- April 18, 2024
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Ormond Beach creative educators recently participated in a countywide art show.
Kimberly Sander shows her fourth grade students the mosaic she’ll be showing at the Volusia Art Educators Show that evening. With their faces turned towards the front of the classroom, she explains where she found the different pieces used in her project and what it felt like once it was finished. Finally, she asks them “Do you like it?”
A resounding “Yes” echoed the Tomoka Elementary School classroom and the art teacher experienced something a little unusual from her day-to-day job: support for her own artwork.
“What I teach them doesn’t really differ from what I do at home.” she said. “We dabble in everything from drawing to painting to ceramics. The stuff I do own my own, I usually do in the summer when there’s more time. But I think being an art teacher means you have to love art on your own so you can inspire them to love art themselves.”
A teacher for 32 years, Sander gives students of all grade levels experience in creating by being an example and getting them excited to do things on their own.
“I have the easiest, best job in the world,” she said. “I really do.”
Dyles Day, 9: “I like getting dirty with markers and paint. I like getting dirty.”
Eliza Dent, 9: “I love being able to draw what you don't see. She make things fun doing art.”
Miracle Miles, 9: “It's fun and you get to like make whatever you want. She gives us time and she's fun and awesome.”
Layla Killines, 10: “I love drawing and when I draw it's artistic to me.”
Gabrielle Pjsarzyk, 9: “I like the creativity I'm allowed to put in my work and express in my mind. I love my art teacher because she's so nice and let's us put our minds into different stuff.”
Matthew Brown, 9: “I get to see all the colors in 3D forms, and I like to paint.”
Wendell Fuller, Ormond Beach Elementary School
Wendell Fuller has been painting since he was in 5 years old, though his mom argues it was a little earlier.
“My mom says that I was born with a pack of crayons in my hand,” Fuller said.
For most of his artistic career, he worked with landscapes. It wasn’t until one of his students made a suggestion that his creative vision changed.
“I painted landscapes and all it did was get me a headache,” he said. “One day I'm down on the ground with my kindergarteners and she said ‘Mr. Fuller your land pictures are cool, but your ground splatters are awesome.’”
Christine Colby, New Smyrna Beach High School
This Ormond Beach resident started drawing and painting when she was high school, and now helps other high school students find their own creative passions in her art class.
“I love watching them become proud of their artwork,” she said. “Going through the process and finding it gratifying is important.”
If You Go
See artwork from over 30 teachers, including Kim Sander who teaches at Tomoka Elementary School, Wendell Fuller who teaches at Ormond Elementary School and Christine Colby, an Ormond Beach resident who teaches at New Smyrna Beach High School.
