Collaboration is the glue that bonds the Art Department together and flourishes

Mrs. Shea, the secondary art teacher of the year, claims that her system of keeping student’s work organized and showcased throughout the school involves numerous complex actions.

“I use a combination of physical and digital systems to keep work organized. I keep my students’ physical work until the end of the school year for the art show. The framed work you see around the building is donated annually by graduating Art 4 seniors.”

Afterwards, Mrs. Shea discusses her favorite art assignments. With many different choices, she breaks down her reasoning for selecting which assignments resonate the most with her students.

“That’s a tough one, it is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child! In Art 1, it is the shoe drawing. In art Art 2, the self-portrait painting. In Art 3, there is a “nectar list” project that has students explore the joys and meaningful places in their lives so far. In Art 4, the charcoal self-portrait.”

Although Mrs. Shea loves individual art assignments, the Art Department as a whole means so much to her. She argues that the most important aspect of the Art Department is the creativity that the department allows for and the bonds that students make through art.

“The bonds that are made in the Art Department are truly special. This past year I received a note from a student that said ‘once the art room steals your heart, it never lets go. I couldn’t agree more. Most students who take an art course find themselves hooked after just one class, becoming familiar faces in the art wing throughout their entire four years at OA.”