Summer 2024

I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep... Or so says Robert Frost upon Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. It is hard to imaging snowfall in Saint Louis in June and July this year. We've had record high temperatures and humidity that has made some days hard to tolerate. Nevertheless, I've been most fortunate in the use of my of my time off after my first year as Art Teacher at Confluence Academies' Old North Academy campus. 

Just a quick review of my calendar shows a pretty fortunate series of events:

May - UMSL Purina visit (5/1); SLAM Jaune Quick to See Smith (5/4); Education Plus PD (5/6); Laumeier Art Fair (5/9-12); 5/18-20 Janie comes to St. Louis (Laumeier, MO History, Rain at Fox); Hillsboro Cox fun (5/26); U City Brittany Woods Middle meeting re: Art (5/28).

  

June 1 - Lindsey and Lawton (in town to see Andrew Morstein as Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville). We filled this Saturday with trips to MO History Museum in Forest Park, Central Print in Old North neighborhood, and Pizza place in Maplewood. 

June 4 - Ozark Amphitheater with Dave and Linda Shogren, Al Funk and Tom N. We saw Robert Plant and Allison Kraus show with opening act Tiny Moose (Chris Galloway's band).

June 6 - AMA gathering at Global Brew. Good to see Kathy McGuire and AMA board members preparing for a new administration under incoming President, Webster University's Eric Rhiney. 

June 7 - A special visit inside Andy Goldsworthy's Stone Sea sculpture at the Saint Louis Art Museum.

June 8 - Dave Shogren's OMG band at Jack's Joint upstairs at O'Connells.

June 15-17 - Father's Day trip to NJ. Purple Glaze Donuts, Brooklyn Graffiti, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Grounds for Sculpture visit.

June 27 - visit with Tim Brinks in St.Ann.

June 28 - The AMA "Wes Morgan Classic" golf at CCGC.

July 4 - Music and Fireworks at Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex.

July 5 - Docent interview at SLAM

July 6 - Early morning double red Blood Donation 

July 8 - Meeting/interview with Principal Twana Moore at Northwest Middle School (Hazelwood School District). 

July 10 - Sarah Lorentz artist phone call re: Old North Art

July 11 - HBE league at CCGC

July 13 - Pageant Show - OK Go, Mirthquake, Winona Forever courtesy Integrity Web Solutions company/Lisa Grimm

July 15 RIP Janet Shaughnessy at Schrader Funeral Home

July 16 RIP Janet Ascension Catholic Church, Mass in Chesterfield

July 18 - Confluence Golf event at Forest Park - shotgun start with Anthony on Redbud #9

July 19 - St Louis Artis Guild Show - Sarah Lorentz

July 20 - ON caucus: Kathy and Marty McCaslin, Kelly Hock, Tammy Slater at MO History Museum

July 21 - Meeting of Old North Restoration Group at Dave's business but led by Linda Shogren because Dave was stuck in Newark due to airline IT global issue. Juan William Chavez, Aimee Dunlap, Stacey Cline, Gloria Bratkowsko, Jessica Payne, Linda Shogren, Wes Morgan, Robin Lovings Brown, Matt Fernandez. 

July 25 - RED at New Jewish Theater

July 26-28 - Cleveland LHS 50th reunion

July 31 to August 5 - NJ - Asbury Park Boardwalk, Sunset Diner (x2), Colonial Terrace (two walks but booked), Elberon Bathing Club (x3) beach and pool.

August 7 UMSL foursome at CCGC

August 8 - Back to School Bash, HBE league night (Thurs)

August 9 - Kidsmart at Ballpark Village

August 10-12 - Tampa Six Flags Roller Coaster

August 19 - School Resumes

 

Interviews and Learning

 

ART STILL HAS TRUTH TAKE REFUGE THERE are the words inscribed in the back entrance of the Saint Louis Art Museum. Since that entrance is adjacent to the sculpture garden, I find myself standing there and appreciating that very thought. The following are some highlights of my interview situations, which I believe to be excellent opportunities to explore self knowledge with regard to my habitual pursuit of art as TRUTH. 

I have completed service as Art Teacher for Confluence Academies Old North Campus this past 2023-2024 School Year. Now, in light of maximizing my Summer hiatus I've take the liberty to participate in a couple of art teacher interviews (University City Brittany Woods Middle School 5/28, and Hazelwood's Northwest Middle School on July 8, 2024). Both meetings were taken as I feel compelled to get some other reference points on teaching art in a Middle School. Both meetings were in response to the schools contacting me after noting my certification/qualifications on the MOREAP website. 

I am a frequent visitor to the Saint Louis Art Museum. Bill Sitzer is a respected veteran of their docent corps. He encouraged me to throw my hat in the ring at they gear up for the first new crop of docents since 2014. So I arranged to meet Karla Aguilar, the director of customer engagement and two others (Monica the docent coordinator and her co chair) on July 5th. (I was able to again visit the Andy Goldsworthy Stone Sea up close and personal that very afternoon).

Next week I will be meeting a collection of colleagues from Old North at the Missouri History Museum. The meeting is social but includes staffers who will or will NOT be returning to Old North. 

The following is a collection of some of my learning from three art related meetings:

It's a small world - I bumped into a former colleague form Westview Middle School (a 6th grade teacher) at Brittany Woods. The meeting was with a 6th grade principal and the Arts coordinator. 

Planning might work with some coordination - Hindsight is 20/20. I wish I had been more questioning about how that coordination of curriculum happens. I have no idea how buttoned up the Arts program will be at Brittany Woods.

Principal is your PAL - I truly enjoyed the pleasant meeting with the brand new principal, Ms. Twana Moore. She admits to learning a new set of state expectations - coming from Nashville, TN and Fort Worth, TX. She's looking for TWO art teachers. The school has over 800 students (6th, 7th, 8th graders). She was kind enough to show me two art classrooms and advise me that they also have access to a kiln foe ceramics (somewhere in the building). 

Art is part of an academic puzzle - I shared with Principal Moore that Old North had 5 different art teachers the year before I arrived. She's faced with filling two such positions. 

The Saint Louis Art Museum is an amazing place - they are taking steps to be relevant and attract members of the community. It remains to be seen how they will marshal this new band of docents. Clearly the exhibitions have been tailored for education and engagement.