Hello!
I am Camilla Spadafino, the art teacher at Lockeland Design Center, a k-4 Metro School in East Nashville. I have also been teaching an arts methods class for future teachers at Vanderbilt University. I have taught the class at Vanderbilt for two semesters and have been so inspired and amazed by that experience that I would like to continue the spirit of that class by working with a small group of children, hopefully, from the East Nashville community.
My grandmother was the piano teacher in her small town of Milan, TN. Not only was she able to share her love of music with young people but formed life long friendships with them. I loved it when these young people who eventually grew up, went to college, and moved on with their adult lives still came back to Milan and made a purposeful stop at my grandmother's home. I hope to bring that same warm th of experience through teaching art in my community.
The course I am offering is a Saturday course and is designed for students grades 4-8. I am also interested in working with high school students on more individualized projects and portfolio development. Please read the following course description for "Making Creativity the Norm." and let me know what you think! (special thanks to Shannon Truss for helping me with the course description and to Catherine McTamaney for inspiring me! )
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“Making Creativity the Norm”
Building and supporting a community of student artists in their journey into creativity as a way of life and learning
Instructor, Camilla Spadafino
Email: spadafino@comcast.net
Phone or Text: 615-830-8686
Goals for the (grade 4- 8) students in this course are:
1. Students will learn and practice techniques in mixed media art including: watercolor painting, acrylic painting, collage, sculpture, and drawing
2. Students will stay connected to the supportive online community we will create as part of this course as students continue their journey into “Making Creativity the Norm” in their lives
3. Students will learn how to and then continue to respond in their visual journals with specific teacher led assignments along with their own creations between workshops and beyond
4. Students will become familiar with notable contemporary artists, influential artists from history, and working artists from our community. Students will demonstrate their exposure to these artists by showing examples of their influences in their work
5. Students will be supported in developing an understanding of creativity and the essential need for it to be a fully integrated part of their learning and life
Course Description:
This course is designed to acquaint students grades 4-8 in the art of visual journaling as a means of “Making Creativity the Norm” in their lives. The course is open for up to 10 students in grades 4-8 who are interested in art and would like to be a part of building a supportive art community with course participants and their families.
The course includes eight, three hour workshops each having a unique focus on various art mediums and artist. The workshops are three hours long and will be held on Saturdays (one per month) during the months of August, September, October, November, January, February, March and April.(calendar coming soon) The workshops will be held at Camilla Spadafino’s home: 1413 Shelton Ave. Nashville, TN 37216. Students will be given specific assignments to be completed between workshops. The assignments will include projects to be completed in and out of their visual journals, sharing and responding to an online community to be used only by participants in this course and their families, specific and self-directed art museum visits and other field experiences (one required field experience per month)
This course is about the PROCESS of making art and becoming more creative – not the PRODUCT that students will be creating. Although students will be learning specific art skills as part of their personal creative process it will be the internal work that they are doing that is the focus of this course and not a goal “how things look” to others.
Suggested reading for parents:
A Whole New Mind by, Daniel Pink
A large part of my inspiration for this course comes from this book. Parents are encouraged to read it as a means of supporting their child in “Making Creativity the Norm.” Other readings will be shared with parents via email throughout the course.
Art Supplies and Materials:
All materials needed during the workshops, including the journals, will be provided to the students at no extra charge. Suggested Home Based Supply Kits are available for purchase at a slightly lower cost than should you purchase them yourself. You may have many of the supplies on hand already and it is completely your choice to purchase the Suggested Home Based Supply Kits, use what you have already on hand at home, or supplement with the below suggested list:
gesso
acrylic paint set
Yes Paste or UHO glue sticks
new Fiskars scissors
watercolor paint set
multipurpose brushes
a variety of design markers
variety of interesting papers
Suggested Home Based Supply Kits are optional and available for purchase through Camilla at the cost of the supplies to her. The kits will average about $125.00 depending on the number of students who wish to purchase one.
Fees:
Course Fee: $625
This fee includes:
Eight 3 hour workshops
Materials used during workshops
Online community supervised by Camilla
Teacher led monthly assignments with student accountability in workshop time
Teacher led monthly field visits with student accountability in workshop time
Culminating celebration at the completion of the course
Payments may be divided into four increments of $156.25 with the first being due at the time of the first workshop in August. The second payment is due in October. The third payment is due in January and the fourth and final payment is due in March.
