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 

Museum Day!

First Metro Meet-Up of the school year was a wonderful outing to the 

National Museum of Women in the Arts!

Museum Day was this past Saturday, so it was the perfect excuse to go. 

We had a great group of budding creatives to share the experience.

We enjoyed art and many curious conversations,

 found a cool new pizza place that 

one of our students chose...

took photos, stopped by the art store!

    

It is days like these, seeing my students revel in the 

art and craft of others...challenging their thinking and

seeing things that they have never seen before...yes, it is definitely days like these that I savor! 

Happy Fall! 

Now, get out and look at something new, made 

by an artist! Then go make something yourself!

Light and Shadow

  09/03/2018                                                                                           Boonsboro, MD