Tag Archives: Art

Downtown Doors

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Hello Friends,

When you walk around downtown San Jose, you’ll notice that there is large posters of student artwork on many utility boxes and doors. The San Jose Downtown Foundation has a program called Downtown Doors where it invites high school students to submit their artwork to be printed and placed around various sections of downtown. This is the 13th year, and 189 students submitted work from various San Jose public, private and charter high schools. 20 students are selected, bringing the total from the last 13 years to 252.

We invited students from the school I work at to submit to the art committee, and one of my students was selected! They had a small celebration for all the student winners a few weeks ago. It was a very exciting day, and I was so proud of her work. She had created this piece of work during a graphic design course taught by my department chair. I know this student from my Yearbook class. Her artwork hangs right by a popular Starbucks that I frequent when I need more caffeine in my life. Apparently the artwork Downtown Doors features will hang up for 3-5 years, which is quite a legacy!

I snapped the photo above of all the winners, which was a very exciting day I’m sure. I was a proud mamma standing there with my student!

Have you ever submitted anything to an art competition? Have you ever won anything?

Love,

-S

Edward M. Dowd Art and Art History Building

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Hello Friends,

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The weekend before Halloween, SCU unveiled their brand spankin’ new art building to the public. They had a big affair open to all, and a smaller private alum event after that. I had a previous engagement of a baby shower, so I was only able to swing by for the smaller alum event, which honestly was more my speed. I wandered around exploring all the nooks and cranny’s of the new building, and boy, did it impress me!
SCU
SCU

SCU

Although my time at SCU’s old art building was pretty grand, the building was small, aged, tired and small on space. The new building is three stories tall, with sweeping balconies, tons of classroom space and is a real space to showcase student work.

SCU

SCU

On a lark, I stopped by the old building on my way to my car. They have already updated it, moved walls, doors and even added a hallway as they utilize the space in a new way. The heart and soul of the old building is gone, with freshly white painted walls they covered up all our messy paint marks, oil stained sinks, bathroom art and years of love in that hall.

So many good memories in that old hall, but I’m sure the art students of classes today with make their mark soon enough on the new building!

Love,

-S

SF MoMa

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The city

We walked to SF Moma and the sky was so pretty!

A few weekends back, my parents and our lovely neighbors drove up to the city to meet their daughter and her beaux for an outing and dinner at their house. She invited us up to explore SF Moma, which has only recently opened in May after their 3 year long closure due to renovations. I was pretty excited to see both the building and the artwork. Although my personal artistic preference runs more to the classics, I do always enjoy seeing what’s hot in the modern art world.

Sf MOMA

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ivanka-trump-jocelyn-cap-toe-flat-women/4413953?fashioncolor=NEW%20DEEP%20GREY/%20BLACK%20SUEDE&origin=category-personalizedsort&cm_mmc=Linkshare-_-partner-_-15-_-1&siteId=QFGLnEolOWg-aGt7FzBiiF0B7uPFmo2FdQThe new building was designed by a architectural firm called Snøhetta and now has ten floors of curated work. The museum design with crisp and clean, with beautiful white maple floors. We explored floors in groups of two or threes.  My dad and partnered up as we were both particularly interested in two exhibits: California and the West: a photography exhibit and the Pop, Minimal and Figurative Art. I love Andy Warhol, and Chuck Close’s portraits and so I was looking forward to seeing some of their work in person.

We ended up getting a snack halfway though in their Cafe 5 restaurant, and the coconut milk curry soup I had was delicious.

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I think my absolute favorite exhibit that I saw that day was called Typeface Interface, and looked critically at the role graphic design and words have played in important communication tools like subway maps, band posters and ads. Their artist statement above describes it so much if you are up for a quick read.

Have you been to SF MoMa yet? Any exhibits you’d like to look at?

Love,

-S

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph

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This gallery contains 8 photos.

At the end of my first week of teacher prep at my new school, all of the admin, support staff and teachers went on a staff Retreat to the Cathedral and the San Jose MOMA. We were split into two … Continue reading →

Building a Better Art Classroom

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Hi Friends, Many of you know I work at a small charter high school in San Jose. I am so pleased to tell you that I am offering AP Art as a brand new class this fall. Unfortunately, our district … Continue reading →

Year Two, To-Do Lists, Blue Beast and SCU

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So I fell off the blog writing planet. My apologies, but life turned into one hot mess. But I’m back now!

I started back with professional development at my school basically the first week of August. It was a surprising return to work after a lazy, delicious week and a half in France, and a week in Holland with my dear old mum.

This year I am teaching 4 sections of Intro to Art, and one new honours class called Visual Communications. It has been a big change jumping from teaching 3 sections last year to having 2 preps and teaching 5 classes this year. I’m also in my second year of BTSA, which is this huge project that feels like insane amounts of busy work.

In September I started at Santa Clara University for my Master’s program. It has been the worst experience of schooling in my life, but I have already invested so much there, that leaving now seems like such a waste. I can go more in to detail at a later point, but for now I am just putting my head down and finishing my masters and getting the hell outta there. I thank god, that my good friend Annie is in the program with me, or else I would have given up on SCU a long time ago.

About 3 weeks ago, I was in a car accident on the freeway. I was shaken up and pretty sore, but overall I am fine. My beloved blue beast of a Prius, was not fine, it was totaled. It was my first accident where I had been the driver.

Losing my car was such an emotional blow to me, it was my first brand new thing, that I got to pick out and own all by myself. Afterwards I struggled with feeling guilty, even though it was not my fault at all, I still felt a sense of loss over losing my first car. I have been unbelievably blessed by kind and giving parents (and a super awesome and helpful brother) who are helping me with all of this headache and drama of being in a serious car accident.

We got money from the insurance company pretty quickly, but I wanted to do some research on cars. I looked at a few others, but am pleased to say that I am going with another Prius. For now, I am lucky enough to borrow my mom’s car while my parents are out of town. My brother has been amazing over the last few weeks, he was a giant help with the whole car mess, and overall we have been hanging out a ton and getting along famously (which is rare for us), so that’s nice.

So, in short, life has been busy, some days better than others, but still pretty good I would say. I am trying to remain positive. I have a job I love, a great itty bitty apartment that is all mine, and in the future, a bigger paycheck. I voted (yahoo!) and have been trying to stay on top of all my different areas of life. But to be fair, my to-do list is out of control! Even my to do lists has a to-do list! I am so behind on my Christmas shopping, usually by now I’m done.

But, life is still pretty good. Hows yours? How are things? How has your week been?

-S

On My Radar

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Since I have summers off as a teacher, I have had tons more free time in the last few weeks. Most of it has been used wisely, such as going to the gym, seeing old friends and catching up on … Continue reading →

A Week in Santa Fe

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To make a long story short, I moved unexpectedly about a month earlier than planned, thus the radio silence here on the blog.

Otherwise, things have been going great! Work has been going very well, and while I am proud of all that I have done this year, I have so many ideas on how to make next year better, both as an art teacher and as a testing proctor. I have things settled enough at my new place, and just got Comcast today. Woot! The return of my internet means I can join civilization again.

Over my spring break my father and I visited an old high school friend in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I had never been, and it was a glorious week of eating tasty things, art galleries and seeing beautiful new places!

 

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Over the week, my dad and I took a green chile cooking class, hiked a gorgeous mountain, enjoyed a fantastic little bookstore called Moby Dickens, and snarfed some delicious carrot cake!

Happy Weekend! What are you doing for your mother’s day tomorrow?

Love,

-S

An evening with Friends, and Gallery Hopping in the City

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On Wednesday, Annie had a few of us over for a casual get-together. We munched on a few things, and sipped margaritas. Our usual crowd was there, and it was just what I needed to finish out my week. Work has been running me pretty ragged, and it was exactly what I needed. My friends are always the cure for anything. We played Cards against Humanity, which is always a blast and very entertaining.

 

On Thursday, Roomie and I had professional development at our sister school in Hayward. I met the other two art teachers, and had a wonderful time talking shop. As I am the only art teacher at my school, and building my own curriculum, bouncing my ideas off these two guys really helped.

While the rest of the district had a second day of professional development in Hayward, the three of us met up at 111 Minna Gallery for a day of wandering around looking at art galleries.

The weather was warm and sunny, unusual for San Francisco in October. We drifted from 111 Minna to the Academy of Art, and stumbled into a ancient five story building with a multiple small galleries on each floor.

We grabbed a bite to eat at Le Boulanger on Market and walked over to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. They had a beautiful exhibit. I snapped these there

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My favorite piece at Yerba Buena was tucked into the room in the front called the Room of Big Ideas. I loved the wall that was there. I wanted to take it home with me.

I loved that last line, so I took a picture of just that. Sometimes it is very hard to live in the moment, to feel everything around me. But this wall, this wall reminded me of why.

From there we sat in the garden, and took in the glorious weather.

 

 

 

We walked back to Minna and parted ways. I walked over to Nordstrom’s, where a girl from my small group at church works in the Fine Jewelry floor. We chatted for a while, and then I realised what time it was. I dashed over to the Kate Spade section, and treated myself to a little something!

I ran errands today, and tidied up around the house. Last weekend my family and I celebrated my birthday. My parents gave me a stand mixer!!! So, tomorrow I plan on baking up a storm! Annie is coming over and we are tackling a long list of yummy treats! Tomorrow I’ll show you what I picked up from Nordstrom’s and whatever tasty things we bake!

I hope you have some exciting plans for tonight!  Saturdays are always the best night to have a little fun.

Love,

-S