The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, in partnership with Golden Artist Colors, offers three educators whose students received Scholastic Awards at the regional or national level the chance to spend two-weeks in upstate New York at a painting residency. During the residency, the educators participated in technical demonstrations, took lessons on techniques, and of course, spent time painting! We asked each of this year’s residents how the residency impacted them and their painting practice. Here’s what they had to say:
Brian Payne
“I found all of the technical sessions to be extremely helpful and learned new information in every session. Looking back, I think I’ve applied at least one new skill from each different technical in my work and/or conveyed this information to students in the short time since leaving the residency . . . Upon completing the residency, I have been more consistent with setting aside time to work on my own artwork at least once a day. Previously, it would be “hit or miss” when making an attempt to work on anything for myself.”
Geeta Dave
“I believe the GOLDEN Educators Residency is a marvelous opportunity for art educators around the nation. This kind of opportunity gives you a wonderful break from the tangled lives of school and social responsibility. My students greatly enjoyed the different experiments and techniques that I learned during my stay in the GOLDEN Residency. We just finished a lesson on image transfer techniques, and I could tell they were intrigued by such an innovative method of creating art! This is just one of countless other lessons I have in mind and I can only thank the GOLDEN Residency Program for this one-of-a-kind experience.”
Kevin Kelly
“The whole experience gave me permission to explore without time constraints and without fear of media scarcity. It allowed me to become more efficient in the studio, then and now. I feel like I am now able to use the media to more directly address personal goals. Prior to the residency, I had a personalized vocabulary, but was much less direct about how to articulate it . . . It was a great experience to share with my students and my entire district! My students wanted to know all about both trips to New York. It certainly added some weight to the messages I always try to convey in class–hard work pays off, take chances, stick with your passions, and believe in yourself. Other people will notice.”
The Scholastic Awards are proud to partner with organizations like Golden Artist Colors and the Sam & Adele Golden Foundation to offer exciting opportunities to our educators. Educators deserve all the support we can give them, inside and outside of the classroom.
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