ON VIEW IN HAL GOMER GALLERY
Art for All: A Collaboration
An exhibition by AACPS Art Teachers and their loved ones
Hal Gomer Gallery I May 1 - June 6, 2024
Opening Reception: May 30, 2024 6- 8 pm
This exhibition will showcase Anne Arundel Public School art teachers and the way they collaborate with their children, grandchildren, foster children, step children, nieces and nephews, parents, animals, etc. to create meaningful works of art.
This exhibition is on view in our Hal Gomer Gallery from May 1, 2024 - June 6, 2024.
FEATURED ARTISTS AND THEIR LOVED ONES:
Kelly Kuethe and their loved ones - Kelly has a BFA with a painting concentration from Salisbury University and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Goucher College. She has been a teacher with Anne Arundel County Public Schools since 2015 and has been a member of the art department at Annapolis High School since 2020. The transition to high school happened on the heels of having her first child. As she transitioned to virtual learning, getting to spend more time with her daughter at home and teaching through a screen, she realized that she needed to be in a community where she could walk away at the end of the day and focus on her family. She found that community at AHS. A place where she can make a difference in the lives of soon-to-be adults, but still have the energy at the end of the day to run and play with her two kids.
Her work is incredibly important to her. Her goal is to make all students feel successful not only in the classroom but in life. She teaches IB Art, 3D Level 1, Foundations of Art, and Unified Art to our students with disabilities. She is fulfilled everyday with every new challenge that comes her way and teaching brings her so much joy.
But her greatest joy in life is being a mom. It was something she knew she always wanted to do, and she has a wonderful husband that creates a strong parenting team. The skills she learns from being a teacher transfers seamlessly to being a strong parent, and vice versa. She hopes that her children will develop confidence, problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and perseverance through their art making long into the future.
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Jessica Jackman and their loved one - Jessica Jackman was born in Miami Florida and received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from Tufts University, followed by her Masters of Fine Arts from Norfolk State University. She has been a teacher for going on 8 years, mostly teaching in High Schools. Her art has many "themes" that is has gone through throughout the years including both political and realism. Her most recent work is focused on food, and the art of looking at a meal as more of an artistic creation, visually.
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Christopher Whitehead and their loved one - Christopher Ray Whitehead is a classically trained artist who primarily works in painting, illustration and alternative media. He has studied and exhibited throughout the United States and Europe. His work focuses on the human form and the art is used to illustrate personal narratives and concepts. Christopher has a passion for teaching others about art and artmaking. He has taught art in public schools in California and Maryland. Christopher served as Youth Art Manager at the Worcester Art Museum for seven years. Christopher has also served as President Elect, President and Past President for the Massachusetts Art Education Association and the Maryland Art Education Association. Christopher has also designed and built the websites for both Massachusetts and Maryland Associations. He was recognized in 2012 as Massachusetts Museum Art Educator of the Year and in 2013 as Massachusetts Art Educator of the Year and in 2018 Maryland Art Educator of the Year. Christopher is currently the visual arts teacher specialist for Anne Arundel County Public Schools and Executive Artist of Infinity Pond Studios.
Carrie Witham and their loved ones - “Artistically, I tend to be strongly influenced and inspired by the stages of my life, whether painting pictures of the Magathy River or of being a mom. I embraced this opportunity to have a fun, creative experience with my daughter!”
Olivia Daro and their loved one - My name is Olivia Daro and I have been teaching at Meade High School for two years. I always knew I wanted to be an art teacher, ever since my first art class in high school. I teach Foundations, 3D, 2D, and IB Visual arts. I usually like to call myself a jack of all trades because there is no one form of art that I use consistently. My favorite medium tends to be textile based but I use anything from paints to clay. Currently, I am working on a set of seagull based crocheted sweaters for the members of my family.
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Anastasia Pendleton and their loved ones - I am an art educator of 24 years with an ART Education Bachelors of Science degree from The Pennsylvania State University and Master in education from Lesley University. I have always found joy in in making art and being creative in all aspects of my life from cooking to decoration and fashion. I use my hand to create and talk! Watercolor has been one of my go to mediums, the fluidness of the media gives me courage and success. As I began my education journey I was encouraged to change my path from social work to Art Education, I am thankful for my advisor who guiding me to my gift of teaching. Each day I wake up and know that this is my calling and that through my ART classes I am making a positive impact on the students who walk through my classroom. This show was created by my Annapolis High coworker Kelly Kuethe who has given me the courage to create and show my work! Thank you Kelly for creating this family collaboration show.
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Jennifer Kuethe and their loved one - Jennifer Kuethe has been teaching Art at Crofton Middle School since 2009. She currently teaches Digital Palette using Adobe Photoshop but enjoys teaching and creating with many different media.
Outside of teaching, she enjoys painting with both oil and acrylic. She considers portraiture her focus, but has also enjoyed creating a few commissioned pet portraits recently. Her work can be found on her Facebook page, Kuethe Creations.
Visit their Facebook page, Kuethe Creations
Angela Brisbane and their loved ones - Angela Johnson-Brisbane works as a high school art teacher. She also works as a college adjunct teaching visual communication and graphic design at the university level. Trained as a graphic designer, Angela has a MA in Graphic Design from SCAD.
Brisbane’s journey as a visual communicator for the past 30 years includes creating brand identity, marketing & publication design for corporate and non-profit clients. She also has a passion for bridging the gap for underserved youth and using art in a therapeutic way.
Where much of Angela’s professional career has involved using her talents in the professional setting; this art show has allowed me to reintroduce myself back to the expressive part of being an artist. I have found a level of confidence in exploring art as a way for personal expression and something that my four children, husband, can use to learn more about me as an artist.
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Mimi Torres-Pagan and their loved ones - Mimi has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Columbus College of Art and Design, in Columbus, Ohio (with a concentration in drawing and painting) and completed studies in Art Education from Towson University and Syracuse University. She believes in creating portraits or illustration pieces that capture a story or indelible images of children, adults and those special moments or places that we wish to treasure forever. Mimi’s extensive experience comes from the areas of fine arts, illustration, graphic design, and education. Although she embraces every medium, watercolor is her favorite due to its transparency and beautiful luminosity.
Her work has been exhibited in Ohio, New York, Puerto Rico and Maryland and has been recognized by the Department of Education, Congressional Art, Department of Veterans Affairs, and other private and public entities. Currently, Mimi is the Art Department Chair at Meade High School and has been teaching all areas of visual arts including drawing, painting, photography, animation, illustration and graphic design for more than 24 years. She welcomes any comments or questions about her craft or inquiries about individual or group workshops at her website
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Additional Artists include Amy Begg-Marino, Clare Conger, and their loved ones.