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Patricio Freire, BA`06, is teaching computer, graphics,ceramics, and sculpture at Manzano High School.
Cinamon Gentry, MA `06 currently teaches with APS as an elementary itinerant art teacher.
Michaela Sorenson, BA `06, is teaching art at an elementary school in Chicago, IL.
Mehrzad Banihashemi, MA ‘05, is an art teacher at Cordova Elementary of Rio Rancho Public Schools.
Veronica Mayer, MA ’05, was recently published in Art Education. Her article entitled “Rediscovering Ruth Faison Shaw and Her Finger-Painting Method” was published in September. The article outlines Shaw’s life, her development of finger painting, and how we as educators can re-examine Shaw’s methods and incorporate them into our own.
Adalucia Quan, MA `05 teaches Spanish at Santa Fe Community College. She has written a Spanish book titled La chica de Mendiburo, which is geared towards middle school and younger adult readers. She has also published a book titled The Magic of Clay which has a website associated with it. www.themagicofclay.com.
Stacia Smith, MA ’05, is currently the Costume Shop Supervisor for the UNM Department of Theatre and Dance. She also teaches Introduction to Costuming and Makeup Design.
Michelle Zuccaro, MA ‘05, is teaching at Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado. She teaches Jewelry, Ceramics and Painting. She recently attended the Colorado Art Educator’s Association Fall Conference in Pueblo, Colorado.
Jessica Gerschultz, MA ‘04, is currently working on her Ph.D. in Art History, with a focus on contemporary African Art. She was awarded a full five year scholarship from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. She teaches a section of Art History 101, and is planning a research trip to Senegal and Kenya this summer.
Sarah Mandala, MA`04 is a ceramics teacher at Oldfields School, Glencoe, MD.
Allisson Wermanger, MA`04, continued her education at Cornell University and graduated with an MFA in 2006. She is currently working as a facilities manager and an adjunct professor in photography at Parson's The New School for Design located in New York City.
Julie Simpkins, MA`03, teaches at Daytop Prep School in Mendham, NJ which is a Rehab Center for Adolescents.
Marilen Morales Seda, MA `02 currently lives in Houston, TX and works at Jackson Intermediate. She also works for the University of Houston as a Student Teacher Supervisor for undergraduate students. While living in New Mexico, she taught Art Ed 214:Art in Elementary and Special Classrooms.
Rachael Astoroga (Hughes), MA ‘96, has taught middle school art in Anaheim, CA. She is currently taking a break from teaching school to raise her two small boys, Liam and Patrick. She is currently living in St. Petersburg, FL. Feel free to contact her at rachaelastorga@yahoo.com.
Sarah Ann “Sally” Bowler-Hill, MA ‘96, is the Information Systems Planner for the UNM Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center. She and her husband Joel welcomed their new baby girl last May.
Anne Cornell, BAED ’96, is teaching art at an elementary school in Austin, TX. She earned her masters in Museum Studies in Boulder. She is currently working on her Educational Administration Certification.
Kristin Rauch, BUS ‘74, passed away suddenly in 2006. She was the District Arts Supervisor for Rio Rancho Public Schools. She also taught History and Philosophies of Art Education at UNM.
Ivan Wright, BAED ‘71, is retired from teaching after 28 years with APS. He’s been enjoying travel and relaxation. His daughter teaches 3rd grade in San Antonio.
Mary Burnett de Gomez, BFA ‘71 with Art Ed Certification, is the owner of Hanayagi-The Japanese Garden Shop located in Albuquerque. Mary is a master teacher of Ikebana, having received a Master’s Certificate from the Ichiyo School of Design in Tokyo, Japan. Please visit her shop’s web site at www.hanayagi.net.
Peter O'Boyle, BAED '66, was a student of Alexander Masley. He taught art/woodshop at the secondary level in New Laguna, New Mexico. He continued on to earn Masters and Doctorate degrees at the University of Oregon. He has taught at many universities and is now retired and living on the Oregon coast.
Dan Hardin, BAED ’55, went on to earn a MA in Bible from Eastern New Mexico University, a MA in Korean from Seoul’s Central University, an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from Oklahoma State University, and a MS in Missions from Abilene Christian University. He has worked in various educational establishments as both an educator and administrator. He has been retired from education since 2000, and is currently a professional painter.
An
Interview with Julie Simpkins
Juile Simpkins received her MA in 2003. She works in Mendham, New Jersey at Daytop Prep School, which is a Rehab Center for Adolescents. She teaches art to high school students that enter the program from Juvenile detention centers and public schools throughout the state. She also assists in counseling groups where art is approached as a therapeutically.
While Simpkins was at the University of New Mexico, she developed a curriculum thesis based on painting that focused on students “own mark”. She mentioned how valuable her thesis has been throughout her teaching. The goal of her curriculum was developed in such a way to “motivate and inspire students to paint using the brush stroke in a unique way while at the same time being aware of their own inner artistic voice.” During her classes, she reads artist’s quotes while projecting the artist’s work on the wall. She states, “ I posed questions about what they [the students] think an artistic voice is, and why it is important to work on skill development and mark making.”
The best modes of teaching have been to give the “students choices and assigning painting projects for art shows.” Simpkins states that it is incredibly important to be flexible when teaching at the Rehab Center. Most of the students are not in the program of their own volition. Overall, she has found that when student’s have choices and a goal to work towards, they become actively involved in their assignment.
Janis Timm-Bottos and
OFF Center
OFF Center is a community art space founded by Janis Timm-Bottos a graduate of the Art Education Program at UNM with an emphasis in art therapy. While OFF Center provides a free space for Albuquerque artists of all backgrounds, the ultimate goal of the center is to provide opportunities for homeless and near homeless artists. OFF Center’s space includes a studio where artists can use donated materials to create in a variety of mediums, including metal work, framing, painting, fiber arts and collage. The space also contains a shop where low-income artists sell their work, helping to provide economic development. OFF Center also provides a host of activities, including gallery shows and workshops. To find out about workshops, make a donation, or just to learn more about OFF Center, stop by (808 Park Ave. Near 8th and Central) call (247-1172) or visit online at www.offcenterarts.org.
A Talk With Lisa Domenici
Detail
of a Mosaic Table by Lisa Domenici
Ginger Stull recently took a moment to speak with Lisa Domenici, a graduate of the Art Education Program and part-time faculty member.
What projects are you currently working on?
Am still
doing some mosaic things--completing a table for the show
coming up and working on a mural, begun last summer at Navajo
elementary school. It has been difficult to install in cold
weather. Also took a part time teaching job with
APS--temporarily. Teaching at Navajo--to include more
students in the mural process. Thinking about further schooling, but
have not yet decided.
How did the Art Education Program prepare you for these projects?
It has
actually been great rereading past course materials and papers.
Of course, the papers I find could be further revised, but the thought
provoking discussion topics that range from creating meaningful
curriculum, to current happenings in the field are even more poignant
now because I have a bit more time to ponder! There are still
several topics I would like to follow up with. Two of the most
important to me continue to be -- why art is vital to all of us --art
in terms of teaching it, doing it and being aware of it. Have truly
found that I cannot function without some doing art and it seems that I
connect so many parts of my life to art.
The other issue is the importance of art in that long life search of finding our individual voices --our identity amidst the busy world. I find this applicable to me, to my students--of all ages and even wish there was a way to do more of this --offering art as a way of helping the unfolding of one's life.
The other issue is the importance of art in that long life search of finding our individual voices --our identity amidst the busy world. I find this applicable to me, to my students--of all ages and even wish there was a way to do more of this --offering art as a way of helping the unfolding of one's life.
What inspires you most as a teacher?
Watching
art unfold. I love how the intuitive process
works--I now validate this as "knowing" just as much as "book”
learning. For example, I was doing some Chinese dragons with 1st
graders last week. After seeing a real scroll that I had from
china, they decided to attach all--the entire classes worth of dragons
and roll them into a gigantic scroll. They all loved using scotch tape
to attach the long slender oil pastel dragons. Even rolling up
about 15 feet worth of paper was so exciting to them. I could never
have planned that nor anticipated it. They were enormously
excited.
Congratulations Veronica Mayer
Kudos
to Veronica Mayer who was recently published in Art
Education, the bi-monthly
journal of the NAEA. Her article
entitled “Rediscovering Ruth Faison Shaw
and Her Finger-Painting Method” was published in September. The article
outlines Shaw’s life, her development of finger painting, and how we as
educators can re-examine Shaw’s methods and incorporate them into our
own. Veronica Mayer is currently living in Argentina.
Alumni Spotlight: Stacia Smith
Stacia and students from her
Makeup Design course Stacia Smith graduated with her MA in
Art Education in
May of
2005. She is currently working for the UNM Department of Theatre
and Dance as their costume shop manager and as professor of
Introduction to Costuming, and Makeup Design. I took a few
minutes to talk to Stacia about her experiences in the Art Education
Program and her life since graduation.
Q: How did your education through the Art Education Program prepare you for what you are doing today?
Stacia: The Art Education Program helped me find my personal teaching style. I feel that through the leadership of all the faculty was able to develop a style all my own. Teaching at the University level has allowed me to pursue avenues of inquiry and discussion (learned from Laurel), imagination and dreaming (from Linny), hands-on exploration (Nancy), and patience with experimentation (Patty). I have taken these bits and pieces in order to form who I am as a teacher.
Q: Do you have any advice for Art Ed students or alumni?
Stacia: Yes, get yourselves out into the community to experience what other artists are doing. It is amazing who you meet at art openings, concerts and plays. Make connections and get involved. The more people you meet the more opportunities open up for your own career and life. And it’s just plain inspiring to see what others are doing in the arts.
Q: What are your future plans?
Stacia: I am going to take one semester at a time, but I hope to continue to teach at the university. So far it has been an amazing experience. I love to sew and I love to teach sewing and costume production. I feel very grateful to be working with Dorothy Baca, because she is an amazing designer. As for my future dreams, I would love to open up a fabric store in town, make enough money off it so that I could run a gallery and create one-of-a-kind couture clothing- this is a far-far ahead future dream.
Thanks to Stacia and everyone who has contributed to the development of this page.
Q: How did your education through the Art Education Program prepare you for what you are doing today?
Stacia: The Art Education Program helped me find my personal teaching style. I feel that through the leadership of all the faculty was able to develop a style all my own. Teaching at the University level has allowed me to pursue avenues of inquiry and discussion (learned from Laurel), imagination and dreaming (from Linny), hands-on exploration (Nancy), and patience with experimentation (Patty). I have taken these bits and pieces in order to form who I am as a teacher.
Q: Do you have any advice for Art Ed students or alumni?
Stacia: Yes, get yourselves out into the community to experience what other artists are doing. It is amazing who you meet at art openings, concerts and plays. Make connections and get involved. The more people you meet the more opportunities open up for your own career and life. And it’s just plain inspiring to see what others are doing in the arts.
Q: What are your future plans?
Stacia: I am going to take one semester at a time, but I hope to continue to teach at the university. So far it has been an amazing experience. I love to sew and I love to teach sewing and costume production. I feel very grateful to be working with Dorothy Baca, because she is an amazing designer. As for my future dreams, I would love to open up a fabric store in town, make enough money off it so that I could run a gallery and create one-of-a-kind couture clothing- this is a far-far ahead future dream.
Thanks to Stacia and everyone who has contributed to the development of this page.