Each year I am privileged to work with amazingly talented student artists. I want to expose them to the modern tools employed artists use every day. We are excited to enter the technological world of successful artists.
My students are in grades 9 - 12 and attend our alternative school which delivers the curriculum via independent study.
They are typically off track for graduation, come from home situations which involve addiction, abuse, and neglect, may be pregnant or parenting, and often have had trouble with the law. However, the independent study model is so successful because it allows one caring adult (the teacher) to bond with one, often troubled, student and design an education plan tailored to the student. These students are often stifled artists and who have never had the materials, much less the encouragement, to create. In our school they find open access to the materials they have dreamed of using and teachers who encourage them to be creative. We have formed a partnership with a successful graphic artist who is willing to help our students enter the modern age of digital art. She is excited by the talent she has seen in our students and we can't wait to see how far they can go.
My Project
We are purchasing four digital drawing tablets. These will allow our students to create works of art in a digital format, which can then be uploaded to many stock-art Internet sites. Even student artists can earn commissions from these sites. We have explored this process with a professional graphic artist and she is willing to guide our students through the process of taking an idea, turning it into a polished work of art, and uploading it to reputable internet graphic art sites. Our students will learn what it is like to be an employed artist. With digital drawing tablets our student photographers can add art to photographs, edit digital images and learn to create product labels, brochures, web designs, and more. Whether students have a talent for photography, drawing, painting, doodling, or design, the digital drawing tablets can give them the opportunity to succeed in today's art world.
Artistic students often feel their talents and passions can never lead to a career; with our digital drawing tablets, we can show them that is not the case!
Our students do not have access to technology at home, the technology in our classroom is minimal, and most of them will never get a chance to go to an art college or vocational program. This project will provide students with skills that can lead into a world of artistic career possibilities.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Harrison and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.