NAEA Convention 2017

The 2017 National Art Education Association Convention came to NYC this month, and since it's only a train ride away I was able to attend. I highly recommend that you participate in an NAEA Convention if you can. I've only been able to go when it hits NYC. The cost of plane fare, hotels and such can be quite a bit, and I'm still in a part-time position (sigh), BUT— if you can go, DO IT! 

Here is my Top Ten List of favorite experiences at the 2017 convention, in no particular order. Share yours with me in the comments below.

1: The Commute! Okay, commuting isn't the greatest. But commuting for a few days to go out and have new experiences is a lovely change of pace. There is a great big world out there, and getting out of the day to day is a welcome change. I commuted with a colleague one morning, and a couple of times with my husband, who has been commuting to work for years now day in and day out. It gave me a renewed appreciation for all he does. Thank you Matt! By the way, can you tell that I love the Prisma app?

The morning commute with my husband Matt.

2: New Ideas! One of the workshops I attended was all about the Post Modern Elements of Art, and how to incorporate them into lessons along with Color, Shape, Line and so on. Ever try an Elements of Art sandwich? 

 Thanks Rahama Junaid, Karolina Maroulis, and Meghan Cerrone for a great lecture!

3: The Energy! There is something about being the one lonely art teacher at a school, or the handful in a district, and getting the opportunity to meet up with thousands of them in a great city, with activities, learning, exhibits, and incredibly knowledgeable speakers. For all of the times we feel shuffled around, or out of place in professional development that is great for a school system overall, but not so much for an art educator, this is the place to be! It is downright revitalizing!

 Waiting for prizes at the art supply raffle. So many winners!

Crowds waiting to see a workshop/lecture.

 
 4: The Sense of Community! Ever hang out with a few thousand art teachers? It is wonderful. Well, okay, it was crowded! But amidst the crowds and on-again off-again chaos, I had so many lovely conversations with teachers from all over the country who shared their love of education, the arts, and the stories of how they traveled to take part in this year's convention. All of my encounters were open and kind. That is worthy of a mention on a top ten list!

5: Art Teacher Celebrities! We are a small niche in the education world, and even smaller in the the world at large, but we have our celebrities don't we? I had a wonderful time attending workshops by Laura Lohmann of Painted Paper Art and Cassie Stephens, and got to say hi! Can I just say, that these two ladies were so gracious and kind. I volunteered quite a few times to act as photographer for attendees who just had to have a picture of themselves getting to meet Cassie and Laura, and each time they said yes to requests, were kind and gave a big old smile. On the second day I asked Cassie how she was holding up, and she mentioned that her cheeks were hurting, and I said, "That's a good problem to have!" I actually didn't ask for picture myself until the last day. Thanks ladies! You were an amazing part of this year's convention.

 

6: Sharing Great Art Lessons! There were many hands-on workshops and lectures about best practices, pedagogy, and the like, but frankly my favorites are where fellow teachers share their art lessons. And as much as I like the access to each other online, being in a room face-to-face, having a back and forth, and getting a sense of each teacher's style and personality is simply wonderful. 

One of my favorite presentations was Change it Up: 30 Art Lessons in 50 Minutes. Julia and Evangeline conveyed a great sense of their experience, an upbeat attitude, and had an awesome rapport with the attendees and each other. And I took away inspiration to try something new, tweak things I currently teach, and to revisit some lessons that have been left to the wayside. 

Thanks Julia Healy and Evangeline Christodoulou for your energy!

Fabulous blogger Phyl from There's a Dragon in my Art Room gave a workshop explaining her magical toothpaste batik techniques, with samples of each step of the process, and a funny and cozy atmosphere. It could have been that the room was packed! Lol! Nice to see you again Phyl.
 

Thanks Phyl Brown for your Tootpaste Batik Workshop.

My absolute favorite was Fabulous, Fun Folk Art, which was facilitated by Laura Lohmann, Cassie Stephens, Ginger Pacer at Paintbrush Rocket, and Jennifer Alvarado. For the elementary level educators out there, go find info about this presentation. I'm pretty sure each of these women have shared on their blogs etc. all about it!

7: Art Supplies! It is always fun to see the vendors in the Exhibitor's Hall. I worked in art supply retail through my college years (when there were still mom and pop stores), and have always loved trying new products and chatting up sales reps. They are so generous with their time, and usually have samples, sales and 'make and take' experiences to share with all of us. I appreciate them all! Two of my favorites this year were Jack Richeson and Sakura.

Trying out various tempera paints.

Making a masterpiece with oil pastels.

8: Exhibits! There were many unexpected exhibits and displays on view as I walked around to visit the exhibitors hall, workshops and lectures.The Paper, but not Paper exhibit by YMM Art Space Students was incredible to see.

I also saw a collection of giant pages from the book Color New York: 20 Views to Color in by Hand by Emma Kelly, complete with materials to spend a few minutes helping to color them in. So much fun!

 

9: The Sights! Even growing up as someone who has lived and worked in and around New York City, it is s a fabulous place to visit. This year's convention was down the street from The Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller Center, Central Park and more. Including an experience in the host city is a must, or at least go out and take a walk! Here are some pictures snapped during my walks up from Penn Station:

 
10: Reflection... Train rides home each night gave me to time to quiet my mind, and reflect on the experiences of the day. Some of the NJ commute is less than idyllic, but having that quiet time is necessary after a day of so much input and stimulation.

If you can't swing a trip to a National convention, be a part of your state association. Form a group with your colleagues in your county or district. Maybe you've found one amazing colleague that supports you and shares with you. Stick with them and give them a thank you! And if you move far enough along in confidence and experience, pass that support onto others. 

And don't forget the power of teachers who blog, and share on social media! I know that blogs are more effort to seek out, read, write, and keep up, but I still feel that they are a great resource and community, so thanks for stopping in when you do! The pace of technology is amazing.

Next year's NAEA is in Seattle and will be hard for me to swing, but 2019 is in Boston, so I hope to see you there!

Reflections on NAEA Convention: Speakers

There were so many speakers at convention that choosing was a difficult decision. Once or twice I couldn't get into the talks I wanted to see, or I was just too pressed for time to get to everything I wanted, but I did my best. The two creative giants I did have the pleasure of hearing, and who left me uplifted and inspired were Chuck Close and John Maeda.

John Maeda, President, Rhode Island School of Design, gave a talk on the theme of STEM to STEAM. Check it out if you haven't heard about this movement to recognize the arts as part of the equation for innovation in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Mr. Maeda spoke about the impact of art and design on education. He stated that artists make connections that others my not see, and made the correlation between scientists and artists as people who both ask big questions. He made it clear that art is a "need to have" element in the education system, not a "nice to have." He also spoke about the art teacher as one who shapes a person's journey in life, no matter what profession they choose. Hear hear!

Chuck Close inspired me in a completely different way. I have never had the opportunity to be in the same room as an artist whom I admire, who has achieved such great success, and who I know mostly through art history books and classes at art school. Really, have you ever gotten to hang out with say, Picasso and hear him talk about his life?

Mr. Close shared his childhood, obstacles he's overcome, his education and his professional career. The greatest thing about his talk was that it was informal and full of humor and anecdotes. It was not a stuffy, formal dictation of events in order. I left with a sense of getting to know a new friend.

For this session I decided to put down my notebook and just enjoy the ride, but I do remember one great bit of wisdom, that Mr. Close told us to take home with us: Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us show up and work everyday.

I was also particularly struck by a talk given by a gentleman from the midwest. He was featured as an award winning teacher, and gave a presentation of his art room and lessons. At one point he shared with us how many students he taught and his yearly budget. There was a collective gasp from everyone in the room! It seemed nearly impossible to be able to offer an art curriculum with the monetary constraints he had. When he heard the reaction he calmly said, "I know, I know what you are thinking. But where I live, most students don't have any art supplies outside of the school environment, and I am glad to be able to give them these experiences." This was truly inspiring!

Lastly, many teachers from all over the country spoke and gave me great ideas for new lesson plans, class room management, art materials I haven't tried or have shied away from, and interdisciplinary themes for the art room. I was given a boost of enthusiasm, a new perspective, and a chance to experience the greater community of artists and art educators— something that is usually limited to the handful of staff among an entire district of employees. That connection was very empowering.

Reflections on NAEA Convention: Classes

As part of my convention experience, I decided to try two classes for a small fee. Overall I had a good experience. My first choice was a class on Sumi-e Painting. Although it was a challenge to teach this technique in one class, I did learn a lot, and was given lots opportunity to practice. Here are some of my attempts at various subject matter. I know, I know, I need practice! But I do think I would be better equipped to give a lesson to the kids having had this experience.

The second class I chose was Creating with Beautiful Stuff. It was based on a book by the same name. This is something I have already done with my students in various ways and thought I might get a bit more insight by taking the class. I was mistaken, but I did take this class with a friend, and did have a good experience overall. Below you can see some works in progress, my abstract collage, and a beautiful figurine created by my friend and fellow teacher Paula.

Reflections on NAEA Convention: Exhibitors Hall

At the risk of sounding like a free sample addict, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the Exhibitors Hall at the NAEA convention in NYC. There were a lot of great companies with make & takes, great displays, discounts and knowledgeable representatives willing to talk about their products. And of course, samples!

Here are some of the highlights...

Mayco had some wonderful displays and a very generous tile make and take. I got to try rubber stamps, sprig molds, and their Stroke and Coat glazes. I did wind up having to maneuver carefully with greenware that day, but I had a lot of fun at that work table! Thank you Mayco!

Here was part of a display at the United Art & Education catalog booth. To me it looked like a row of art teacher awards waiting to be handed out! I must make a Scream statue for my studio.

The Crayola Company had a super-huge area in the hall, and lots of goodies. Here is a display of white Model Magic mixed into different colors by coloring it with markers and kneading the pigment into the clay.

There were all kinds of sculpture and 3D projects using Model Magic as well. My favorite was the tortoise shown below. The marbleized layers of the shell and the scaled skin were just awesome. It just goes to show that you can make some sophisticated work with materials made for children.

The bottom pic is of a window set in front of black board to show off all of the different window markers. They even had some that would look like they turned to frost after coloring with them. This window was blank and over the course of the convention was filled bit by bit by attendees. Great job fellow art teachers! And thank you Crayola!

I had the chance to try some Yarka watercolors at the Jack Richeson booth. I am a faithful Prang customer, but I have to say that the Yarka worked very well! I also liked that the pans were so big. Little hands holding brushes have a lot more wiggle room for loading their brushes with paint. Nice!

One other vendor I wanted to mention was Michael's. They gave me a lovely canvas tote with more products than anyone else at convention. I know they are a large chain and can afford that sort of thing, but it was still most appreciated. Also, their reps were the only ones who asked me what I liked about their stores and what I thought they could do better.  I do order supplies via mail order, but I also do visit chains like Michael's. It was nice to see them and know that they value art educators as their customers. Thank you to Michael's.

And now for a picture of loot... Woo hoo!

 More convention reflections to come.