Spring 2022 Iridescence Literary Magazine Now Available Online

May 17, 2022May 26, 2022Leave a comment

Iridescence Literary Magazine showcases art, photography, and creative writings submitted by 9-12 Sheboygan North High students. Take a look at the Spring 2022 issue and download your very own copy. Printed copies will become available in early June 2022. Pending delivery delays.

Iridescence Literary Magazine was founded and conceptualized in 2021 by Junior Grace Z.

Advisors: Mrs. Cavanaugh, Mr. Juárez, and Mr. McGoldrick.

Iridescence Literary Magazine is supported by a grant from the Kohler Foundation, Inc.

8 questions with Editor-in-Chief, Grace Z.

Mr. Juárez: What is Iridescence?

Grace Z: Iridescence is a yearly literary magazine produced entirely by North High students. Throughout the year, we collect submissions and select a diverse amount of writing and art to be placed in the magazine.

MJ: What was the inspiration behind Iridescence Literary Magazine?

GZ: I was first inspired to start Iridescence after I saw another high school literary magazine in a school library. Seeing that it was all curated, created, and collected by students, it was truly inspiring to see a glimpse of the students’ creativity from that school. I wanted to bring that same opportunity for students at Sheboygan North High, which is what led me to founding the Iridescence Literary Magazine.

MJ: How did you come up with the name of the magazine?

GZ: Iridescence is defined as: “showing luminous colors that seem to change when seen from different angles.” This name resonated with me the most as I felt that in a metaphorical way, that represented the purpose of the Iridescence Literary Magazine– a publication that showcases the vibrant, creative aspects of Sheboygan North High School in a new light.

MJ: What is the goal of the magazine?

GZ: The goal for the magazine is to provide a platform for students at Sheboygan North High School to showcase their work. Whether that be words or illustrations, we encourage students to get their work out there, become published creatives, and have their work seen throughout the community.

MJ: What long-term goals do you have for the magazine?

GZ: The Iridescence Literary Magazine aspires to foster an atmosphere of individual creativity. We intend to promote emerging strong, unique voices to represent the talented group of emerging writers in Sheboygan and elsewhere.

MJ: Have you encountered challenges during the process of putting it together?

GZ: The challenge with putting the magazine together was making sure that every detail was taken care of. From designing all of the pages, collecting submissions, to acquiring funding, the process of putting the magazine together took countless hours. However, even so, it was truly an incredibly exciting and rewarding process. To be able to have a final magazine with work from Sheboygan North High feels truly incredible, and I’m looking forward to putting together issue #3 next year as well.

MJ: What have you learned about yourself as the editor-in-chief?

GZ: Being editor-in-chief of the Iridescence Literary Magazine has taught me a lot. I’ve learned not only about the process of making such a magazine and having it being printed, but also many life lessons along the way. Time management, planning, and communication has been an integral part in Iridescence, and I hope to continue learning and improving as Iridescence’s editor-in-chief.

MJ: What advice would you give a fellow student in pursuit of a creative project?

GZ: My greatest advice would be to find a mentor. Whether that be a teacher, someone who works in that field, or a parent, finding someone who is preferably knowledgeable in your particular creative project is extremely helpful, as they can help guide you through the process. For Iridescence, my advisors and teachers are my mentors. I feel incredibly grateful to have all their support, as they have played a significant role in helping make the Iridescence Literary Magazine possible.

Get your downloadable PDF today!Download

End of the Year Celebration at Sheboygan North High Art Department

June 7, 2019June 7, 2019Leave a comment

We end the 2018-2019 school year with two amazing programs, The National Art Honor Society (NAHS) and the Artist-in-residency Program (AiR).

The Sheboygan North High Art Department officially became a National Art Honor Society (NAHS) chapter. This is the first chapter of its kind in our North High history dedicated to the visual arts.

Visual arts education is essential to 21st-century learning. As a new NAHS chapter we utilized the National Art Education Association (NAEA) to stay ahead of developments in the field of arts education by being introducing a broad perspective of research, issues, and policy trends that are key in art education. As a NAHS chapter we connected to thousands of chapters from around the globe who are passionate about the integral role of the visual arts in ensuring all students to receive a high-quality, effective, and well-rounded education.

We believe that the National Art Honor Society will contribute to reaching our building goals. In addition, introducing students to a diverse art offering beyond the walls of North High will expand their minds, to participate in new art experiences, and to provide leadership opportunities, which will contribute to their personal and academic growth. Student success is very important to us and our professional goal is to assist them in their journeys.

The NAHS Chapter created three committees focused on fundraising, community outreach, and beautifying our school environment through art.

We created partnerships with the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and the MEAD Library.

Below is a collection of images that our students participated in as well as a video celebrating the completion of our “Be the Next Generation” Mural, an exit interview and artist talk with Craig Grabhorn, and poetry readings.

Gallery

Mural in progress

National Art Honor Society’s (NAHS) mural, “Be the Next Generation”, is a gift to North High School and its students. As you can see, it pictures the words, “be the next generation” underlying a sprouting seedling. Planning the mural, we wanted the sprout to symbolize everyone who feels lost or isolated while also standing for growth. Nature is an empowering force. No matter where, it finds a way. Even from the concrete, nature erects itself in masses of green foliage. A sproutling is small, inferior, and feeble. We could easily uproot it with our bare hands, but sproutlings grow. They persevere between the concrete and with time they rise to the sky and become towering trees. We are the trees, we can grow and become greater things. We have always persisted; from the very beginning when we were wild and instinctual, to now where we face the stresses of everyday life. We grow and adapt. We become today and the rising suns of tomorrow.

The word “generation” is a major point of the mural. Each letter was painted by a different member of NAHS with what they perceived as “the next generation” or simply their thoughts on the phrase and their inspirations. By incorporating the “art” into the word “generation” we are literally proclaiming that what we, all of us, aspire for in the future will become the next generation.

We want to encourage and inspire the generations of now to take a stand for both others and themselves, regardless of their skin color, their background, their gender, their sexual orientation, and etc. You don’t have to conform to the society of yesterday. Be who you want to be and who you need to be for the good of the world. – Sara Vang, grade 10

Artist-in-residency with Craig Grabhorn (Exit Interview)

Hear what he has to say about his experience at North High as a visiting artist.

Video: End of the Year Celebration at Sheboygan North High School

In this video we share with you the unveiling of “Be the Next Generation”, artist talk with Craig, and poetry readings by students & advisor (in response to Craig’s art).

North and South High collaborate on an Artist in Residence Program

September 8, 2018September 8, 2018Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sheboygan, WI — Sheboygan North High School and Sheboygan South High School are pleased to announce that they will be working in tandem to introduce students and staff to the world of art beyond the classroom walls in their Artist in Residence Program.

L to R: Frank Juarez and Brian Sommersberger

Sheboygan North created its Artist in Residency Program in 2014 under the leadership of art teacher, Frank Juarez. Based on his observations, he noticed many of his colleagues were implementing strategies to teach course concepts via art production, students were given an outlet to express themselves and to demonstrate what they were learning in their classes. Through several conversations with colleagues and administration, he asked, “What if we created our own artist in residency program that would provide more creative outlets and resources to students and staff?” This school year, it will be entering its 5^th year of implementing this program in to the culture of Sheboygan North.

Sheboygan South has a new art teacher, Brian Sommersberger. Sommersberger is coming from Wilson Elementary. During his four years at Wilson, he has created some of his own art programs such as the Visiting Artist Program. When he expressed that he wanted to start an artist in residency program at South, Juarez offered guidance. Both high schools will provide this program at their respective school, operating with their own ideas of how they envision this program to look like for their students and staff.

Sheboygan North and South kick off the 2018/2019 school year with Kim Nugent, artist journals, and Patty Aker, silk painter, respectively. Both artists be working in their own art studios within the schools, working with students and staff as well as making their own artwork.

About Patty Aker

Patty Aker has a passion for design, painting and textiles. Her esthetic leans towards modern, abstract and colorful compositions, reflecting nature’s tessellations. She enjoys creating with an organic slant, focusing on the environment while employing different techniques to build on texture with various paints and resists. The result belies the simplicity of her craft. Occasionally, she includes a written word or her favorite poetry to complete a piece.

Her love of fashion and sewing naturally draws her to fiber. Silk is her canvas; it is a very forgiving medium. Colors evolve intensely to produce the drama she wants in the fabric. Painting on silk is such an exciting experience. The paints are uncontrollable upon touching the silk and take on a life of their own, swirling, pushing, and merging into amazing contortions of vibrant color. The dye flow is tamed by various methods and the result is always a visual, textural surprise.

Aker has exhibited in many juried shows, group and solo shows. Venues include U.W. Sheboygan, Plymouth Art Center, St. Nicholas Hospital, Inspiration Studios, the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, Latitude Art, Sheboygan Visual Artists, Lakeshore Art Supplies, and the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.

Denmark, Acrylic on silk, 18 x 19 inches, 2017. Image courtesy of the artist.

About Kim Nugent

Kim Nugent’s method of journaling often involves utilizing a picture as a starting point to spark an idea. She chooses photos that she likes and surprisingly, dislikes. Her purpose is to develop ideas, explore techniques, and to push her creativity. Working this way jumpstarts her imagination, rendering a visual journal page that would have been hard to conceive using merely a blank sheet of paper.

Visual journaling has become something that Nugent feels compelled to do. It helps her to be calm, centered and focused. Through visual journaling she expresses herself with or without words. In her journals: she experiments with different mediums and techniques; documents important events or simple daily happenings; expresses her thoughts and feelings; draw, paint or collage. She has no rules.

Spiraling from My Center, Collage, 9 x 11 inches, 2014. Image courtesy of the artist.

About Sheboygan North High School

The mission of Sheboygan North High Art Department is to create and nurture a learning environment that will stimulate risk-taking, originality, and collaboration through the use of 21^st Century Skills in both studio practice and communication.

Frank Juarez is the art department chair at Sheboygan North High School. He is actively involved in local, regional, state, and national arts organization such as the Wisconsin Art Education Association, and the National Art Education Association. He has served as a board member in the following organizations: Milwaukee Artist Resource Network, Arts Wisconsin, and the Cedarburg Cultural Center. He is the founder/former director of the Sheboygan Visual Artists. In 2011, he has opened his first art gallery, the Frank Juarez Gallery in Sheboygan and has relocated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has presented at local universities, colleges, galleries, and artist groups on the Business of Art | Art of Business. He is the founder of two projects focused on contemporary art and art education called The Midwest Artist Studios and the 365 Artists 365 Days Project. In 2015, he was awarded the 2015 Wisconsin Art Education Association Teacher of the Year and in 2016, he was awarded the 2016 National Art Education Association Wisconsin Art Educator of the Year, joined the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts, joined SchoolArts Magazine as a contributing editor, and co-founded the Randall Frank Contemporary Art Collection Artist Grant Program. Recently, he has been elected to serve on the National Art Education Foundation Board of Trustees and has been awarded the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation 2018 Teacher Fellows Award.

About Sheboygan South High School

The Sheboygan South High School Art Department believes that art inspires students to be creative and express their feelings and thoughts through visual creation. For many students’ art has given them an area of success and expression that otherwise would be missing from their education. The art department teaches students using a Discipline Based Art Education philosophy. The content of this instruction focuses art aesthetics, criticism, history and production. These disciplines help students understand the value of art and the different processes and techniques for creating art.

Brian Sommersberger received his art education degree from Silver Lake College receiving teaching certificates in Art Education and Adaptive Art Education. In 2017, he completed the Sheboygan Area School District Teacher Development Institute through Lakeland University.

He has taught art at Wilson Elementary school (2014-2018), elementary and middle school art for Random Lake School District (2009-2014) and currently high school art at Sheboygan South High School. He is also the advisor for the Art Scream program and the South High Drum Line.

Sommersberger served on the Wisconsin Art Education Association board as the North East Regional Vice-President from 2011 to 2013. In 2015, he received the Outstanding Art Educator- Elementary Division Award through WAEA. He has worked with artists in the Kohler Art Industry program along with volunteering at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.

Looking Ahead

Sheboygan North will be hosting Craig Grabhorn, printmaker and Sheboygan South will be hosting Della Nohl, photographer, in the Spring of 2019.

For further information on this program, please email fjuarez@sasd.net or call 920.559.7181.

###

Sharing Student Success: Get Published in SchoolArts Magazine

August 9, 2018August 9, 2018Leave a comment

In 2015, the Sheboygan North High art department had its first student artwork published in SchoolArts Magazine. We were so thrilled to see our student’s work published in a national art education magazine. Seeing the expressions on our students’ faces when we tell them that their work has been published is priceless. To date, we continue to have our students’ work published.

No matter what you teach, it is important to show the world the quality of student work that is being created inside the classroom. As professionals, it is our responsibility to seek out those opportunities to help our students shine. We will never know what type of impact it can have on a student unless we try. Make it happen.

Welcome to the 2018/2019 school year!