Arts on the"Front Burner" in Ohio / Elayne Lowe

Ohio Art Education Association PR/Advocacy Chairs have been busy.  OAEA will host an student visual art exhibition at the Ohio Statehouse during the month of May, 2012.  Each Ohio Art Education Association Region is invited to select four pieces of exemplary student art work (each should be by a different student) for the exhibition which runs from May 1 through May 19, 2012.  As part of the exhibition, on Wednesday, May 9^th, more than one thousand arts and arts education supporters from around the state will be convening in Columbus to celebrate Ohio Arts Day and the Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio.

The exhibition will be housed in the Ohio Statehouse.  The works of art will be open to the public during normal hours of operation daily.  Last year, more than ten thousand visitors took tours of the Statehouse during the exhibition and we’re sure they enjoyed the student work!

KUDOS to Michelle Rosette, from Canton South High School, East Central’s PR/Advocacy Chair that will exhibit student work in this year’s Student Statehouse Exhibit.

EC Members Display @ Wayne Center for the Arts

Six members of OAEA exhibited their work in the WAGE show held at the Wayne Center for the Arts in Wooster, Ohio. Members of this art club meet monthly to discuss their work.  Annually they select a theme for the show.  This year the theme was "In The Eye of The Beholder."  Randy Robart exhibited his silk painting of sunflowers. As you know silk painting boasts brilliant colors.  Randy chose turquoise for the background and layered the ochre and gold sunflowers. The frame was made of red oak that had fallen on Randy's father's farm 38 years ago.  Randy stacked the wood from the oak in his father's barn, where it sat in the dark until now.  Julie Fisher and Hope Long exhibited work they had made at a workshop held during the summer.  The abstract art incorporated acrylics textured with modeling paste.  Julie also exhibited a painting of a female with a very large hat.  She intends to begin a series of such women.  Of course!  Julie also exhibited two of her wonderful hats.  Pat Anderson exhibited a painted ostrich egg.  She worked months to create the purple irises.  Pat used a combination of colored pencils and batik.  After months of work, she was ready to apply the finish.  Pat uses what she calls a "bed of nails" to finish her work.  As she was moving the finished artwork to a safer place, the egg rolled off and crashed to the floor.  The entire back of the egg was destroyed.  That did not dismay Pat!  She displayed the egg in such a way that the damage was disguised with chiffon scarves.  Only a very observant viewer could detect the fine crack lines.  Sherrie Dennis exhibited two pieces of art.  One was a watercolor of a child sitting on top of the Earth.  Another was a pencil drawing of her dog and his dreams.  Janice Gallagher exhibited three pieces.  She made an altered book titled "Bird Girl Diaries."  It contained collaged images of birds...as females.  She also carved out an apple gourd to make a Garden of Eden. Around the outside of the gourd, she painted a snake with its mouth open wide around the opening of the gourd.  Her final piece was a printer's drawer filled with more that 250 bottle caps with images of eyes inside.  The bottle caps were made just like the ones we used as pins for the 2010 conference.

 By: Janice Gallagher

By: Randy Robart

Calcutta Elementary In The News

Check out two links to articles on the school children of Calcutta Elementary.  Great job EC member Elayne Lowe on keeping your community connected.

Native American Art @ Calcutta Elementary

Valentine's for Wounded Vets

Are You On Pintrest Yet?

What's  you ask?


Pintrest is an on-line bulletin board where you can post pictures of you favorite images/links.  Its a great way to prepare for an art unit on a topic, collect recipes, find out about DIY projects, and look  at holiday crafts.  You can make multiple boards with pictures that you and your "friends" can view and discuss.  Its a very visual blend of Facebook and your teenage bulletin board.  (Remember Sean Cassidy and your other "Tiger Beat" pictures...ah memories!)


If you haven't tried it yet, get registered, and get started pinning your way to some great on-line inspiration.  Visit:  www.pintrest.com to get an invitation.  If you are already on Facebook, you will have the option to link it to your existing account.


Chris Triner invites you to see his pin boards.  Type his name in the search box and become another follower of this great visual tool. (Click on the Pintrest icon at the top to link directly to Chris' page.)

A Budding New Artist Is Born to EC Member Jill Clutter

Jill Clutter ( Elementary Art Triway) and husband Brian  have a baby!!! Molly Jane Clutter, born Thursday morning at 7:52AM 7 lbs 3 oz 18 1/2 inches long 


Congratulations Mom, dad, and Molly!


(P.S. We would love to post a picture if one becomes available.)

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards from Around EC

Congrats to EC member Michelle Pelino, and her students at Crestview Local.  Her students were honored at their local Scholastic Art Awards with nine gold keys and an American Vision Award.  One student was also given the Steel Valley Art Teacher Scholarship. Congrats Michelle for all of your efforts.


EC Member Janet Baran continues to co-chair the NE Ohio Regional Scholastic Art  and Awards for Stark, Summit, Media, and Portage Counties that is held annually at Kent State's Stark Campus.  Great job to her and the following teachers and their students for being recognized from that area:


Sherri Angeloni - Jackson Local Schools
Janet Baran - North Canton CS
Chris Bergert - Canton South Local
Amy Eible - Canton South Local
John Huston - North Canton CS
Michelle Rossette - Canton South Local Schools
Debbie Tisdale - Jackson Local Schools
Christopher Triner - North Canton CS


If any other teachers participated in the their local Scholastic show, please contact Chris Triner @ cjt1nc@northcantonschools.org with information or pictures.  We would love to congratulate more teachers for their extra efforts on behalf of their students. 

Sherrie Dennis' "News From the Edge..."

Mz Carolyn White, the Gullah story telller / Sherri Dennis


Edge of the Atlantic! that is…
Being retired, I have been working on my “bucket list”…
Anyway, I rented a townhouse across the Cooper from
Charleston, SC  in Mt Pleasant for two months.
Today I went to Folly beach and watched dolphins play on the waves,
ate shrimp and clams outside ( hey, it was 70 degrees), then later went with my
pup, Mei Ling, to Sullivan Island and walked the beach and watched the sun starting
to set…a lovely day.
I have been painting landscapes and Gullah women. Gullah Geechee, is what the black descendents of slaves of the Sea Islands are called. Their language is pigeon English mixed with some African dialects. Because February is Black History month, they are presenting free events like Gullah story tellers and sweet grass basket weavers and indigo
dye makers. Their culture is fascinating and rich with customs handed down over generations. It is so fun to learn about people and their heritage.
   I am looking forward to the Southern Wildlife Exposition next week in Charleston where over 100 artists and 500 exhibitors display artwork and give presentations about wildlife and the environment, including our own, Jack Hanna!
   I come back to reality the end of the month and have an OAAE meeting then OAEA meeting to attend in March.
   Retired people, what are you waiting for???? Go follow your dreams if you can or Make ART ‘til you drop!! I have to remind myself that time is fleeting and have to pursue my dreams because no one is going to do it for me.
                                                                                         Sherrie Dennis