Thirty-six educators from the elementary, middle school, junior high and high school levels representing 30 school districts attended the 2023 Windgate Summer Art Launch for Arkansas Educators June 12-16 at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville.
Teachers from the public school districts at Atkins, Bentonville, Bergman, Cabot, Caddo Hills, Clarksville, Crossett, Danville, Dardanelle, Deer/Mount Judea, Dover, Fordyce, Greenbrier, Highland, Hope, Jacksonville North Pulaski, Kingston, Magazine, Memphis-Shelby County (Tenn.), Morrilton, Mulberry/Pleasant View, Nemo Vista, Palestine-Wheatley, Pottsville, Quitman, Riverview, Russellville, Springdale, Stuttgart and Wonderview participated in the workshops.
The art teachers received instruction in how to create ceramic lanterns, relief prints, photograms, image transfer paintings, water-based woodblock prints and mixed-media self-portrait collages.
Dr. Lynnette Gilbert, ATU assistant professor of art education, served as director for the 2023 Windgate Summer Art Launch for Arkansas Educators.
“It is my hope that the Windgate Summer Art Launch continues to ignite the creativity and passion of creating art for K-12 art teachers, as artists as well as art educators,” said Gilbert. “Through adding new concepts, skills and methods to their teaching practices learned in the workshops, their students are directly impacted advancing their skills and knowledge in visual arts.”
Instructors included Summer Bruch and Jessica Mongeon, ATU professors of art; Ashley Kinsey, ATU visiting instructor of art; Tammy Harrington, University of the Ozarks professor of art; Margo Duvall, University of the Ozarks visiting professor of art; and David Warren, artist and art educator.
The final day of the program featured a virtual lecture entitled “Let’s Talk Photography in the Classroom” by Malika Collins, peer assistance and review advisor and art educator for Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
Program participants will submit their original works of art for inclusion in a virtual exhibit that will be made available to the public later this summer.
The professional development program, which was founded in 2018, is made possible through a grant from the Windgate Foundation. Participants earn up to 30 hours of professional development from the Arkansas Department of Education.
Learn more about the ATU Department of Art at www.atu.edu/art.
