Art Attack!

Last year towards the end of the school year, I talked to the principal at Kaleb's school about art in the classroom.  She mentioned they had the Meet the Masters program, but nobody was using it, so I volunteered to get it started again. After looking it up online, it looked like a program similar to Art Masterpiece, which I grew up with in Oregon. I was referred to the PTO president, then led on a wild goose chase to track down the program.  I ended up finding it in the bottom of the janitor's closet a month or so into the school year.

I recruited volunteers at the annual curriculum night, then recruited more through out the year.  We decided as a group to have a monthly meeting where I would teach the volunteers the lesson and they could make their sample before teaching their classes.  We originally had 14/15 classes, but the program was going so well, we convinced the last teacher she should join in after the first few months. We became such great friends... I just love the spirit of volunteerism and it was so great to meet people outside of my normal (LDS) circle. We made short power point presentations to introduce each artist, since the program we inherited had slides. Sandy took this on most months and did a fabulous job!  After the first meeting another Wonder Woman volunteered to be our supply manager, and she was beyond helpful!  Kendra is one of those type A, super organized people, but in a good way. She ordered cut, collated, and counted out each lesson for each class, so we'd just have to grab supplies and teach. The program wouldn't have run so smoothly without her... or I would have been a complete basket case with no balance at home.

We taught lessons on Van Gogh, Mondrian, Homer, Cassatt, Picasso, and Monet.  We had so much fun!  The students really looked forward to our monthly visits and would always ask when we were coming again whenever they saw me. We submitted 50 entries to the first annual MUSD art walk, and Kaleb's best friend, Rylan Gray won for the elementary category.

Early in the year we decided we'd put one on of our own. We displayed 2 pieces of artwork for each student of their own choosing.  My volunteers then helped make displays outside the teacher's classrooms.  There was over 800 pieces of artwork up on our big night!  Kendra and I also put up displays on each artist, and Jennifer displayed some of her artwork and demonstrated what a "real" artist really does.  I love her and her artwork and bought the black framed one below. :)

Since it was the end of the year, we were asked if we could combine the night with a musical performance and volunteer recognition. The students displayed musical instruments they made of found objects. Kaleb's was "The Loud Guy" and he loved making it!  Mrs. Ledbetter asked me to present the certificates to our art volunteers and talk about our program a few minutes before the event started. I was very nervous, but I guess did okay. The mic kept cutting out, so that was fun, too. Anyway, it was a HUGE success with a HUGE turnout and I was thanked countless times by so many people.  We were gifted the money we needed to purchase another track of 7 new artists for next year, and Jennifer Hawkins will be my replacement. She's a lifetime artist and just so sweet, I'm sure the program with go onward and upward with out me.

 Jennifer's display

 Jennifer painting...this is a canyon she's painting for her father to honor her stepmom who passed away this year.

 Kendra and her daughter Aubrey

 Sandy and Jennifer team taught 3 classes, most of the upper grades.

 Monet, advanced.

 Hilsinger's class...intermediate

 Cassatt

 Picasso and Mondrian

 Kaleb's Van Gogh...A Starry Night

 Kaleb's entry in the MUSD artwalk, Sunflowers.  Tami & I taught Mr. Davis' class and came in twice the month we did Van Gogh and she taught this lesson. 

 Bros in front of his Loud Guy

 So happy I look pregnant here! K pointing to his art on display with the rest of his class.

 Kelly, one of my new friends and volunteers, and her cuties.

 These are her kids in front of a kinder Cassatt display.

Here I am blabbing away.  I did get to share the big news that we'd be purchasing another track which was so exciting! We were trying to get donations that night, but PTO agreed to give us the money RIGHT before I took the mic.  My friends also gave me flowers after I passed out their certificates.  So sweet!  I will really miss them and my "baby."