Art Education Majors Feature Their Students’ Work in Art Show

On December 6, the first floor of Modelle Metcalf Visual Arts Center became an art display as Art Education majors from ART 310 Elementary Methods in Art Education hosted an art show for their young students. 

Their projects focused on watercolor, Cubism, color mixing, and more, and details about the intricacies of each medium and style were listed alongside the art for parents to read. The young students were encouraged to write positive feedback on Sticky Notes and place them next to their peers’ art pieces.

Learning the Ropes of a Classroom

Sophomore Art Education students Lydia Keonig and Senior Katherine Stutzman taught art lessons for homeschooled children in the Upland area. Class sizes ranged from fifteen pupils to eight.

The experience of planning lessons on a deadline, gathering materials, and getting things organized helped them get a taste of what being an art teacher will look like. 

One of the lessons that Stutzman taught was centered around watercolor landscapes. She found that students were able to display their individuality even through the washes, or the backgrounds of these landscapes.

“I said we were using blue,” said Stutzman. “And aside from that, they created their own blue background. Each student's wash looked different, which was interesting because theoretically, a wash means one even layering, but it was exciting to see how they each took it.”

Stutzman and Keonig were encouraged to see their students as co-creators each uniquely made in the image of God and pray for them.

“It's exciting to see the kids create something that they're proud of, and that they want to take home,” said Keonig. “As I step out and become my own teacher, I want to be intentional to include the interests of the students, and to provide that choice that they're able to create something that they're proud of.”

Art on Display

All the teachers in ART 310 were tasked with creating an art show for their students and their students’ parents that showcased artwork from lessons taught by each of the teachers. They incorporated different ideas, styles, and methods to create a cohesive show that honored the children’s creativity.

“We created questions to pair with the artworks so the parents can engage with their students about the work,” said Stutzman. “We're helping them to think about how they can further their learning.”

Parents may often value the work their children have created and put it on their fridge, but these questions served to give the parents the vocabulary to engage with their children about their creations.

The experience was highly educational for the teachers, too.

“I think we'll be better prepared for future things like this on a collaborative level, because of this experience,” said Keonig. “Especially because this class is like a full range, sophomores through seniors. We have people with so many different experiences.”

Career Preparation

ART 310 students visited schools in the Indianapolis area early in the semester to spend a full day observing an art classroom. Through this experience, they were able to see different teaching and class preparation methods that they could adapt in their own classrooms. They also had the chance to attend the Indiana Art Education Association Conference. 

Keonig was struck by the presence that an art teacher has in an elementary student’s life.

“As an art teacher, we get to be there both to see their growth and also to be there for them,” said Keonig. “Because we become a reliable person that they have every year that they can talk to in a safe space.”

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