Exhibit showcases techniques educators teach students
The “Artist+Teachers=Inspiration Squared” exhibit will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. until Oct. 31 in USU’s Tippetts Exhibit Hall. The exhibit is free to the public.
The exhibit is about more than just teachers educating on subject matter, said Dennise Gackstetter, a professor in USU’s art education program. In this show, teachers select up to two pieces of their student’s work that represents their work as professors, and this showcases the professor’s ability to teach, she said.
“They are artists first, then teachers,” Gackstetter said.
The exhibit’s name comes from the double experience the professors have gained from educating about and practicing art.
These teachers give themselves, their colleagues and students inspiration through what they know, practice and inquire, Gackstetter said. Students then learn to model that behavior, and these professor show students that it’s proper to question what is in the world and put that into artwork that can then be sold.
Five educators were showcased when the event was held last year at Weber State University, but this year there are only three with art featured in the exhibit. These individuals didn’t have to be from northern Utah, Gackstetter said.
Students and professors recommended their educators and colleagues whom they felt should have work featured in the exhibit, Gackstetter said. A list was compiled and Gackstetter contacted those were nominated.
This exhibit allows professors a chance to keep up to date on what is in the world, Gackstetter said. This process is relevant to students.
“This is not traditional artwork,” she said. “This shows the real contemporary quality of their work. That means the teachers are aware of what is going on in the contemporary art world. They are forwarding that on to the students. They are not making artwork from 10, 15, 20 years ago.”
Those who come to the exhibit can expect a large variety of different types of artwork, Gackstetter said.
“The quality of work is really exceptional,” she said.
The educator’s commitment to their own study and inquiry is reflective of what is brought to the classroom, Gackstetter said. Teachers are paying for their own materials needed to make their art. This says a lot about teachers who are dedicated to their own art forms and their students.
“It is an opportunity to see what happens in our classrooms. It is really a valuable part of the student’s overall education and often it is due to the excellence of the teachers,” Gackstetter said. “I emphasize to my students that they are not only teachers, they are artists. Teachers in this exhibit really let them know that that is possible.”
Justin Wheatley, one of the featured teacher-artists who teaches at Granite Connection High in Salt Lake City, said he’s been interested in art as long as he can remember.
“I knew I wanted to teach art since junior high,” Wheatley said.
Wheatley, a 2006 USU graduate who holds a Master of Education degree from National University, said being involved with USU for various projects left the door open for opportunities like this.
Wheatley has six pieces in the show, five of which are mixed media and one which is acrylic.
“Making art is something I have always done and will always do,” he said. “It is a part of me. It makes me a better art teacher. I use my experiences of making bad art and good art – or struggling to make anything at all – to help my students understand that art really is a journey, and it’s the experience that makes it worth it.”
Nicole Warner, who teaches at Herriman High School in Herriman, Utah and is also featured in the exhibit, said she was encouraged to make art at a young age.
“Growing up, there was always importance and value placed on the ability to make things and become good at making those things,” Warner said.