Back from the desert inspired and ready to rumble!

Neon Boneyard 2019

Where do you go when you need to refill your creative well? Is it a good book, a weekend in your own studio, a walk in the woods or perhaps you take time to get away...

Seven Magic Mountains                                   Ugo Rondinone

In the summertime, I go to the desert. It is my special place. The heat is dry and welcoming, it envelopes me and redirects my energy . The skies are simultaneously pink, blue and proud. The desert holds secret nuggets of brilliant curiosity and creativity. It whispers to my psyche and encourages, actually pushes me to get outside the box.

                                                                                                                                                                   Recycled Propaganda

Recycled Propaganda has a gallery downtown on Charleston and Main Street. He adorns the surrounding walls with his visual thoughts, often calling out social issues that are not easy to reconcile. His artwork is provocative and smart. Recycled Propaganda makes you stop and think. 

Indigenous Extinction                                                                                                                               Recycled Propaganda

Perceptual Consumption                                                                                                                                     Clayton Baker

Spirit Sisters

Just outside of the city, over the border into California sleeps a tiny little town called Nipton. Nipton is the proud keeper of stunning artwork. For example, Clayton Baker's Perceptual Consumption that was a center piece at Burning Man the year before. It is quite the statement piece resting near the train tracks...it is not alone there are other large scale artworks that define the once ghostly space. You can also sleep in a solar powered teepee !

These are just a few of my favorite finds from this years exploration of the vast space that is the desert. The visit never seems long enough, but I carefully craft the time to leave me inspired and ready to rumble as the new school year knocks! This year is destined to be different, it will be amazing. I hope to be a source of sun to the teachers I meet! To read more on my thoughts about beginning the school year please visit NAEA Monthly Mentor Blog! I am so tickled to be blogging for them the month of August. 

Ode to summer...

School's out for summer

Savor long days...Sleep, Swim, Shake

Sultry, Sizzlin'

Chelsea.Whitney.Andy.Morgan.Frida.

This past week was our annual New York trip! The students were up close with some pretty incredible art. We toured the Chelsea galleries first and that always challenges our thinking and instigates excellent conversations around process, meaning and product. 

Laura, Kelly, Susan & Heather

The Whitney was lively with Andy Warhol's prolific and exuberant documentation of celebrity and history in saturated color and energy.

The Morgan Library was a new destination and it did not disappoint! Illuminated manuscripts, incredible photography, 

mesmerizing architectural spaces.

When the gang is all here....

The culmination of our journey was experiencing the Frida Kahlo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art!  Serendipitously it was International Women's Day!

Fierce Women

Frida & the Bull

It was an outstanding experience! 

The students were awesome. My colleagues were outstanding. Each venue we experienced gave us so much to think about...we continuously move forward.

Getting to know Gordon...

I recently took my students to the National Gallery of Art to get a close up understanding of the tremendous history that Gordon Parks captured with his camera. We followed up with hearty discussion in the studio classroom about how photography can impact the story and the public perception of what is being viewed. How the photograph is presented, and what part of the image is essential to the story... it was a day spent viewing challenging photographs and having critical conversations. 

Snow Bird!

There was quite a snow this weekend! My son was inspired to make a snowman...which quickly evolved into a snow bird. As soon as it was dark enough we decided to flap its wings! 

Experiential Development

FCPS Photography teachers had the opportunity this past fall to throwback to the 1850's and enjoy the meticulous labor of making our own wet plates!  Photographer Daniel Leocadi crafted a unique one day workshop tailored to photography educators. We learned the rich history of the craft, the cameras used and experienced the breathtaking development first hand. 

My favorite part was absolutely watching the photographs develop right before our eyes! 

We need more opportunity for experiential development. When we put ourselves in a space where we are challenged and engaged we thrive!  We are continuously asking our students to make...we must also make, it truly enhances our professional practice as educators.  

11th Annual Artist Teacher Exhibition

    The Workhouse exhibited the artwork of the art educators from Fairfax County Public schools this month. This was the 11th year we have had the opportunity to share our work with the community! It is pretty thrilling to see all the of the incredible talent we have here in FCPS! It is even more impressive knowing these individuals share their skills with the communities public school children on a daily basis in their studio classrooms. I am always proud to see my artwork hanging side by side with these talented and hard working fellow educators!  

State of the Nation  2018                                                                 Susan Silva