FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Announcing the 2015 AAEC Champions of the Arts
The Alaska Arts Education Consortium (AAEC) is pleased to recognize seven individuals and organizations from across the state who champion the arts in education. AAEC believes these Champions carry the torch for arts education through high-caliber instruction, arts support, and ongoing arts promotion.
This award is a celebratory action, aimed at highlighting the positive impact of the arts on the lives of our children and youth. The efforts of these champions in teaching and supporting arts across the curriculum reflects the mission of AAEC, which is “to promote learning in and through the arts for all Alaska students.” Each Champion was nominated by Alaskans who—like the AAEC—believe in the work of these Champions of the Arts to positively impact the lives of students and communities through arts in education.
The 2015 AAEC Champions of the Arts are (information provided by nominators):
Shanna Bosshardt – Special Education Teacher – Mat-Su Borough School District
Teri Diamond – Principal – Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Lisa Leeper – Teacher – Nome Public Schools
Loren McCue – Art Teacher – Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District
Linda Rutledge – Artist /Community Member – Copper River School District
Gwendolyn Brazier – Band/Orchestra Teacher – Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Fairbanks Art Specialist Team – Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Jenifer Cameron, Heidi Collins, Deann Moore, Benjamin Bragonier, Barbara Santora
(Descriptive information about these Champions of the Arts is included at the end of this release.)
Shanna Bosshardt – Special Education Teacher – Mat-Su Borough School District
Shanna is a Special Education Resource Teacher and still makes the time in her schedule to bring her artistic talents into regular education and Gifted and Talented programs. She has had the opportunity to write an after-school art program for Gifted and Talented. Each week they would study a different medium in art and at the end of the 8 weeks held an art show. Shanna is always bringing art into her special education classrooms as well as time and testing permits.
Gwendolyn Brazier – Band/Orchestra Teacher – Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Ms. Brazier has tirelessly and enthusiastically gifted violin instruction to all of our five Kindergarten classes (about 130 children) in the 2nd quarter of this school year. For 30 minutes each week, every single Kindergarten student has violin instruction time. It is fantastic! We have cardboard practice violins (my class has 100% participation) for home use. We have learned the four strings, proper bow grip, stance, rest position, instrument part names. It is amazing in just 30 minutes each week, she breezes in and swoops the 25+ five year old wigglers off on another musical adventure. She is a treasure! The program is modeled somewhat on JAMM (Juneau). Most requested classroom music is now symphonic or fiddle related.
Teri Diamond – Principal – Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Teri has been a long-time supporter of arts education for students. Beginning when she was a teacher, she made sure her students had creative, art-making opportunities even when there was no specialist available. Since becoming a principal, she goes out of her way to bring artist residencies to her school and has work with Bunnell Street Art Center to help pilot their Artists in Schools residency program on the upper Kenai Peninsula. She actively encourages her staff to incorporate the arts into their classrooms and makes sure the community is part of the celebration of creativity at Soldotna Elementary. It is through Administrators like Teri that the arts continue to find a place in education.
Lisa Leeper – Teacher – Nome Public Schools
Lisa is an extraordinary educator for a number of reasons. She is deeply committed and compassionate to her students and their families. With the structure of our school, she develops each language arts and art lesson herself. I am going to list all of the wonderful things she does for our community. Within the list are contributions she has given that incorporate the arts.
Lisa has contributed countless hours of her own time to our school. Examples have included but are not limited to grant writing, organizing family gatherings, helping coordinate local artist instruction within the school and peer coaching. She began ACTION (Active Community Teens Involved in Outreach for Nome) here at school. This is a student-initiated service group that has organized projects including recycling, tutoring, and special events for youth and foster children. She also organized students to help with Breakfast for Santa, and worked to set up tables and decorations and print photos.
Loren McCue – Art Teacher – Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District
Mrs. McCue is the art teacher for Kindergarten through sixth grade students at the Tongass School of Arts and Sciences in Ketchikan. Using many different materials and techniques, Loren engages students in a variety of projects that allow students to be creative and proud of their work. Loren teaches about different famous artists and their works, so students try different styles of art. There are a few public art displays in Ketchikan that Loren made possible. In the Ketchikan Visitor’s Center there are clay fish made by Tongass K through 6th grade students. At the Discovery Center in Ketchikan, there is another display of fish, these made with wire and beads, again created by K through 6th grade Tongass kids. Another schoolwide project is displayed on the fence outside of Tongass School, individually drawn and painted Thunderbirds, the school’s mascot. In addition to these permanent art displays, Loren has made possible many art shows with Tongass students’ art work. One example of an art show that Loren has enabled students to join is Ketchikan’s Wearable Art Show. Loren has fostered interest and talent in art at the Tongass School of Arts and Sciences and appreciation of student art in Ketchikan.
Linda Rutledge – Artist /Community Member – Copper River School District
While Linda Rutledge has not had children of her own in Copper River School District schools for many, many years, she has continued to serve as a champion for the arts by volunteering to spread joy through art in the Kenny Lake School, community library, and summer fair. For decades, Mrs. Rutledge has volunteered her time and talents to visit Kenny Lake School and serve as a visual arts teacher in the elementary grades. Over the years, she has helped hundreds of students learn the joy of drawing, painting, and multi-media arts by providing patient and compassionate instruction and hands-on practice in the classroom. Additionally, Linda volunteers her talents to create posters, advertisements, and visual arts installments for the school and public library in the Kenny Lake community. Her work can be seen at the regional summer fair, and students and adults alike recognize her artistic style and emulate it in their own practice with pencils, pens, and paints. Linda Rutledge is one of those quiet heroes in rural Alaska who creates light by bringing the arts to places that otherwise would have none…and she is a woman who has made it her life’s work to ensure that Copper River students have opportunities to explore, learn, and grow through the arts even when no formal arts instruction was available. “Champions” don’t necessarily have to live in urban places or boast titles and degrees; sometimes they are the humble yet phenomenally talented people living next door who quietly infuse the lives of their neighbors with the beauty and gifts through the arts. Linda Rutledge is absolutely “that kind” of champion, and the Copper River Basin is a better place because of her artistic influence in the lives of those who live here.
District Art Specialist Team – Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Jenifer Cameron, Heidi Collins, Deann Moore, Benjamin Bragonier, Barbara Santora
Not only does the team “make the rounds” of all the district schools delivering new art instruction several times each year – [these lessons then turn into new “check out” art kits]….. And this year they are also mentoring all first year teachers weekly by bringing in lessons and resources to help those teachers develop their skills and their confidence. They prepare, restock and manage a huge system of terrific “ART Kits ” . Each large red poster sized bag is complete – amazingly well developed with literature, additional extensions and resources -lessons for each grade. These bags allow any teacher of any skill level the ability to share quality art instruction across a variety of media. The bags evolve and remain fresh and current with our changing curriculum but never sacrifice their essential focus: to inspire, nurture and celebrate the artist in EVERY CHILD!
These teachers develop kits to be shipped throughout our large district. Each kit focuses on a curricular objective for a specific grade level. They also take the time to visit each classroom twice per year, and this year they began granting extra visits to newbie teachers. Without their influence, guidance, and creativity, many teachers might not ever consider or might be intimidated to teach art lessons. I am so very thankful to have this group of art specialists.