As an instructor of art, I seek to engage students through material exploration and research. My focus is to help students create a strong foundation to build their material and written practice on as well as teaching them that artistic and creative practice extends into many fields in the workforce beyond the title of artist. My instruction helps students develop and or reinforce formal elements of art technique, vocabulary, and craftsmanship while encouraging exploration without a fear of failure. I view the classroom as a place to build communication and trust among students and myself as their guide by providing a daily platform for open discussion. There is great importance in an understanding of research of both art history and the contemporary art climate as well as researching the topics that each student finds individually inspiring. At the end of the semester, students should not only be able to create a finely crafted work of art, but also be able to articulate the meaning of the piece as well as its place in the contemporary world of art.

In the classroom, instruction includes demonstration, reading assignments, critiques, as well as encouraging students to visit galleries, museums, and artist talks in order to enrich the coursework in my class. I work to stay connected with the contemporary artists emerging in various areas as well as maintaining knowledge of art history in order to present relevant material related to the projects presented to the students. As a multidisciplinary artist working in non traditional materials, I encourage students to experiment in order to push the boundaries of a material, or develop new methods of creating from an unexpected material. I push the value of making clear records of these experiments in order for students to better understand the benefits of failure and what can be gained from that experience. While teaching, I encourage self propelled research guided by both one-on-one and group discussions.

Writing is a required part of my courses. Students create a dictionary of art vocabulary as they learn, as well as turning in artist statements for each piece created. It is imperative that students build a strong vocabulary in artistic language and art theory, while also learning to balance this with the ability to clearly communicate an understanding to those who are not trained in the same artistic field.

My idea of student success is multifaceted. I believe the ability to apply formal elements of art, the capability to develop writing and critiquing skills, and most importantly a willingness to experiment and push the limits of what can be done are all combined the keys to success. I push students to dig into the concept or ‘why’ they are creating, while simultaneously paying close attention to craftsmanship. They are encouraged to be self critical without undermining the successes in their work. My hope is for my students to leave with a profit of knowledge that will lead them to continue building their creativity with professionalism and without hesitation.

The overall goal is that my students gain a strong foundation and knowledge of artistic practices with material, writing, and research that will not only propel them as the next great generation of emerging artists, but allow them to apply these skills to many different roles and careers.