NHS Artist in Residence, Cooper Diers at Sheboygan North High School

Artist & North High alumnus, Cooper Diers ends his semester long residency at Sheboygan North High School in a couple of weeks. As part of our exit interview process we’ve spent a few minutes with him to see how his experience was this spring semester. We’ll miss ya!!!


About Cooper

My name is Cooper. I was brought into existence by two people (like most of us), who both possess considerable imaginations. My father creates through carpentry, specializing in cabinetry, and is an exceptional chef, while my mother designs works in several mediums of visual art. Both have had an interest, appreciation, and intrinsic ability in a number of creative fields from early on and I would like to consider myself fortunate enough to have been predisposed to a lot of creativity, relying on it as a constant throughout my life. Though the approach to my work is predominantly self-taught, the influence and encouragement of several teachers during my academic career has helped the continuation of my work from a practical perspective. Music and sound are the deepest source of affect on my psyche.

About the Sheboygan North High School Art Department

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

Sheboygan North High Choir graphic notation (music)

For the past few months, NHS AiR artist Cooper Diers worked with several staff and students. It was great to see Cooper connect through music & art. 

Below are the performances of the graphic score for the Vocal Spring Recital (including a backstage clip of the students working through the piece before taking it to the stage). People attending the concert were encouraged to come up to a table with the paper and markers and draw, write, make a symbol or mark and it would be performed as music later in the evening. The audience and the performing students seemed to equally enjoy the experience and it was a real treat for me to be a part of the creation of it.

Videos courtesy of Cooper Diers. 

Artist Spotlight – Doug Arthur

This month we had fellow NHS teacher and artist, Doug Arthur share his art, influences, process, and love for illustrations with our students during our Artist Lecture Series. The questions below were provided by the Advanced 3D Design students. 

North High Art Dept: Do you make any of your art specifically to sell it?

Doug Arthur: At the moment I don’t primarily produce art to sell unless commissioned.

NHAD: Would you consider teaching for an illustration job?

DA:  It is definitely a consideration of mine. I’ve always enjoyed teaching and art

NHAD: Where is your favorite place to draw?

DA:  I usually like to find some place that is relaxing yet has a lot of interesting things going on. This means you’ll find me frequenting places like the Weather Center in Sheboygan fairly often.

NHAD: What college did you go to?

DA:  I went to UW-Stevens Point and graduated with a teaching degree in Broad Field Social Studies and History.

NHAD: What got you into illustration?

DA:  That’s a potentially very long story. I always enjoyed art from a young age. Somewhat of a start was when I got involved in making comic strips for my high school paper. It wasn’t until after college that I got more involved in illustration. I had a roommate that got me into comic books and asked me to do some illustrations for him. From there, I got more interested and continued to learn more about the craft and spend more time doing it for my enjoyment as well.

NHAD: Why didn’t you become an art teacher?

DA:  Well, to be honest, when I was in college, I came in completely undecided. My path lead me more toward history. At the time I didn’t really have an understanding of career options in art and wasn’t necessarily planning on being a teacher yet. Would I be an art teacher if possible? Definitely. But I enjoy teaching in general, so I have no regrets in that area.

NHAD: What is your favorite drawing?

DA:  I’m not sure I ever have one favorite. There is a sketchbook illustration I did recently where I tried to work on using negative space effectively, and I really enjoyed the outcome of it.

NHAD: When did you start drawing?

DA:  I started drawing when I was fairly young, but I don’t think it matters as much when you start as what you put into it. People who put time and effort into their work are more likely to create something they’ll be proud of.

Gallery

Arthur’s Portfolio

 

Celebrate Youth Art Month

Did you know that March is Youth Art Month? 

Congratulations to the following art students. These students will be representing the Sheboygan North High art department in Madison and in Sheboygan. 

In Sheboygan the following students’ work has been selected to participate in the John Michael Kohler Arts Center’s Youth Art Month Celebration. They are Elena B, Elena K, Maddie L, Tou V (teacher Ms. Mattern) and Allison N, Emma A, Gabe L, Arthur L, and Tyler G (teacher Mr. Juarez).  There is a public reception on March 5th from 11am – 3pm at JMKAC, 608 New York Avenue in Sheboygan.

In Madison the following students will be exhibiting their art at the Wisconsin Art Education Association Youth Art Month Celebration at the State Capitol. They are Elizabeth, Jenny, Emma (teacher Ms. Mattern) and Julia A, Rita D, and Allison N (teacher Mr. Juarez). There is a public reception on March 31st from 12-1pm at the Rotunda, 2 E Main St, Madison, WI 53703.

About Youth Art Month

Source: SchoolArts Magazine, March 2017


yamscholastic

Photo credit: Frank Juarez

Interview with artist, Rafael Francisco Salas

This month we had art professor and artist, Rafael Francisco Salas visit North High to share his art, influences, and process with our students. 

Rafael Francisco Salas, Untitled Portrait (Houses), oil on canvas, 22 x 42 inches, 2010

Rafael Francisco Salas, Untitled Portrait (Houses), oil on canvas, 22 x 42 inches, 2010

North High Art Department: What/who is your biggest inspiration?

Rafael Francisco Salas: I mentioned a few influential artists – Isa Genzken, Cy Twombly,  and Byzantine artwork

In addition, old country music as it relates the landscape, and then of course the landscape of rural Wisconsin itself.

NHAD: What is your favorite medium to work with?

RFS: Oil paint and charcoal

NHAD: When did you start painting?

RFS: I always was interested in making art, but didn’t begin oil painting until I was about 23 years old.

NHAD: At what age did you start being an artist?

RFS: Pretty much my whole life.

NHAD: Why did you choose to do abstract painting?

RFS: Great question. Abstract art (to me) is able to communicate beyond language. If a painting has a human figure, a viewer responds with the knowledge that the painting has a person in it. But abstraction requires a different reading, that is more personal and emotional. It comes from the gut.

NHAD: How long does it take to finish a painting?

RFS: Sometimes they move along quite quickly, like two or three weeks. Other times a couple of months.

NHAD: Do you enjoy changing your media & materials?

RFS: It’s exciting and very challenging to work with new materials. Sometimes it’s a disaster!

NHAD: Is all of your work based on your experiences?

RFS: Yes, most of it is pretty autobiographical. It’s what I know.

NHAD: What made you want to go into art/study art?

RFS: I always enjoyed it and was inspired to make art. Plus I was never good at anything else!

Artist Statement: 

My current artistic project begins by describing the landscape and its moods that I have observed in Wisconsin.  They include natural occurrences as well as man-made events and architecture which complement and conflict. Our creations and habits rub up against what is native or wild. Those interactions describe our new selves.

The use of non-representational and still life elements in my artwork creates a dichotomy between figure and ground, between the perceived and the felt. Like the nature of the landscapes I observe, the artwork aspires toward a certain nobility, but often illuminates a poignant contrast to that aspiration.

Country music is the appropriate soundtrack.

About The Artist Lecture Series

The Artist Lecture Series is an in-school program at Sheboygan North High School that invites local and regional visual artists to share their journey as artists with the beginning, intermediate, and advanced art classes. Visiting artists present and expose art students to such as but not limited to: a digital portfolio, actual artworks, talk about about careers, and the opportunity to interact with the artists. This program is organized by the Sheboygan North High Art Department. 

NHS Artist Lecture Series welcomes Megan Woodard Johnson, mixed media artist

The North High Art Department is happy to announce its November visiting artist, Megan Woodard Johnson. 

Megan is a mixed media artist living in West Bend, WI. By layering vintage ephemera with paint, various drawing media and found objects she tells evocative stories which speak to universal experiences as well as personal memories. 

She studied Graphic Design and Printmaking at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV. She is a member of the Cedarburg Artists Guild and the League of Milwaukee Artists. She has exhibited her work in numerous shows and galleries in Southeast Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. 

megan-als-2016

USPS Postage Stamp Design

Every year the Drawing Intensive students design a mock up USPS postage stamp expressing their interests. The past 4 years these stamps would be displayed at the Sheboygan Post Office. This year that ended due to a new policy that prohibits signage in the retail area of the post office.  So…here is a gallery of the students’ work. 

Gallery

A Qualitative Research Study of Arts Education and its’ Impact on Post-Secondary Success. Written by Jenny Sturchio.

This past school year I had the opportunity to work with Jenny Sturchio. She is a grad student at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee. Her ideas for her Capstone Final was to research how secondary art education impacts post-secondary success. The Sheboygan North High Art Department was one of her subjects for this research. I found it interesting to read her perspective on secondary art education and her correlations to post-secondary education. It is always neat to read what others think about the arts programming, activities, and relationships that exist within a public high school art program.

Feel free to download this PDF. Courtesy of Jenny Sturchio. 

Here are some excerpts from her research. 

“I find we are presented with material in a very linear way and are expected to understand it in that way as well. By participating in the arts, it has given me the chance to explore ideas and come to the conclusions in a more fluid manner. Having space to work through things abstractly has been beneficial for someone with a right brain way of thinking” (Answer from survey participant, 2016.)

“By being involved in the arts, I was able to find my passion. Being exposed to and given the chance to dabble in artistic curriculum, it opened up doors that would not have been possible otherwise. In a society where math and science are deemed the only suitably successful careers, including arts is a more holistic approach at education. Art has given me more ways to problem solve, and overall another perspective to walk through the world with. I think it is important to keep the arts in secondary education because that is how we keep it in post-secondary, which is important in creating innovators of the world” (Answer from survey participant, 2016.)

“When dealing with a struggling student they refer to creative teaching techniques to create a platform for the student to find success”.

“Not only do they [teachers] consult with the art department for their own classroom integration, but it is observed that arts-active students are more deeply engaged in classroom activities than those who are not”.

“My recommendation would be for high schools to provide professional development for their teachers that covers arts-integrated education”. – Jenny Sturchio

About

J.Sturchio. A Qualitative Research Study of Arts Education and its’ Impact on Post-Secondary Success: This narrative research project was completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Arts in Education degree for the College of Adult and Graduate Studies at Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, WI. 50pps.

Feel free to download this PDF. Courtesy of Jenny Sturchio. 

Reception photos for NHS AiR, Marty Carney

Marty is our fourth artist in residence at Sheboygan North High School. A reception is a great way to celebrate the success of the artist’s accomplishment during our Spring semester. Although his time was dedicated to connecting with NHS students and staff he also created several paintings. Receptions are always unpredictable. It is probably one of the most nerve racking parts of being an artist because you never know who is going to show up. 

In this case, Marty had a fab turnout. It was great to see our administration present, aspiring poets, fellow colleagues, former artists in residence, and friends. For the third time, Ms. Cavanaugh’s poetry students wrote poems based on a painting from the artist they liked and read them to the people present. The poetry readings are starting to become a tradition that has found a home at NHS. Marty shared how his paintings were influenced by ecology. Mr. Soik, Honors Humanities teacher, shared how having Marty weekly made a difference in how his students interacted with the artist resulting in a beautiful assemblage. 

This program has presented many wonderful opportunities to strengthen our bond as a North High community as well as to welcome unexpected events and embracing them whilst letting things flow where they may.