I am not one of those child prodigy artists who was born with a silver paintbrush or pencil (as the case may be) clinched in my hands. I do remember always liking to create things and make stuff. I was not fortunate to have an art program in my elementary years and could only take one semester of art in junior high school. I took art in my freshman and sophomore year in high school, but there was not much of a curriculum and we just kind of did some unrelated projects. In my junior year, a vocational center opened in my county. Contrary to recommendations for college-bound students, I attended the career center for 3 hours every day my junior and senior years. I was enrolled in the Commercial Art program my junior year and half of my senior year. I switched to Photography and multi-media my second semester senior year.

I then went to Michigan State University and received my BFA in fine art and my art education teaching certificate. Printmaking and commercial art were my focus areas. I spent two and a half years taking evening and summer classes at Pewabic Pottery (then affiliated with MSU). I left to obtain my Masters in Instructional Technology from Wayne State. Since completing my Masters I have continued to take more than 80 semester hours of art and education classes and workshops from CCS, Wayne State, Kendal School of Art, and a variety of other institutions.

I began teaching Art Concepts and Materials and Photography at North High School in the fall of 1976. I have taught in the Grosse Pointe School System ever since. Before moving to South High School in the fall of 1984 I also taught at Pierce Middle School for 3 years.

My Thoughts on Teaching Art

There is a vast amount of research "out there" that speaks to why art education is important. Although I agree with most of it, I'm not going to quote any of it here. Instead I want to tell you why I believe art education is important. What I believe is important is what I try to stress in my classroom. I follow the Grosse Pointe curriculum, but my overriding focus is always using "hands on learning" to teach students how to creatively solve problems, communicate visually, and understand and appreciate their culture and the culture of others. I work to have my students be more visually aware of their environment and the visual messages that we are bombarded with. I want my students to learn that there are many ways to solve a given problem. I emphasize the creative process as much, and sometimes more, than the product or art work produced. I want my classes to be an enjoyable, yet valuable to my students. I want my students to value what they produce with their hands as much as what they produce with their brains. Art media, art processes, art history, and art principles are all taught and emphasized, but they are means to higher goals.