornado in the Middle Tennessee, TAEA is seeking donations from our art community to replenish and rejuvenate the arts for our students. Many schools, families, and teachers in the region were affected by the disaster, losing loved ones and homes.
TAEA hopes to help the art teachers and students hit hardest by the tornado. Please consider helping our fellow art teachers and community as we rebuild.
By Mary Katherine Chin
You’ve almost made it… Just a few days more. Your kids are going crazy and you may be barely hanging on, but the glimmer and sparkle of the Winter Break is twinkling in the distance. You’ve got this!
We know how crazy the holidays can be. While you may have a break from teaching, you now have travel and family commitments, presents to buy and wrap, food to cook and so many other obligations that it may not feel like much of a vacation.
Here are a few ideas to help you relax and recharge this holiday season:
OHM… OHM…. OHM…. Whether you are a seasoned yogi or you’re just looking for a little mindfulness, allow yourself a few minutes to yourself this holiday season. Turn on a little white noise (I prefer rain sounds), sit comfortably with good posture and focus on your breathing. Depending on how active you’re feeling, gently roll your head forward and back and side to side to gently relax the muscles in your neck.
Take a HikeThe mountains are calling; are you listening? We are lucky to live in such a beautiful state, full of rivers, trails and national parks. Whether its just a greenway in your home town, or a trip to Laurel Falls in the Smokies, let nature provide you with some peace of mind this season. You can enjoy a hike or walk with friends, family, or by yourself.
Original Digital Artwork created by Mary Katherine Chin, Procreate App, iPad and Apple Pencil
Get your Art on I hear so many Art teachers say that teaching takes up so much of their time and “I don’t have time to make art anymore.” I’m guilty of this myself, especially after having my first child last year! Your own art is too easily shunted to the side to make room for your other priorities… like being an adult. This holiday season, set aside a little time for you to let your creativity shine. Maybe try your hand at a medium you’re not familiar with. Or try something that is portable if you’re going to be on the road. Check out some digital drawing tools so you can take your art with you wherever you go. Procreate just updated their App and its amazing! If you’re not ready to spring for an iPad, the Procreate App also has a “pocket” version just for the iPhone. There are tons of drawing apps out there to illuminate your creativity on the go.
We were feeding 5 people. Leftovers!!
Forget the Diet
Everyone wants to look their best this season but coupled with feasting, sweets, and holiday baking, looking your best can be stressful. This year, practice some self-love and body positivity. Remind yourself that your weight and shape are not a reflection of your self-worth. Enjoy your time with friends and family and food.
Just remember, “Cheat with a 10 not a 2.” Good food is worth it!
Turn off the Social Media Take a break from your social media and email. Your work can wait this holiday. While some teachers find this difficult, many teachers do not answer work-related emails during the holidays. During the holidays, non-urgent emails can wait until you get back to school. Set up an automatic email response for your work email stating that you will respond to emails when school is back in session. In addition, consider taking a break from your social media. It’s all too easy to fall victim to comparing your life to Instagram-perfect lives of friends and strangers alike. But Facebook and Instagram aren’t reality, and life isn’t a competition for who has the “best” Christmas.
But most of all, enjoy your time off with your friends and family! You deserve it!
Wishing you Happy Holidays and a relaxing time off,
Tennessee Art Education Association
Written by TAEA President-Elect, Melody Weintraub
We just wrapped on another great state conference led by the amazing Janis Nunnally! As President-Elect for the past two years, I have chaired the TAEA Art Educator Awards. Next year, our new President-Elect, Dr. David Meade will chair this event. This year The Clay Lady Campus hosted our event with over 70 people attending on Thursday Evening before our Conference. The 2020 TAEA Awardees include the following:
2020 Tennessee Art Education Association Art Educator Awards
Tennessee Art Educator of the Year…………………………. Carol Eckert
(University of Tennessee at Martin)
West Region Art Educator of the Year………………………. Melanie Anderson
(Arlington High School)
Middle Region Art Educator of the Year……………………… Terri Barton
(Lakeview Elementary)
East Region Art Educator of the Year…………………………. Paige Burchell
(Sevier County School System)
Elementary Art Educator of the Year…………………………… Cheryl Burchett
(Beaumont Magnet Academy)
Middle Level Art Educator of the Year…………………………. Gulcan Demirtas
(Shelby County Schools)
Secondary Art Educator of the Year……………………………… Heather McHugh
(Brentwood High School)
Supervision/Administration Art Educator of the Year…… Allison Ross
(Metro Nashville Public Schools)
Museum Art Educator of the Year………………………………… Kate Renner
(Memphis Brooks Museum of Art)
First Year Art Educator of the Year……………………………..… Brendalynn Triplett
(Drummonds Elementary)
National Art Honor Society Sponsor of the Year……………. Cheri Jorgenson
(L&N STEM Academy)
Higher Education Student Achievement Award……………… Reese Kougher
(University of Memphis Graduate)
(Forest Hill Elementary School)
Friend of TAEA……………………………………………………………….. Danielle McDaniel
(The Clay Lady Campus, Nashville)
The reception took place inside The Clay Lady gallery. This year’s Awards Reception had a Superhero Theme due to our Conference keynote being Marvel Comic Artist Sanford Greene. Signs reminding teachers that “Art is Our Superpower!” were scattered about on the tables. Following with that theme, my 7th Grade Students made and donated “Power Mugs” to sell at the event to benefit the Conference Scholarship Fund for Pre-Service Teachers. Over $340 was raised at the event through the sale of these ceramic Superhero-Themed Mugs! My school donated the glaze and clay.
The presentation of awards was held on the patio of The Clay Lady Campus. Each awardee was presented with a beautiful plaque and was introduced by the person or people who nominated them. Awardees were also honored during our general session at the conference. It has been an honor for me for the past two years to help these educators be recognized for their contributions to our profession and for the impact they are making in the lives of children and adults everyday. Please consider nominating a colleague for an award next year! This is not only a great way for them to feel appreciation, but it’s also a great advocacy tool for their program!
Congratulations to the following successful candidates. These are the newly elected 2020 Board Positions:
President-Elect - Dr David Meade
Treasurer- Sherry Jankiewicz
Secretary - Rachel Towne
East Regional Chair - Angie McCarter
Middle Regional Chair - Heather McHugh
West Regional Chair - Jorden Miernik-Walker
We want to thank the first ever TAEA Nomination committee consisting of the Past-President, President-Elect, and the 3 regional chairs. These 5 people put together the nomination forms, the rubrics for the elected board positions, received and scored the nominations, and with the help of our Media Chair, put them up on the website for the vote. The results were sent to the Membership Chair to notify the candidates.
Thank you to all of our candidates for election. We are so proud of your dedication and willingness to serve on our board!
Janis Nunnally
Past-President of TAEA
Recent years have shown a huge push for art teachers to incorporate math and data into their already jam-packed curriculum. While we may sigh in exasperation of having to do “one more thing,” many art teachers manage to link math and science ideas to their art curriculum while staying true to their artistic purpose.
Whether it is through an in-depth exploration of math concepts through perspective drawing, or a quick data visualization exercise, students benefit from seeing the arts used in many different settings. We all know that the arts are important in so many areas, not just strictly Art. Seeing the world through an artists’ point of view is a vital skill we should be teaching our students, one that promotes creative thinking and problem solving.
Do you utilize math and data visualization in your classroom? How? Why or why not?
In addition, if any art teachers are engaging their students in creating data visualizations, please contact Dr. Joy Bertling at jbertlin@utk.edu. She would love to talk to you about your experiences for a research project.
By Melody Weintraub, TAEA President Elect
Congratulations to our 2020 Tennessee Art Education Association Awardees! The review committee had a difficult time with the decisions this year due to multiple nominations of highly qualified recipients in several of the categories. However, this year, we designed a rubric that was posted with the nomination information to aid not only the nominators in providing the information needed, but it also helped the reviewers make more objective decisions.
As always, it is an honor to even be nominated by a colleague for an award, so please do not hesitate nominating someone you believe should be recognized as soon as this information rolls out again next Spring.
The Clay Lady Campus will host a reception for the 2020 Awardees on October 24 at 6:30. Tickets are $15 each. Awardees are free. Each recipient will be recognized with a beautiful plaque. They will also be recognized during the conference on Friday.
This year we will also have a fundraiser during the event to help support a scholarship for Pre-Service Art Teachers. Our plan is to sell items made by students. Last year, we sold clay cottage luminaries and raised $540 for the hurricane relief effort in North Carolina for art teachers who lost supplies. I was able to meet one of the teachers who benefitted from our donation. It was a such a rewarding experience. Our donation was also featured in the NAEA Advisory Newsletter under the Southeastern Region Report.
Hope to see you at the awards reception and conference. Be sure to congratulate the following:
2020 TAEA Awardees
Tennessee Art Educator of the Year…………………………. Carol Eckert
West Region Art Educator of the Year………………………. Melanie Anderson
Middle Region Art Educator of the Year……………………… Terri Barton
East Region Art Educator of the Year…………………………. Paige Burchell
Elementary Art Educator of the Year…………………………… Cheryl Burchett
Middle Level Art Educator of the Year…………………………. Gulcan Demirtas
Secondary Art Educator of the Year……………………………… Heather McHugh
Supervision/Administration Art Educator of the Year…… Allison Ross
Museum Art Educator of the Year………………………………… Kate Renner
First Year Art Educator of the Year………………………………… Brendalynn Triplett
National Art Honor Society Sponsor of the Year……………. Cheri Jorgenson
Higher Education Student Achievement Award……………… Reese Kougher
Friend of TAEA……………………………………………………………….. Danielle McDaniel/The Clay Lady
TAEA Middle Region 2019 Summer Conference Wrap-Up
By Michelle Vinci—TAEA Middle Region Chair
On June 18, art educators from all over the state of Tennessee came to the Middle Region for our annual Summer Conference. This time it was held at the Clay Lady’s Studio in Nashville where we learned “Advancing Your Clay Curriculum” and “Printmaking in Clay.”
The day began with a light breakfast and coffee as well as a Keynote with Danielle McDaniel—well known as the Clay Lady. With the title “Wonderful World of Ceramics” Danielle (also proprietor of the Studio and MId-South Ceramics) led us in understanding more about various clay methods offered at the Studio as well as some of the scientific processes in creating clay and glazes.
We began workshops where Danielle shared how to Advance Our Clay Curriculum. She taught several methods and projects that can be adapted to various levels: Elementary, Middle and High School. We all had fun experimenting with problem solving, textures and glazing. In the other workshop, Lyndy Rutledge shared at least 10 different methods of Printmaking in Clay and print transfer. This was very insightful as there were methods that involved layering techniques and thinking through this was wonderfully creative. All participants rotated to both workshops one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Everyone walked away with at least 4 clay projects and lots and lots of new ideas!!
Lunch provided a great time for Janis Nunnally—past president and Melody Weintraub—president elect, to share about our State Conference: October 24-26 at Watkins College of Art in Nashville and how to nominate great art educators for this year’s TAEA Awards.
Participants all received swag in their conference bags and prizes in the drawing due to generous donations from the following: Jerry’s Artarama, Plaza Artist Materials, Staples of Bellevue, Frist Art Museum, Cheekwood Estate and Gardens, Trades of Hope Artisans (Gretchen Shea), and Clay Lady’s Studio.
What a great time to be in TAEA!
Last November, 2018, TAEA had the state conference at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg. I was the TAEA Conference Chair, and this was my first conference. I was so happy that the conference was so well received and all participants left with many ideas and memories to bring back to the classroom, museum, district, etc. It was a wonderful weekend, with Cindy Foley, of the Columbus Museum of Art, as our keynote speaker! Such a great message on the importance of creativity and thinking like an artist. Keeping ideas generating, not just the art. Become visible and share how you can benefit the entire population at your school. We also were graced with the now current, then President-Elect of NAEA, Thomas Knab, who spoke to us on Friday morning in our keynote time. We honored some well deserving art educators on Thursday night with a banquet and awards presentation. It is such a great experience to receive an award from your peers!
We had 9 workshop artists who joined us in our experience, with workshops including encaustic, woodworking, clay, oil painting, printmaking/design, mixed media collage, Day of the Dead workshops, Fibers, metal. We had Supersessions that were led by TAEA members on a variety of relevant themes. We had “Artivism” Keynote session on Saturday that covered advocacy opportunities and what to say when advocating. TAEA Policy Statements were discussed in another session, and one dealt with the strategic planning of our organization.
Oh, yeah, did I mention it was at Arrowmont?? Which, of course, meant great food at the dining hall and wonderful ambiance!! And we had Kris Bakke from Nasco who made it so much fun during our reception on Friday night. None of this happened by itself and I did not do it alone. I had a Conference committee, which including non-board TAEA members and well as other TAEA board members. And we did look at the Evaluation forms and have made adjustments as needed! I had some wonderful angels help me clean up at the end of conference!
Now it is time for the next conference, the TAEA State Professional Development Conference Is heading to Watkins College of Art in Nashville, TN on October 24-26, 2019!! Great central location for the whole state. Included in your conference fee on Friday, will be keynote speaker, Sanford Greene, Marvel Artist, Higher Educator, and author of own series of graphic novels. Continental breakfast and boxed lunch will be included in your conference fee. You can also choose one workshop a day from a variety of workshops using a variety of medias. If you can only come Friday or only Saturday, we have one day workshops available to choose from for that one day. If you are coming for both days, you will have a choice of 2-one day workshops or a 2-day workshop. We will have Supersessions lead by TAEA members on Friday, and keynote sessions on Saturday, for important information on TAEA and State of Tennessee. A Friday night reception with food and hands on art, along with an Artisan’s Market!! Saturday will also include our members meeting. And, of course, a swag bag and door prizes will be given out all through the event!
Workshops will include Dr. David Meade with fibers, Paul deNarrass with his fabulous oil sticks, Judy Klich with encaustic, Danielle McDaniel with clay, hands on and information on the science of clay, Melody Weintraub with altered books, Wayne Brezinka with mixed media, and Sanford Greene will do a one-day workshop on Friday. We are adding more to this list soon!!
We always need volunteers to help put on this event. Please email me at nunnallyj@pcsstn.comto let me know you want to help us during the conference. We can use help at registration table, helping out the workshop artists-which you could do in your own workshop, picking up water, reception set up, lunch set up, etc, etc. We will have an artisan’s market, so start gathering your art to sell during the Friday night reception! There will be a nominal fee per table, so look for the sign-up information.
Keep watching the website and look for TAEA emails and social media posts for more information on your TAEA State Professional Development Conference. I am so happy to have this experience of coordinating the conference one more time!
Janis Stivers Nunnally
TAEA Past President
Conference Chair
