Annual High School Teacher Retreat fall, 2011, carved brick relief

I had a special treat this fall for the annual High School Teacher Retreat.  Mara Smith, one of the artists who carved the Whole Wall Project, was in Concordia working on a new project.  She is from Seattle, WA and has over 35 years experience in carving brick.  She consented to be our guest speaker at the Retreat.  The high school teachers were asked to bring an idea for a one brick relief or sculpture and we would spend a day learning from Mara how to carve a brick relief.

I hold the retreat every year to thank our hard working high school teachers for the fantastic job they do keeping art alive in our rural areas.  They work long hours on low budgets to bring the arts and creative thinking to students of all age levels.  I always invite a professional artist to give a lecture/demonstration so that the teachers, who rarely get to work on their own art or talk with other artists, have a chance to visit, relax, have fun as well as learn something new.  It is always a great success, as well as helping the teachers gain a one credit hour recertification credit if they choose.

Here are some photos of the teachers who participated this year and the work they produced.

Mara getting the class started

CCCC President Dr. Dannette Toone visited our workshop.  She is pictured here on the left, Mara Smith center, and a former relief sculpture student and Concordia community member, Richard Cyphers on the right.  

Republic County art teacher, Bellville, Connie Levendofsky blocking in her design.

April Spicer, Marysville's art teacher, working on lettering sculpture

Smith Center's art teacher, Jerry Blank, is almost done with his indian relief.

Rachel Cole, Minneapolis' art teacher, working on a relief of a horse.

Jennifer Wolff, Beloit art teacher, works on her spider web relief.

Hanover's art teacher, Joni Steffes, works on her turtle sculpture.

Bennington/Tescott's art teacher, Tamara Constable, works on a relief combining lettering and relief sculpture.

Connie Levendofsky's partially completed buffalo.

April Spicer's creative lettering!

Jerry Blank's indian relief completed.

Rachelle Cole's horse relief, partially complete.

Jennifer Wolff's spider web completed.

Joni Steffes' turtle sculpture completed.

Tamara Constable's name block completed.