Deonna, William and Lily have been my dedicated art students for the past four years. They explore and develop their creativity with such dedication and passion that pours over to their peers. Despite having completed all of their credits they have chosen to intern in my class in order to help others have the same art experience they have. These kids are hard working and extremely mature. They are constantly proposing ideas on how to strengthen our still very new program here and are more than willing to be my guinea pigs.
We are one of the poorest counties in the state, and to say that art is underfunded is not even a good idea of what it requires to have basic supplies for my students. The art classes I teach are for college level, but the students do not have access to the materials to be successful in a college level art class. Our test scores suffer because of this. My students also do not have access to art and culture locally as would other counties. Getting them this exposure to art and culture often means power points and movies. This pales in comparison to learning through experience.
National Portfolio Day is an event specifically for visual artists and designers. It is an opportunity for those who wish to pursue an education in the visual and related arts to meet with representatives from colleges accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Representatives will be available to review your artwork, discuss their programs and answer questions about professional careers in art.
Not only will my students be able to get the tools to succeed but they are able to work as a team to put the trip together. Many of them have never left the county they were born in and they will get to experience all that Miami has to offer; variety of cultures, food, art, and colleges.
In Their Own Words
The QI Roberts Senior/Junior art class is trying to raise money in order to attend the National Portfolio day in Miami, Florida.
We as art students value outside opinions, especially those of other artists who have successfully made it in the field, and would like this opportunity to visit with art colleges and allow them to
give us feedback on our work so far.
Other opinions from these colleges will give us the necessary push and the confidence needed in order to go out and make an effort to become the artists we want to be. It is important for us to receive feedback and strive to be better, than to settle into a comfortable place and never explore.
With the necessary materials, I, and the rest of the participating senior class will secure transportation, hotels and food, as well as an itinerary for before we attend portfolio day. This itinerary will include visits to local Miami art museums, college tours should they be available. The goal of this project is to get the senior and junior class confident in their work and encourage them to grow and seek out further education in the art field, and I plan to help organize that to the best of my ability.
Many young artists struggle with confidence issues when it comes to their work. With this trip, the students involved will be able to get a second opinion on their art and will be given suggestions on what they are doing well and what they need to improve on.
This kind of positive atmosphere will help to boost their confidence and make them happy to be doing what they like, and excited to get better, not upset that they aren't the best.
It also provides us with the opportunity to learn about different careers and colleges. With this information we can make better decisions about what majors we want and what career goals to strive toward.
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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 Ms. Beckles and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
