Maintaining
A Public Presence
Throughout my career as an educator, I have tried to model the importance of public service through my fine arts program and creative activities. My students and I have maintained an active public presence and used our leadership and art-making abilities to enhance and beautify our community, winning several awards in the process. Below you will find a sampling of some of the ways we have performed community outreach and service through the arts.
NEW! A History of the Mennonites Mural!
Created by ASPIRE students at East Elgin Secondary School.
Self-Portrait Mural Installation
"The Colors of East Elgin"
January 2024: I am proud of my new Canadian art students! My 10th grade Art class just completed and installed a mural installation outside the cafeteria of East Elgin Secondary school. This is my first semester teaching in Canada and I am proud that these kids stepped up and got great results. Everyone seems to enjoy the new work and I am happy they have used their Art to creatively brightened up the campus.
I am happy to be teaching an Art class in the Aspire program at East Elgin Secondary school this spring semester, 2024.
The Aspire program is a culturally responsive and relevant program that honors Mennonite faith, values, culture and language. It is an individualized program that incorporates lived experiences and interests through hands-on projects connected to curriculum expectations.
I am so proud of my students for creating this visual History of the Mennonites! The overall design is based off of traditional Mennonite quilts, with each panel depicting a portion of the story of Mennonite migration from Europe, to Canada, to Mexico, back to Canada and beyond. This mural is meant to be educational and interactive. Each panel of the mural also contains a QR code which will inform the viewer with more detailed historic information, videos and other resources. They did a great job!
This 16' x 8' mural was created in
sections and painted like a quilting bee!
Collaborative Mural at EESS
"Seeing the Forest for the Trees"
It has been installed on campus in the "Aspire Lounge".
Please see this news story about the mural in the London Free Press
and this article below by the Aylmer Express:
I'm proud that my student's hard work received recognition in the Canadian press!
Social Justice Mural
In January 2021, my Drawing and Painting students created an award-winning "Social Justice" themed mural for a city park. It was well-received by the community.
Sister Cities Lightbox Installation at City Hall
April 2021, PUBLIC INSTALLATION: Light Boxes installed at the Sister Cities Pavilion at City Hall. My Photography students created these large-scale, informational Photoshop collages that detail each of our city's nine Sister City relationships. The Mayor was on hand at the dedication for a tree planting ceremony. For more information about Gainesville's Sister Cities, please visit gnvsistercities.org
Each school where I taught is colorfully adorned with self portraits by my students.
These were replaced every few years with new colorful, smiling faces.
Mural 9/11/02- After the tragedy of 911, our students were driven to create this mural to commemorate that sad event. We also secured one of 72 official pieces of steel salvaged from the world trade center wreckage to include in our monument. This project and photograph was featured in "LIFE" magazine.
9/15-MURAL SERVICE: Students and I helped on a project for the nationally televised show, "Extreme Makover/Home Edition" when they helped a local family by rebuilding their home. The show guest-starred the famous rock band KISS and we were featured on the show! It was an exciting community effort that we were happy to be a part of. https://youtu.be/iCDtPnm4V08?t=1522
UNDERPASS MURAL: In 2000 we created our biggest mural yet on the Underpass of the Newberry Road exit of I-75 in Gainesville! Students helped create the flora and fauna themed mural that helped beautify our city. We won a city beautification award that year for our efforts.
Field stencils for Athletic Department
Collaborative Creation Station Mural
ACP Sister City Blues Jam at Lightnin' Salvage
ACP Caribean concert at Tioga Ampitheater.
"Kung Fu Pollock" public painting performance